This book summarizes naturally occurring and designed bio-inspired molecular building blocks assembled into nanoscale structures. It covers a fascinating array of biomimetic and bioinspired materials, including inorganic nanozymes, structures formed by DNA origami, a wide range of peptide and protein-based nanomaterials, as well as their applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. The book elucidates the mechanism of assembly of these materials and characterisation of their mechanical and physico-chemical properties which inspires readers not only to exploit the potential applications of nanomaterials, but also to understand their potential risks and benefits. It will be of interest to a broad audience of students and researchers spanning the disciplines of biology, chemistry, engineering, materials science, and physics.

Autorentext
Dr. Sarah Perrett is a Professor at the National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. Dr. Tuomas Knowles is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK. Dr. Alexander Buell is a Professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark.

Inhalt

1. Nanozymes Xiyun Yan (Institute of Biophysics, CAS, China) This chapter will describe the discovery of nanoparticles with intrinsic catalytic activity, and their subsequent use in applications ranging from environmental chemistry to tumour diagnosis. 
2. DNA origami Ned Seeman (New York University, USA)This chapter will describe exploitation of the sequence-specific binding properties of DNA to direct the assembly of materials at the nanoscale to give final structures with well-defined spacings, orientations, and stereo-relationships. 
3. DNA sensors and nanopores Ulrich Keyser (Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK) This chapter will describe the use of DNA origami to create nanopores that can selectively detect specific single biomolecules in solution, thereby mimicking the selectivity of membrane channel proteins.
4. Non-proteinacious bioinspired nanostructures Lihi Adler-Abramovich & Ehud Gazit (Tel Aviv University, Israel) This chapter will describe the extension of the bionanotechnological paradigm that only peptides and DNA can self-assemble into functional structures. The authors will present results on the self-assembly and materials properties of amino acids, metabolites and peptide nucleic acids.
5. Composite nanomaterials Raffaele Mezzenga (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) This chapter will describe the structure and properties of nanomaterials that combine protein with materials such as hydroxyapatite thus mimicking bone, or graphene to form biodegradable and conductive nanomaterials.
6. Self-assembly of ferritin and its biological properties and applicationsSoumyananda Chakraborti & Pinak Chakrabarti (Bose Institute, Kolkata, India) This chapter will describe the properties and applications of ferritins, which are naturally-occurring proteins that self-assemble into hollow cage structures. The interior cavity, which in nature is utilized for sequestration of iron, can be exploited to encapsulate different carrier molecules ranging from cancer drugs to therapeutic proteins. The structure itself can act as a well-defined building block for fabrication, and the exterior surface can be modified to provide further functionality.
7. Dynamics and control of peptide self-assembly and aggregationPaolo Arosio, Chris Dobson & Tuomas Knowles (Dept. of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK) This chapter will describe how a detailed theoretical understanding of the sequential and parallel elementary molecular reaction steps that lead to peptide self-assembly from monomeric building blocks allows control of the assembly process in both disease-related and functional contexts.
8. Peptide self-assembly and its modulation: imaging on the nanoscaleChen Wang (National Centre Nanoscience and Technology, CAS, China) This chapter will describe the use of scanning tunnelling microscopy to obtain site-specific structural information for amyloidal peptides, and to design and screen peptides, small molecules and other modifications that target amyloidal peptides and modulate their assembly.
9. Spectroscopic properties of peptide nanostructures Dorothea Pinotsi & Clemens Kaminski (Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, UK)This chapter will describe interesting optical and spectroscopic properties of peptide assemblies, such as fibrillar and crystalline structures, which emerge as a consequence of the order of the assemblies.
10. Single molecule detection of amyloid assembly David Klenerman (Dept. of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK) This chapter will describe the application of single molecule fluorescence techniques to study the molecular mechanism of amyloid assembly, including characterisation of the properties of intermediate species formed.
11. Mechanisms of aromatic short peptide self-assembly <di...