Biofunctional

Biofunctional means having biological activity or being designed to interact with biological systems in a purposeful way. In science and engineering, the term is often used to describe materials, surfaces, coatings, or agents that elicit a defined biological response or perform a specific biological function.

Biofunctionalization is the process of imparting such properties by attaching or incorporating biological cues onto a substrate. Techniques include covalent coupling of peptides or proteins, adsorption of biomolecules, and more advanced chemistries like click chemistry, self-assembled monolayers, or grafting bioactive polymers. Common cues include cell-adhesion motifs such as RGD sequences, growth factors, enzymes, antibodies, or DNA aptamers.

Applications include implant coatings to improve integration with bone or soft tissue, tissue engineering scaffolds that direct cell fate, targeted drug delivery, and biosensors that respond to biological signals.

Challenges involve maintaining activity of biomolecules, controlling density and orientation, avoiding undesired immune responses, ensuring stability under physiological conditions, scalable manufacturing, and meeting regulatory requirements. Characterization methods include surface analysis (XPS, FTIR, contact angle), imaging, and biological assays for cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.

Related terms include biomaterials, biofunctionalization, bioconjugation, and bioactive coatings.