This book results from the symposium "Nanomaterials for Biological, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications" held at the 240th ACS National Meeting in Boston, MA on August 22-26, 2010. The symposium was sponsored by the ACS Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry as part of its continuing symposia series on nanoscience and nanotechnology. The symposium included technical sessions devoted to synthesis of nanoparticles, biomolecular functionalization of
nanoparticles, nanoparticle for detection of biomolecules and cells, applications of gold nanoparticles, applications of magnetic nanomaterials, nanoparticle-cell interactions, polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery, and nanoparticle applications in gene delivery, diagnostic imaging, molecular diagnostics,
therapeutics, etc. Over 90 papers were presented at this symposium, and the book chapters represent a sampling of problems addressed.
The application of nanoparticles to biomedicine has become a distinct and extremely active area of scientific and technological development over the last ten years. A Web of Science keyword search reveals the dramatic increase in the number of studies related to applications of nanoparticles for drug delivery and imaging over the last decade, the correspondingly increasing investigations of nanoparticle toxicity, and a growing interest in nanoparticles for combined diagnostics and
therapeutics.