Polymer Biocatalysis and Biomaterials

Biocatalysis means the use of enzymes or living organisms to carry out chemical or polymer reactions. It is currently a hot research topic with many academic, industrial, and government laboratories doing basic and applied R&D. In polymer science this field is rapidly growing, and many new reactions and new biocatalysts are being discovered and applied. Likewise, biomaterials comprise an equally exciting field of research that finds many applications in dental, surgical, and medical areas. Both fields are highly interdisciplinary, requiring (at various times) knowledge and expertise in organic and polymer chemistry, material science, biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemical engineering. This symposium volume provides state-of-the-art reviews of these exciting fields as well as original research papers. The editors and the authors are all experts and active practitioners of polymer biocatalysis and biomaterials. They include academic, industrial, and government scientists who have brought different expertise and perspectives to these fields. Together, they have provided a most useful book that contains up-to-date developments in fundamental research and industrial R&D efforts. This book will be useful to organic chemists, polymer chemists, material scientists, biochemists, and chemical engineers who desire to learn more about this field. It will be a useful reference book and also suitable either for self-study or as a textbook for an upper level undergraduate or a graduate level course.