Springer Biological Micro- and Nanotribology: Nature’s Solutions (NanoScience and Technology)

By employing a combination of approaches from several disciplines the authors elucidate the principles of a variety of biomechanical systems that rely on frictional surfaces or adhesive secretions to attach parts of the body to one another or to attach organisms to a substrate. This account provides an excellent starting point for engineers and physicists working with biological systems and for biologists studying friction and adhesion. It will also serve as a valuable introduction for graduate students entering this interdisciplinary field of research. Review From the reviews: "Their book is a valuable addition to the literature on the micromechanics of very thin films … . The discussion is exceedingly well organized and well illustrated; many examples are provided from biological systems … . Overall, the authors have succeeded admirably in providing and informative and thorough text, the publisher has produced an attractive book, and readers will find much material of interest … . I recommend it to anyone who works in the area of micromechanics of friction and lubrication." (Howard A. Stone, Physics Today, June, 2002) From the Back Cover Many of the major challenges facing today's engineering science are related to miniaturization. In this field, vital progress can be made by studying Nature's solutions: Insects and other living creatures have solved many of the same problems during their evolution. Biological micro- and nanotribology aims to gather information about friction, adhesion and wear in such biological systems and to exploit this new knowledge, e.g. in the design of micro-electro- mechanical systems, the development of novel types of monolayer lubrication, the invention of new adhesives, and the construction of artificial joints. By employing a combination of approaches from several disciplines -- physics, engineering, tribology, biology, and materials science -- the authors elucidate the principles of a variety of biomechanical systems that rely on frictional surfaces or adhesive secretions to attach parts of the body to one another or to attach organisms to a substrate. This account provides an excellent starting point for engineers and physicists working with biological systems and for biologists studying friction and adhesion. It will also serve as a valuable introduction for graduate students entering this interdisciplinary field of research.