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Nanomaterials
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Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences
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Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2012) | Viewed by 39423

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Greg Rorrer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Interests: biofabrication; bioinspired assembly; biominerization
Prof. Dr. François Baneyx

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Box 351750, Seattle, WA 98195-1750, USA
Interests: nanobiotechnology; protein aided nanomanufacturing; hybrid nanostructures; molecular biomimetics; organic-inorganic interface

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue of Nanomaterials will focus on the publication of studies that advance the frontiers of bionanotechnology at the intersection of nanomaterials and biological systems. The underlying theme that ties nanomaterials to the life sciences is the interface between nanomaterials and biomolecules, particularly within living organisms. Fundamental understanding of this interface has broad applications in biomedicine and materials science.

Nanomaterials—nanostructured materials and nanoparticles—commonly possess enhanced optical, electronic, or magnetic properties enabled by virtue of their nanoscale dimensions where quantum effects play a role. Nanomaterials include metallic, metal oxide, organic and polymer nanoparticles or nanocrystals, as well as their composites or inorganic-organic hybrids; nanostructured thin films, membranes, photonic crystals and porous materials; and nanostructured carbon (nanotubes, graphene). Biomolecules, which can also be nanostructured, include proteins, peptides, DNA and nucleic acids and oligomers, and lipids. Synergistic interaction of nanomaterials with biomolecules, either alone or in living systems, enables a host of applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Functionalization of nanomaterials with biomolecules that results in hybrid materials with enhanced properties;
  • Fundamental study of the bio/nanomaterial interface, including new surface analytical techniques;
  • Biosensing, bio-imaging, and targeted drug delivery enabled by new nanomaterials;
  • Engineered and purposeful interactions of functional nanomaterials with living cells & tissues, particularly for applications in biomedicine;
  • Synthesis and hierarchical assembly of new nanomaterials enabled by biomolecules, living cells, or living tissues.

Prof. Dr. Greg Rorrer
Prof. Dr. François Baneyx
Guest Editors

Keywords

  • biofunctionalization of nanomaterials
  • biomolecule/nanomaterial interface
  • cellular/nanomaterial interactions
  • biomolecule-mediated nanomaterial synthesis

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 1348 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Sub-100 nm Gold Nanoparticles for Laser-Induced Thermotherapy of Cancer
by Jennifer P. Leung, Sherry Wu, Keng C. Chou and Ruth Signorell
Nanomaterials 2013, 3(1), 86-106; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano3010086 - 31 Jan 2013
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 10309
Abstract
Specialized gold nanostructures are of interest for the development of alternative treatment methods in medicine. Photothermal therapy combined with gene therapy that supports hyperthermia is proposed as a novel multimodal treatment method for prostate cancer. In this work, photothermal therapy using small (<100 [...] Read more.
Specialized gold nanostructures are of interest for the development of alternative treatment methods in medicine. Photothermal therapy combined with gene therapy that supports hyperthermia is proposed as a novel multimodal treatment method for prostate cancer. In this work, photothermal therapy using small (<100 nm) gold nanoparticles and near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation combined with gene therapy targeting heat shock protein (HSP) 27 was investigated. A series of nanoparticles: nanoshells, nanorods, core-corona nanoparticles and hollow nanoshells, were synthesized and examined to compare their properties and suitability as photothermal agents. In vitro cellular uptake studies of the nanoparticles into prostate cancer cell lines were performed using light scattering microscopy to provide three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Small gold nanoshells (40 nm) displayed the greatest cellular uptake of the nanoparticles studied and were used in photothermal studies. Photothermal treatment of the cancer cell lines with laser irradiation at 800 nm at 4 W on a spot size of 4 mm (FWHM) for 6 or 10 min resulted in an increase in temperature of ~12 °C and decrease in cell viability of up to 70%. However, in vitro studies combining photothermal therapy with gene therapy targeting HSP27 did not result in additional sensitization of the prostate cancer cells to hyperthermia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences)
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11 pages, 1792 KiB  
Communication
Assembly of DNA Architectures in a Non-Aqueous Solution
by Amethist S. Finch, Christopher M. Anton, Christina M. Jacob, Thomas J. Proctor and Dimitra N. Stratis-Cullum
Nanomaterials 2012, 2(3), 275-285; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano2030275 - 31 Aug 2012
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7317
Abstract
In the present work, the procedures for the creation of self-assembled DNA nanostructures in aqueous and non-aqueous media are described. DNA-Surfactant complex formation renders the DNA soluble in organic solvents offering an exciting way to bridge the transition of DNA origami materials electronics [...] Read more.
In the present work, the procedures for the creation of self-assembled DNA nanostructures in aqueous and non-aqueous media are described. DNA-Surfactant complex formation renders the DNA soluble in organic solvents offering an exciting way to bridge the transition of DNA origami materials electronics applications. The DNA retains its structural features, and these unique geometries provide an interesting candidate for future electronics and nanofabrication applications with potential for new properties. The DNA architectures were first assembled under aqueous conditions, and then characterized in solution (using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy) and on the surface (using atomic force microscopy (AFM)). Following aqueous assembly, the DNA nanostructures were transitioned to a non-aqueous environment, where butanol was chosen for optical compatibility and thermal properties. The retention of DNA hierarchical structure and thermal stability in non-aqueous conditions were confirmed via CD spectroscopy. The formation and characterization of these higher order DNA-surfactant complexes is described in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences)
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Review

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30 pages, 1870 KiB  
Review
Nanostructured Biomaterials and Their Applications
by Kirsten Parratt and Nan Yao
Nanomaterials 2013, 3(2), 242-271; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano3020242 - 10 May 2013
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 11018
Abstract
Some of the most important advances in the life sciences have come from transitioning to thinking of materials and their properties on the nanoscale rather than the macro or even microscale. Improvements in imaging technology have allowed us to see nanofeatures that directly [...] Read more.
Some of the most important advances in the life sciences have come from transitioning to thinking of materials and their properties on the nanoscale rather than the macro or even microscale. Improvements in imaging technology have allowed us to see nanofeatures that directly impact chemical and mechanical properties of natural and man-made materials. Now that these can be imaged and quantified, substantial advances have been made in the fields of biomimetics, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. For the first time, scientists can determine the importance of nanograins and nanoasperities in nacre, direct the nucleation of apatite and the growth of cells on nanostructured scaffolds, and pass drugs tethered to nanoparticles through the blood-brain barrier. This review examines some of the most interesting materials whose nanostructure and hierarchical organization have been shown to correlate directly with favorable properties and their resulting applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences)
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34 pages, 417 KiB  
Review
Rafts, Nanoparticles and Neural Disease
by Vishal Gulati and Ron Wallace
Nanomaterials 2012, 2(3), 217-250; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano2030217 - 6 Aug 2012
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 9361
Abstract
This review examines the role of membrane rafts in neural disease as a rationale for drug targeting utilizing lipid-based nanoparticles. The article begins with an overview of methodological issues involving the existence, sizes, and lifetimes of rafts, and then examines raft function in [...] Read more.
This review examines the role of membrane rafts in neural disease as a rationale for drug targeting utilizing lipid-based nanoparticles. The article begins with an overview of methodological issues involving the existence, sizes, and lifetimes of rafts, and then examines raft function in the etiologies of three major neural diseases—epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease—selected as promising candidates for raft-based therapeutics. Raft-targeting drug delivery systems involving liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles are then examined in detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends of Nanomaterials in Life Sciences)
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