Preface

The biopolymer landscape is undergoing a revolution and illuminates the propensity of certain multifunctional biomaterials to change the way biopolymers are synthesized and applied for the design of scaffolds in tissue engineering, controlling the spatial and temporal release of bioactives into the human body as well as to modulate the physicochemical and physicomechanical properties of therapeutic systems for enhanced form and function. For example at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) (http://www.wits.ac.za/waddp) we focus on specialized biopolymers that allow us to design therapeutic systems that can perform functions outside their range of conventional capability and into the blue skies realm, including 3D printability. The mechanized uniqueness of biopolymers is embodied not only in their macroscopic structural changes, but also in their ability to respond to varying stimuli, reversibly change their shape or even behave as in vivo tissue or organ surrogates. Such biopolymers have been applied in a vast array of biomedical applications that include stimuli-sensitive bioactive delivery systems, intelligent medical and surgical devices, tissue engineering, or implants for minimally invasive surgery. In this eBook, we provide a topographical view of the tortuous biopolymer landscape and elaborate on the fundamental molecular mechanisms and physical dynamics of polymer behavior that bring about their advanced function. Furthermore, we highlight the diverse stimuli that instigate biopolymer function and discuss those that have undergone modification, functionalization and customization for specialized biomedical applications. We would like to thank the experts who have made immense contributions to the various Chapters within this eBook and have emphasized the fact that certainly the biopolymer landscape is far from flat. The future is exciting.