[Zurück]

I. Gebeshuber, B. Majlis, F. Aumayr, L. Neutsch, F. Gabor:
"Nanomedicine and Biomimetics: Life Sciences meet Engineering & Physics";
in: "Proc. of the 3rd Vienna International Conference Micro- and Nanotechnology - Viennano09", 3rd Vienna International Conference Micro- and Nanotechnology - Viennano09, 2009, ISBN: 978-3-901657-32-0, S. 17 - 23.

One of the fascinating aspects of nanotechnology is that
on the nanometer scale all the natural sciences meet and
intertwine. Physics meets life sciences as well as
tribology, engineering, chemistry, materials science and
computational approaches, which altogether communicate
and are closely linked. This inherent
interdisciplinarity of nanotechnology poses a challenge
and offers enormous potential for fruitful crossfertilisation
in specialist areas. [1][2][3].
A variety of novel nanotechnological techniques such as
scanning probe microscopy and scanning probe
spectroscopy allows for accurate characterization and
manipulation of features down to the single molecule
level and below [4]. Such techniques are currently
widely used and continuously being improved, and open
up completely new perspectives in nearly all fields of
modern science [5].
This manuscript introduces two prominent research
areas at the meeting place of life sciences with
engineering and physics: nanomedicine and biomimetics.
The foundations of both areas are presented
and current research methodologies and results are
introduced. The outlook of this paper features concepts
with wide ranging implications for understanding the
processes in living beings as well as possible
applications in engineering and medicine.
However, with the huge knowledge in different fields,
nowadays it is impossible for a single person to know
and understand more than just a fraction. Nevertheless,
the awareness and understanding of different
approaches and concepts is a paramount prerequisite of
interdisciplinary work. A common language of biologists,
professionals from medicine and pharmaceutics
as well as engineers and natural scientists, in which
descriptions at different level of detail are more
compatible, is desirable.