Bøker i Biologically-Inspired Systems-serien

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an acellular three-dimensional network composed of proteins, glycoproteins, proteoglycans and exopolysaccharides. It primarily serves as a structural component in the tissues and organs of plants and animals, or forms biofilms in which bacterial cells are embedded. ECMs are highly dynamic structures that undergo continuous remodeling, and disruptions are frequently the result of pathological processes associated with severe diseases such as arteriosclerosis, neurodegenerative illness or cancer. In turn, bacterial biofilms are a source of concern for human health, as they are associated with resistance to antibiotics. Although exopolysaccharides are crucial for ECM formation and function, they have received considerably little attention to date.The respective chapters of this book comprehensively address such issues, and provide reviews on the structural, biochemical, molecular and biophysical properties of exopolysaccharides. These components are abundantly produced by virtually all taxa including bacteria, algae, plants, fungi, invertebrates and vertebrates. They include long unbranched homopolymers (cellulose, chitin/chitosan), linear copolymers (alginate, agarose), peptoglycans such as murein, heteropolymers like a variety of glycosaminoglycans (hyaluronan, dermatan, keratin, heparin, Pel), and branched heteropolymers such as pectin and hemicellulose.A separate chapter is dedicated to modern industrial and biomedical applications of exopolysaccharides and polysaccharide-based biocomposites. Their unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties have attracted considerable interest, inspired basic and applied research, and have already been harnessed to form structural biocomposite hybrids for tailor-made applications in regenerative medicine, bioengineering and biosensor design. Given its scope, this book provides a substantial source of basic and applied information for a wide range of scientists, as well as valuable textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

The work is a source of modern knowledge on biomineralization, biomimetics and bioinspired materials science with respect to marine invertebrates. The author gives the most coherent analysis of the nature, origin and evolution of biocomposites and biopolymers isolated from and observed in the broad diversity of marine invertebrate organisms and within their unusual structural formations. The basic format is that of a major review article, with liberal use of references to original literature. There is a wealth of new and newly synthesized information, including dozens of previously unpublished images of unique marine creatures and structures from nano- to microscale including high-resolution scanning and transmission electron micrographs. The material is organized effectively along both biological (phyla) and functional lines. The classification of biological materials of marine origin is proposed and discussed. Much of the pertinent data is organized into tables, and extensive use is made of electron micrographs and line drawings. Several modern topics e.g. "biomineralization- demineralization-remineralization phenomena", or "phenomenon of multiphase biomineralization", are discussed in details. Traditionally, such current concepts as hierarchical organization of biocomposites and skeletal structures, structural bioscaffolds, biosculpturing, biomimetism and bioinspiration as tools for the design of innovative materials are critically analyzed from both biological and materials science point of view using numerous unique examples of marine origin. This monograph reviews the most relevant advances in the marine biomaterials research field, pointing out several approaches being introduced and explored by distinct laboratories.

This volume contains studies on the evolution and function of lightweight constructions of planktonic and other organisms, and examples of how they can be used to create new solutions for radical innovations of lightweight constructions for technological application.

This book is a collection of experimental studies demonstrating structure-function relationships in various biological systems having particular surface specialization to increase/decrease friction and adhesion.

The application of silk to biomaterials is now very active on the basis of excellent properties of silks including recombinant silks for biomaterials and the accumulated structural information.