biotemplating

I've reviewed a book about biotemplating in this week's issue of Chemistry & Industry, which is now online here (same issue which has my astrobiology story on the cover).

People with institutional access (and SCI members) can access the review here.

For everybody else, here's a snippet explaining what biotemplating is all about:

There is, however, a third way of creating nanoscale structures, one which borrows more from Nature than just the principles of molecular assembly. In biotemplating, the existing nanostructures of organisms are used as templates on which to deposit thin layers of non-natural materials. This process can lead to architectures consisting of materials with useful properties, such as semiconductors, while benefiting from Nature’s knack for extremely subtle structures.

Designs on Nature
Chemistry & Industry Issue 6 (22nd March 2010), p