Preface pubs.acs.org/Langmuir
Preface for the Bioinspired Assemblies and Interfaces Special Issue
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the properties of bioadhesion and how to design advanced interfaces that exploit these properties. This special issue would not have been possible without the contributions and assistance of many people. The entire Langmuir editorial team provided valuable input concerning the overall structure of the issue and suggested many potential authors. We thank Jo Whitten, Robin Clifford, Brenda Chambers, and Katherine Krebs for keeping the submission and review process running smoothly. Finally, we are most grateful to all of the authors who contributed manuscripts and the reviewers who took time to provide constructive feedback to the authors. We hope that you, the readers, find this special issue to be a valuable overview of the state-of-the-art in this rapidly growing field. Assemblies and interfaces are the very foundation of Langmuir, and the impact of biology on our collective research in this area cannot be overstated. We look forward to continuing to serve the community by publishing your Letters and Articles in this area.
he field of colloids and interfaces has historically been, and continues to be, informed and guided by advances in our understanding of biological systems. The DNA double helix, the lipid bilayer, and the ribosome provide examples of one-, two-, and three-dimensional supramolecular structures that have inspired generations of scientists and engineers in diverse, multidisciplinary research that merges chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and molecular engineering. We are often initially motivated to replicate nature’s assemblies and interfaces in order to understand their fundamental properties. This knowledge then guides our efforts to assemble similar structures from nonbiological components, i.e., biomimetic assemblies and interfaces. Ultimately, our understanding of biological systems allows us to design and synthesize completely new structures, having properties that are distinct from what is found in nature, as reflected in the growth of interest in areas such as bionanotechnology. It is this effort to reproduce, mimic, and extend biological assemblies and interfaces that inspired the creation of this special issue of Langmuir. We have assembled a collection of original research papers from a distinguished group of scientists and engineers. The issue is divided into six sections: three focused on assemblies, and three on interfaces. The first section, Nucleic Acid Assemblies, reflects the burgeoning research area of nucleic acid nanotechnology. The Watson−Crick rules for base pairing, a key element in understanding the one-dimensional structure of DNA, are now used to create two- and three-dimensional structures based on DNA, RNA, and synthetic analogues of the natural molecules. In a similar philosophy, our growing knowledge of protein structure, ranging from collagen fibers to viral capsids, is inspiring the creation of new materials, as demonstrated in the articles collected in the second section of this issue, Protein and Peptide Assemblies. The third section, Liposome/Polymersome Assemblies, showcases innovations enabling drug discovery, delivery, and diagnostic advances. These multifunctional encapsulation materials allow for tunability in terms of drug kinetics, activation, and imaging. The first section on Interfaces, Protein−Surface Interactions, covers specific versus nonspecific and kinetic versus thermodynamic aspects of protein adsorption. Modern surface analytical techniques enable one to probe molecular details at the interfaces such as protein orientation and water structure. Combined experimental and theoretical approaches reveal the longlived phenomena of protein adsorption. The next section of articles showcases major progress in the area of Biomimetic Interfaces, ranging from complex bioinspired materials, which are synthesized by living organisms, to the direct conjugation of living cells with synthetic materials. The special issue concludes with articles that describe major advances in the area of Bioadhesive Interfaces, demonstrating the utility of exciting new approaches and delivering promising results. Bioadhesion is a fundamental process that has implications for the production of reversible adhesives, drug targeting, and biofouling. In these articles, we see how the combination of chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering can be used to better understand © 2012 American Chemical Society
Bruce Armitage, Senior Editor Carnegie Mellon University Tejal Desai, Senior Editor University of California, San Francisco Shaoyi Jiang, Senior Editor University of Washington Many thanks to Bruce, Tejal, and Shaoyi for their excellent work in putting together this remarkable Special Issue. Collaborations among the Langmuir Editors make possible Issues that are truly valuable to our readers. We welcome suggestions from our readers for future Special Issues that can help advance the areas of science we cover. David Whitten, Editor-in-Chief University of New Mexico
Special Issue: Bioinspired Assemblies and Interfaces Published: January 31, 2012 1943
dx.doi.org/10.1021/la300196w | Langmuir 2012, 28, 1943−1943
