Since the first publication of Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials in 2012, 283 papers have been published in the Journal. This area of inter-disciplinary research has been advancing rapidly across the world. From a macroscopic point of view, examples of related topics of interest in this area include the following:Self-healing and self-repair – Such as in a Lotus Flower1 and Spider Silk;2–4Nature-inspired innovations – Biomimicry in bionanotechnology and beyond;5Biomimicry at the nanoscale – Nanomaterials inspired by nature.6Over the years, nanotechnology has begun to play an important role in addressing human needs such as in transdermal patches for drug delivery systems7 and wound healing.8,9It is anticipated that future approaches to Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials will continue along the path of convergence of biology, biotechnology, human physiology, materials science Priyanka Das and Pallab Datta of the Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India; and Amit Roy Chowdhury of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, India, report their studies on “Fabrication of vascular-like conduits in gel structures by robotic needle navigation system.”13 Vascular networks are essential for the long-term survival of implanted grafts. Under physiological conditions, these networks include arteries, veins, and capillaries, which transport vital fluids, gases, and nutrients – such as blood, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and minerals – to the cells. However, creating vascular channels within bioengineered grafts remains a significant engineering challenge. In this study, the authors have investigated an alternative biomanufacturing method for generating straight and curved vascular channels by using a needle navigation process, which mimics the vascularization process inside a biocompatible polymer (polyvinyl alcohol) gel. The stability of the channels fabricated via this process has been studied. Cells were seeded inside the manufactured artificial vascular channels, and their viability was measured over time. These results indicate the preliminary potential of the needle navigation method for the fabrication of viable vascular-like conduits in bioengineered grafts.“Sol-gel based bio inspired hydrophobic coating on metal surface, evaluation of superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, anticorrosive, and physicochemical properties”14 is a study reported by Neha Bhatt of the Soft Matter Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India; Abhilasha Mishra, Ishika Sharma, and Adeeba Mirza of the Department of Chemistry, Graphic Era University, Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India; and Chandra Kant Bhardwaj of the Department of Chemistry, Graphic Era Hill University, Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. Corrosion of metallic surfaces poses a problem to humans due to the associated release of toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, into water and soil. In this research, hydrophobic coatings based on nano-silica, nano-zirconia, and nano-zirconia were synthesized in different ratios and were characterized for their superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, anticorrosive and physiochemical behavior. Values of surface free energy and water contact angle verified that each of the coatings had superhydrophobic qualities. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided additional evidence of the nanostructures on coated metal, which gave them their hydrophobic properties. Silica zirconia hexamethyldisilazane modified coatings exhibited significant water contact angle and hysteresis of 148° and 7°, respectively. The stability and adhesion of coatings were confirmed by pH and scotch tape (peel) tests, respectively. The coatings were found to be stable in all pH solutions. Even after a duration of five days, there was no effect on coated metals. However, on uncoated metals, corrosion process had started. The anticorrosive behavior of coated metals was determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique and a Nyquist plot was drawn for coated and uncoated samples thus confirming the efficacious anticorrosion mechanism exhibited by coatings by creating a physical diffusion barrier due to air entrapment on coated metal.The last of the papers in this issue of the journal focuses on “Silicate coating of electrospun polycaprolactone/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering.”15 Duarte Rafael Salgado de Almeida of TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; André Lopes and Maria Helena V. Fernandes, CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; and Samuel Guieu, CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, LAQV-REQUI MTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal, are the coauthors of the paper. Current strategies for bone reconstruction therapy are quite limited, falling short in effectively fostering tissue regeneration. Within tissue engineering, a primary objective has been the creation of scaffolds – porous, bioactive, and biocompatible 3D structures that mimic the extracellular matrix. This research focusses on crafting and characterizing scaffolds that are capable of replicating the bone’s extracellular matrix through a silicate coating. The goal was to bolster mechanical strength and encourage cell osteogenesis and osteoconduction. Using polycaprolactone/chitosan blends, nanofibrous membranes were electrospun and transformed into 3D structures through a technique known as ‘Thermally induced self-agglomeration.’ Specifically, scaffolds with 10% chitosan content were created and compared with pure polycaprolactone (PCL) variants. Analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal assessment confirmed the compatibility of PCL and chitosan, emphasizing the scaffolds’ resilience to high temperatures. SEM images showed an extensive interconnected network of nano- and micropores, while porosity calculations indicated highly porous scaffolds (exceeding 99%), mimicking trabecular bone. Wettability studies highlighted a significant increase in hydrophilicity after coating with SiO2. In addition, swelling studies revealed a substantial water intake capacity, especially noticeable with higher chitosan content and the presence of the silicate coating. These comprehensive studies suggest that the scaffolds indeed fulfill the necessary requirements for their application in tissue engineering.Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials publishes peer-reviewed papers within the area of biological materials science and engineering. The technological significance of this area is immense for applications as diverse as tissue engineering and drug delivery biosystems to biomimicked sensors and optical devices. Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials provides a unique scholarly forum for discussion and reporting of structure-sensitive functional properties of nature inspired materials.Bioinspired, Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials invites submission of articles presenting original research related to:BIBN decided to develop an Early Career Reviewer Board (ECRB) to give Early Career Researchers the means to participate within a journal publishing environment and to be involved in developing the journal for the community along with the Editor, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members.Selected applicants will be appointed to the ECRB for 2 years, after which there may be the opportunity to be appointed to the Editorial Board in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief. Each successful member will be expected to review three to four new papers per year. Guidance will be provided for the journal’s submission system, ReView.Interested candidates should email the Commissioning Editor, Alessandra Morelli (amorelli@emerald.com) with a statement (no more than 400 words) on why you would like to work with BIBN and what you can bring to the journal, along with a copy of a two-page CV. Kindly use ‘BIBN ECRB - Applicant name’ in your subject line.Please do also include the following in your application:Early Career Researchers are those who have up to five years since they earned their doctoral degree (excluding career breaks).
N. M. Ravindra (Fri,) studied this question.