Self-assembly is important to many technological areas including novel material design and synthesis (smart responsive materials, self-healing materials), nanomedicine (drug delivery, imaging and molecular diagnostics), personal care products (including cosmetics and detergents), and micro/nano fabrication processes. Self-assembly is also a phenomenon occurring in biological (human) systems controlling life as well as dysfunction. Over the last decade, the study of self assembly has emerged as a distinct field, encompassing much larger and complex molecular and nanoparticle systems. This will be captured in this symposium, by its focus on a wide range of self-assembled nanoparticle systems with the fundamental emphasis on imparting biofunctionality. 

Proposed topics would include experiments, theory, computer simulations and applications related to self-assembled nanoparticles systems incorporating surfactants, block copolymers, peptides, proteins, nanoparticles, monolayers, liquid crystals, micelles, vesicles, microemulsions, dendrimers, polymer-protein conjugates, peptide amphiphiles, DNA amphiphiles, etc., and exhibiting biofunctionality. The topics would highlight interdisciplinary research combining chemistry, physics, biology, and material science. 

Self assembly of molecules to create nanoparticles, self-assembly of nanoparticles to create new materials or devices, self-assembly in biological cell and its components contributing to essential life functions, self-assembly of proteins leading to neurodegenerative diseases, and self-assembly of molecules/particles for nanomedicine applications of drug delivery and diagnostics have all made self-assembly a topic of great importance and have assured its continuing growth. This symposium will assess the state of the art understanding of these diverse systems where self-assembled biofunctional nanomaterials are the key actors.