Modifications and Applications of Chitin/Chitosan for Biomedical, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Biotechnology and Related Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Chitin- and chitosan- based materials have been developed and researched for many applications in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biotechnology, and related fields. The research and development of chitin and chitosan for these applications are in part linked with their unique physical and chemical characteristics, ease of manufacture into a variety of forms including fibers, films, sponges, gels, and micro- and nanoparticles, and availability, as they constitute an abundant and renewable resource. In particular, the versatility of chitin and chitosan in regard to chemical modification provides numerous options to develop and create chitin- and chitosan- based materials with novel properties and characteristics, such as mechanical toughness, swelling, viscosity, antimicrobial activity, oxygen/water permeability, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, degradability, chemical bonding, presence of reaction sites, composite structure, nano-structure, and environmentally responsive and smart features, to name a few. This Special Issue focuses on new and innovative strategies to modify chitin- and chitosan- based materials to create new materials with novel properties, and optimize them for biomedical implants and pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biotechnology applications.

Dr. Joel D. Bumgardner
Dr. J. Amber Jennings
Dr. Tomoko Fujiwara
Dr. Fernanda Delbuque Guerra
Guest Editors