Biointerface Phenomena in Biological Science and Bioengineering: Importance of Engineering Courses

Biointerface mainly refers to the solid–liquid and liquid–liquid interfaces in biological systems. The biointerfacial phenomenon is regulated by inter and intramolecular interactions. The biointerfacial aspects include surface/interfacial tension, surface charge, wettability/hydrophobicity, rheology and chemical potential. Recently, colloids and interface science is gaining attention in Biological Science and Bioengineering to understand these complex systems, which enables the design of engineered devices. A few examples of colloids and interfaces in biological science include blood, cytoplasm, vesicles, self-assembly of membranes and biofilm formation. Various bioengineering applications of biointerface engineering comprise biomaterials, biosensors, drug delivery, nanomedicine and tissue engineering. Biointerface engineering enables designing biocompatible surfaces, targeted delivery systems, tissue regenerative surfaces and antifouling coating. This chapter discusses the basics of biointerface science and engineering and key applications in Biological Science and Bioengineering. Various theories of engineering courses like thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, mass transfer, reaction engineering, applied mechanics and colloids and surface science applied in these biointerface phenomena are outlined. The chapter also highlights the scopes of biointerface engineering, particularly in healthcare.