5B: Navigating the Path of Biomaterials and Medical Products

The junction between materials and biological systems is a critical and complex interface with the potential to control the function of macromolecules and dictate cell and tissue responses. Increasingly, cells and biomacromolecules are designable components of biomaterials, creating additional opportunities for innovative research at the interface of materials science and fundamental biology. This session serves as a forum for advances in approaches to modulate interfacial properties, investigations of structure-function and self-assembly at biointerfaces, and applications of interface-driven biomedicine. Specific areas of interest include fundamental research related to dynamic interactions at the material-biomolecular interface from nano to bulk scales and applied research focused on providing hemocompatible and non-fouling biomaterial surfaces. We also encourage contributions that advance a biomaterials lens to cutting-edge research in protein and cell biology, and research that translates progress in molecular and cell biology into innovative biomaterials.