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Smart Polymers Are In The Biotech Future
August 26, 2009
•Article: Smart Polymers Are In The Biotech Future
By Nilesh V. Patil
Life is polymeric in its essence. In every part of life, we are associated with polymers. The most important components of living cells — proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids — are polymeric molecules. Nature uses polymers both as constructive elements and as a part of the complicated cell machinery of living things.
The phrase smart polymers is appearing with increasing frequency in scientific and engineering publications as well as in the popular press. Stimulus-responsive or "smart" polymers undergo strong conformational changes with only small changes in their environment such as in pH, temperature, ionic strength, and electric or magnetic fields. Structures of these polymers are called smart materials and include those used in sensors and actuators. Smart materials for devices have been developed and studied either embedded in or attached to structural materials.
Reprinted with permission from BioProcess International 4(8):42-46 (September 2006)
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