Nature's nanostructures

While man strives to synthesize and utilize functional nanomaterials, Nature's own laboratory has perfected the production of a range of highly selective nanomaterials. Natural nanomaterials (and even natural nanotechnologies) are all around us, which inevitably leads to these questions: What are these natural nanomaterials made of? Where can we find them? What can they do? Answering these questions will lead to a better understanding of the world around us and facilitate new and environmentally friendly ways of creating and manipulating nanoscale materials for the next generation of new technologies. This book contains details and descriptions of wide variety of naturally occurring nanomaterials, forming within the Earth, within living organisms, or in the far reaches of space. The collection is the first to bring together studies from astronomy, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, geology and geophysics, environmental science, agricultural science, entomology, molecular biology, and health; and provides an invaluable resource for learning how the world's leading scientists in these different fields approach this dynamic, multi-disciplinary area of nanoscience and nanotechnology.