Introduction

BIOSURF VII was the 7th meeting in this biennial series of international conferences dedicated to the study of interactions between biological systems with materials & interfaces, and applications in the fields of biotechnology, diagnostics and medicine. Topics range from biomolecular interactions in well-defined systems of reduced complexity through complex macromolecular systems to cellular interactions and tissue engineering. Striving for quantitative rather than qualitative results and mechanistic rather than purely descriptive approaches has always been an aim of BIOSURF Conferences as has been an interactive mixed audience of chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers that discuss and promote cross-disciplinary fertilization of new ideas.

For the first time, BIOSURF VII was held under the auspices of and supported by the Swiss Competence Center for Materials Research and Technology (CCMX), Materials for the Life Sciences Program, and the Materials Research Center of ETH Zurich.

BIOSURF VIIl took place in Zurich on August 29–31, 2007 with a primary focus on Functional Interfaces for Directing Biological Response. Twenty internationally renowned top speakers (keynote and invited), complemented by invited presentations of speakers from industry and selected short contributions of younger scientists, covered, with talks and ample discussion time, the following session topics:

Functional Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine
Novel Sensing Platforms & Nanobiotechnology
Cellular Response to Designed Surfaces
Drug Delivery, Carriers & Drug Eluting Materials
Anti-Microbial/Anti-Inflammatory Surfaces