Nanotechnology in Medicine: Nanofilm Biomaterials

By interrogating nature at the length scale of important biological molecules(proteins, DNA), nanotechnology offers great promise to biomedicine. We reviewhere our recent work on nanofilm biomaterials: “nanoscopically” thin,functional, polymer-based films serving as biocompatible interfaces. In onethrust, films containing carbon nanotubes are shown to be highly antimicrobialand, thus, to be promising as biomedical device materials inherently resistiveto microbial infection. In another thrust, strategies are developed toward filmsof independently controllable bioactivity and mechanical rigidity — two keyvariables governing typical biological responses.