Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/E007627/1
Title:	Engineering Nanomaterials for and from Biology
Principal Investigator:	Stevens, Professor M
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Materials
Organisation:	Imperial College London
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 April 2007	Ends:	31 March 2012	Value (£):	1,025,520
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Biological & Medicinal Chem. Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 27 Mar 2006 Challenging Engineering Sift Panel Meeting(ENG) Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Engineering Nanomaterials for and from BiologyEngineering superior nanomaterials through greater understanding and exploitation of biology.It is now commonly recognized that materials with nanometre-scale dimensions have unique functional properties that can lead to novel engineering systems with highly useful characteristics. Most traditional approaches to synthesis of nanoscale materials, unlike those in biology, require stringent conditions and often produce toxic byproducts. Within biology itself, biomaterials are highly organized from the molecular to the nanoscale, with intricate architectures that allow for optimum functionality. The focus for this proposal is two-fold. In the first instance (Engineering Nanomaterials from Biology) I aim to rationally design and exploit the specific biomolecular interactions between biomolecules (peptides) to control the assembly and dis-assembly of bio-inorganic nanostructures. The engineering of such a novel generation of nanomaterials has applications in bio-sensing, devices and drug delivery. The second focus (Engineering Nanomaterials for Biology) is on exploiting our understanding of the natural biological nanostructures found in the complex extracellular matrix of tissues in order to engineer synthetic biomimetic nanostructures for improved cell growth and tissue regeneration. I now have a large creative research team with many developing international links. If successful with this proposal I will be able to manage my group to its full potential and to expand its influence and vision. The proposed research involves development of many new international collaborations in the basic sciences and is highly multidisciplinary in nature encompassing elements of engineering, biology, chemistry and physics and ranging from high-resolution techniques of surface analysis to peptide design and cell biology.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.imperial.ac.uk