This book reviews several aspects of the biological response to nanoscale particles on a molecular and cellular level. Nanoscale materials and nanoscale particles in particular have interesting properties and beneficial applications. While they thus have entered our daily lifes on many different levels (from electronics, over textiles, packaging or surface modifications, to biomedical applications), general rules describing their interaction with biological structures and biological matter are still difficult to derive. The existing literature suggests a variety of interaction schemes between nanoparticles and biological objects, not dispelling the public concerns about possible health effects and harmful properties. A systematic approach to the problem is needed and timely. This book specifically emphasizes bioanalytical problems starting from the characterization of the nanomaterials to the pitfalls and potential artifacts of state-of-the-art cytotoxicity assays that are frequently used to study harmful effects on cells. It also highlights the application of label-free bioanalytical techniques that can potentially complement the present approaches and hence provide new perspectives on this highly discussed cutting-edge field of research and public concern.

This text coherently links biochemical fundamentals and mechanisms with economic and societal problems of environmental pollution. It addresses interdisciplinary topics such as regulatory problems, sampling and pollutant quantifi cation, model organisms and provides a philosophical perspective on the toxin load on a variety of organisms, including humans in the environment in the Anthropocene. Case studies and exercises illustrate current issues and discuss future aspects.

This thesis describes novel substrate embedded physical sensors that can be used to monitor different types of cell-based assays non-invasively and label-free. The sensors described provide integrative information of the cells under study with an adaptable time resolution (ranging from milliseconds to days). This information about the dynamic cell response to chemical, physical or biological stimuli defines a new paradigm in fundamental biomedical research. The author, Maximilian Oberleitner, describes approaches in which the cells are directly grown on different sensor surfaces (gold-film electrodes, shear wave resonators or dye-doped polymer films). This approach, with the reacting cells in particularly close proximity and contact with the sensor surface, is key to a remarkable sensitivity, opening the way for a variety of new applications. This thesis not only introduces the fundamentals of each approach, but it also describes in great detail the design principles and elucidates the boundary conditions of the new sensors.

Handbook of Polymers in Medicine combines core concepts and advanced research on polymers, providing a better understanding of this class of materials in medicine. The book covers all aspects of medical polymers from characteristics and biocompatibility, to the diverse array of applications in medicine. Chapters cover an introduction to polymers in medicine and the challenges associated with biocompatibility in human tissue, polyurethane and supramolecular polymers and their specific applications in medicine, from tissue regeneration to orthopedic surgery and cancer therapeutics. This book offers an interdisciplinary approach that will appeal to researchers in a range of disciplines, including biomedical engineering, materials science, chemistry, pharmacology and translational medicine. The book will also make a useful reference for clinicians and those in medical fields who are interested in materials for medical applications, as well as R&D groups involved in medical device design. - Systematically covers individual polymer classes, from characteristics and biocompatibility to applications in biomedicine - Covers a broad range of applications in medicine, such as cardiac tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery, dentistry, and more - Provides an interdisciplinary review of polymers in medicine, allowing advanced students and experienced researchers in a range of biomedical and clinical fields to learn more about this fast-evolving area

An increased understanding of the environmental and human healthimpacts of engineered nanoparticles is essential for theresponsible development of nanotechnology and appropriateevidence-based policy and guidelines for risk assessment.Presenting the latest advances in the field from a variety ofscientific disciplines, this book offers a comprehensive overviewof this challenging, inter-disciplinary research area. Topics covered include: The properties, preparation and applications ofnanomaterials Characterization and analysis of manufacturednanoparticles The fate and behaviour of nanomaterials in aquatic, terrestrialand atmospheric environments Ecotoxicology and human toxicology of manufacturednanoparticles Occupational health and exposure of nanomaterials Risk assessment and global regulatory and policy responses Understanding the behaviour and impacts of nanotechnology in theenvironment and in human health is a daunting task and manyquestions remain to be answered. Environmental and Human HealthImpacts of Nanotechnology will serve as a valuable resource foracademic researchers in nanoscience and nanotechnology,environmental science, materials science and biology, as well asfor scientists in industry, regulators and policy makers.