Preface

Peptide molecules are diverse building blocks of the biological machinery. Synthetic methods provide opportunities to produce peptides in high quantity with diverse chemical functionality. Chemically functional side chains on amino acids can be orthogonally protected or activated for designing interesting molecules and materials. The intermolecular interactions among the peptides produce larger supramolecular materials. Nanoparticles, hydrogels, and surface coatings are some of the forms of these peptide-based materials.

This book covers the design and synthesis of peptides, which are used for developing functional biomaterials. The bioactive nature of the peptides and their physical properties are discussed in various applications in biomedicine. Developing new biomedical materials is significantly affecting people's lives and patient compliance. Peptides are a class of important molecules for building bioactive materials that are key for interrupting the biological cascades. It is important to understand the tools needed to make new peptide materials and to extend their applications in health sciences. We believe that this book will help researchers and students interested in biomaterials and biomedicine and help in the understanding of modulating biological processes for disease diagnosis and treatments.

Mustafa O. Guler