Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000003726688 | TP248.65.P76 P763 1997 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Nature learned long ago how useful proteins are as a diverse set of building blocks to make materials with very diverse properties. Spider webs, egg whites, hair follicles, and skeletal muscles are all largely protein. This book provides a glimpse into both nature's strategies for the design and produc tion of protein-based materials, and how scientists have been able to go beyond the constraints of natural materials to produce synthetic analogs with potentially wider ranges of properties. The work presented is very much the beginning of the story. Only recently has there been much progress in obtaining a molecular understanding of some of nature's com plex materials, and the mimicry or replacement of these by synthetic or genetically engineered variants is a field still in its infancy. Yet this book will serve as a useful introduction for those wishing to get started in what is sure to be an active and productive field throughout the 21st century. The authors represent a wide range of interests and expertise, and the topics chosen are comprehensive. Charles R. Cantor Center for Advanced Biotechnology Boston University Series Preface The properties of materials depend on the nature of the macromolecules, small molecules and inorganic components and the interfaces and interac tions between them. Polymer chemistry and physics, and inorganic phase structure and density are major factors that influence the performance of materials.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
This collection of 12 review chapters details studies involving proteins as materials suitable for commercialization. From silk, which has been processed for thousands of years, to new designer proteins with unique properties, this volume describes the current technologies and future goals for proteins as useful materials in medicine and industry. The 12 chapters are written by different groups of authors who are primarily materials scientists, polymer chemists, and chemical engineers. They review everything from design to synthesis, bulk production and purification to use in new materials. Each chapter is well referenced and up-to-date. As a classical protein biochemist, this reviewer found the book fascinating and informative. Many of the problems encountered and solved by researchers in this field should have direct relevance to many investigators working in the areas of protein over-expression through recombinant methods as well as protein purification. There is enough detail to give the work depth, but not so much that one is bogged down in the minutiae. Readers will appreciate the ingenuity of the human intellect. Graduate students through professionals. J. M. Tomich; Kansas State University
