Biomimetic and Bioinspired Nanostructures

This chapter focuses on the recent developments and novel applications of bioinspired and biomimetic nanomaterials as functionally advanced biomolecules which have a huge prospect in research, development and engineering industries. Biomimetics (biomimicry) is the development of novel biomaterials which not only mimic the composition of natural systems but also copy their structure, morphology, and functionality. These bioinspired materials generally have their origins in nature and are designed by studying and imitating the remarkable biological processes of organisms and pathways of occurrence of different natural phenomena. In general, bio-inspired structures are synthesized by the following systems: (i) elementary biomimetics, (ii) high-level biomimetics, (iii) intelligent biomimetics, (iv) living-organism, and (v) bioinspired macromolecular arrangements. The core technology of bio-inspiration is built upon deciphering how biological materials are constructed and understanding the interactions that cause their unique properties. Many of the functional details of biotic processes and structures belong to the nanorange and hence can be perfectly twinned and understood in detail using the knowledge of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The interphase between biotechnology and nanotechnology comprises a hitherto unexplored/barely explored area of modern science with huge potential applications in medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food engineering fields. Advances in design of nanostructured materials can make way for us to restructure systems and create new materials by modifications at the (sub)molecular level, creating new functionalities. Current researches in this are concerned with the absorption and distribution of nanoparticles in the micro and macro-organisms, development of highly sensitive sensors, methods to counteract pollution, designing smart nano materials, and others. The potential of biomimetic approaches on a nano scale encompasses recent breakthroughs in biomedical, biomechanics, and cell-free enzymatic manufacture of nanoparticles. Bioinspired strategies for synthesizing bottom-up nanocomposites by using biomolecules for potential applications in colorimetry, electrochemistry, surface plasmon resonance, Raman scattering, and microbalance sensors have also been explored. Other medical and biomedical applications include development of biomimetic synthetic calcium phosphate for supplementing the strength of bones and teeth, therapeutic drug delivery systems including biomimetic liposomes, hydrogels, micelles, and other misc nanostructures. Brain-machine interfaces utilizing biomimetic neuronal modelling have shown to greatly improve the performance and control of prosthetics. This genre of nanobioengineering is still in its initiation stages and has ground-breaking scope of application in material science and engineering, food engineering, agriculture, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries involving development of programmable nanomaterials.