Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature

“…a stimulating volume…borrow it from your library…” (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Vol. 80 (8), August 2005)

“…Goodsell’s book is a good start.” (Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, May 2005)

“David S. Goodsell’s new book is a useful introduction to bionanotechnology…” (NanoToday, May 2005)

“This is a stimulating volume …borrow it from your library.” (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2005; Vol. 80, 964-965)

“…concludes with chapters on applications, surveying some of the exciting bionanotechnology tools and techniques that are currently in development…” (CAB Abstracts, 2005)

“…will quickly bring intelligent readers up to speed on the most important aspects…I enthusiastically recommend this timely and well-written book on this important, emerging field.” (The Quarterly Review of Biology, December 2004)

“…a wonderful introductory text for those who want to understand nanotechnology from a biological perspective…an outstanding work for the educated novice as well as for the seasoned nanotechnologist.” (ASM News, October 2004)

“…this book appears to be one of the only overview texts available.” (E-STREAMS, September 2004)

“…best window into the nanoworld…highly readable…will not only educate students but also reach a wider audience…” (Chemistry World, August 2004)

“Goodsell’s fresh perspective on nanotechnology and persuasive arguments about the future of bionanotechnology have certainly made me into a believer–Bionanotechnology is going to be big!” (Biotechnology Focus, July 2004)

“Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature is well written and informative. That alone would make it a good read for chemists. But there’s a bonus: The book is full of Goodsell’s unique illustrations of biomolecules and cells.” (C&EN, June 14, 2004)

“Written in the style of an excellent biochemistry textbook, Bionanotechnology points the reader to general principles of the biological nanoworld, and thus provides readers with guidance on the design of their own devices and systems…. I can highly recommend this book. I enjoyed reading every single page” (Nature, July 2004)

Using the natural nanomachines found in living cells and building upon the nanoscale principles of their operation, nanotechnology is a reality today, and is accessible with remarkably modest resources. In this book, I present many of the lessons that may be learned from biology and how they are being applied to nanotechnology. The book is divided into three basic parts. In the first part, I explore the properties of the nanomachines that are available in cells. In the second part, I look to these natural nanomachines for guidance in the building of our own nanomachinery. By surveying what is known about biological molecules, we can isolate the general principles of structure and function that are used to construct functional nanomachines. The book finishes with two chapters on applications, surveying some of the exciting applications of bionanotechnology that are currently under study and then looking to the future, speculating about what we might expect.