Nanobiophysics : Fundamentals and Applications

Nanobiophysics is a new branch of science that operates at the interface of physics, biology, chemistry, material science, nanotechnology, and medicine. This book is the first one devoted to nanobiophysics and introduces this field with a focus on some selected topics related to the physics of biomolecular nanosystems, including nucleosomal DNA and model lipid membranes, nanobiohybrids involving DNA/RNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes, biomolecules deposited on nanoparticles, and nanostructured surfaces. It describes unique experimental physical methods that are used to study nanosized biostructures. It outlines the applied aspects of nanobiophysics, considering the state of art in the fabrication of two types of sensors: gas sensors, with a focus on breath gas detection, and nanophotonic sensors, with a focus on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon detection in water samples. It also covers the development of nanoscale scaffolds for delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to cells, which is an important example of the possible application of nanobiophysics researches in nanomedicine.