Biomaterials for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering Symposia Held November 27-29, 2000, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Biomaterials and biological interfaces are expected to play a key role in promising areas of biotechnology (such as cardiovascular/neurological applications and drug, protein and gene delivery) for the future. Likewise, recent interest in dental/orthopedic applications is being driven by opportunities for improved biomaterial (mechanical) properties. Biomaterials are expected to be important for all of these areas, and hence this joint proceedings volume. Four symposia from the 2000 MRS Fall Meeting come together here to focus on biomaterials development from the perspective of materials design, coupled with tenets from cellular and molecular biology. An important feature of the volume is the wide range of materials investigated, spanning polymers, ceramics, metals, and hybrid materials. Papers dealing with orthopedic/dental biomaterials focus on designing functionalized polymeric, ceramic and composite scaffold materials that promote osteointegration and osteoconduction for tissue engineeringand implant applications. Techniques to improve long-term fixation of implants are also discussed. Papers related to cardiovascular and neurologic biomaterials focus on improvement of hemocompatibility of biomaterials by surface modification strategies, "cardiovascular drug delivery and tissue engineering and surface patterning techniques to enhance nerve regeneration. The development of novel biomaterials for stimuli-sensitive delivery, gene delivery and transdermal drug delivery form a significant focus of the contributions in the drug delivery section of the volume. The symposia and joint proceedings volume represent important steps in strengthening the interface between materials science andbioengineering and should help catalyze collaborations that will result in significant neMallapragada, S. is the author of 'Biomaterials for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering Symposia Held November 27-29, 2000, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.' with ISBN 9781558995727 and ISBN 1558995722.