Other Biomimetic Templates

Other natural biomimetic templates that utilize amines as the catalytic sites for silica precipitation have also been reported [74, 78], Cellulose was recently used as a rigid backbone for silica nanotube formation by introducing ohgopropylamido side chains derived from dipropylenetriamine (DPTA) to the C-6 position of almost all of the anhydroglucose units (AGUs) (Figure 1.28) [74]. 

Rather than using the protein molecule as a whole, the imprinting of selected protein epitopes may present a more practical approach. Imprints of such patches may then act as receptors for these parts of the protein. It could be shown that an MIP imprinted with a tetrapeptide was able to recognize not only the template but also a protein bearing the same 3-amino acid terminus as the peptide template [129]. If this approach proves to be successful in other cases as well, MI-based recognition will no longer be limited to small molecules. The result will be even more antibody like biomimetic polymers. 

Biomimetic processes other than inorganic crystallisation have also been described. Wright and co-workers templated the production of the polymer hemozoin, a crystalline heme aggregate used by malarial parasites in a detoxification process. Understanding and controlling this could lead to new antimalarial drugs. Peptide dendrimers containing multiple repeats of the Ala-His-His sequence known to mediate hemozoin formation were prepared and indeed were shown to induce its production. ... 

The use of double hydrophilic block copolymers in biomimetic mineralization processes has been investigated in recent years. In contrast to rigid templates (like carbon nanotubes and porous aluminum templates which predefine the final structure) water soluble polymers could be used as soluble species at various hierarchy levels. Usually, in the case of DHBCs, one of the block acts as scaffold for the development of the crystal, while the other acts as a soluble-stabilizing matrix. Therefore, both of the blocks play a crucial role on the development of the crystals. There is a plethora of reports on the emerging bio-inspired mineralization field. Various crystal structures have been presented during the last years, following versatile synthetic routes. A very detailed and illustrious review has been recently given by Colfen [3]. The above review describes in detail all aspects of the specific field. Herein, we present just a few selected examples. 

This improved ability to design peptide-based fibers from the bottom up should pave the way to real-life applications of such materials in bionanotechnology, particularly with regard to templating inorganic and other functional materials, and as soft biomimetic scaffolds in 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. 

A range of biomimetic materials fabricated as hydrogels, membranes, meshes, nanoparticles, and other structures have now been developed as tissue models, scaffolds, or templates for regenerative medicine (Mirazul Islam et al., 2015 Demirel et al., 2015 Naleway et al, 2015). 

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