title: Smart polymeric materials: emerging biochemical applications.
abstract: Smart polymeric materials respond with a considerable change in their properties to small changes in their environment. Environmental stimuli include temperature, pH, chemicals, and light. "Smart" stimuli-sensitive materials can be either synthetic or natural. This review discusses the application of smart materials as tools to solve biological problems such as bioseparation, drug delivery, biosensor design, tissue engineering, protein folding, and microfluidics. The goal for these endeavors is to mimic the "smartness" of biological systems and ultimately moderate complex systems such as immune responses at desired levels. The versatility and untapped potential of smart polymeric materials makes them one of the most exciting interfaces of chemistry and biology.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 11 00 16, India.
authors.forename: Ipsita
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Munishwar Nath
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D011506:Proteins