Potentials of bionanotechnology in the study and manufacturing of self-assembled biopolymer complexes and gels

The self-assembly of biological macromolecules is a crucial prerequisite for life. It is also exploited by man in numerous processes and as a basis for a variety of hydrocolloid-based products. In this paper, recent progress in the development of some nanotechnological tools for the characterization of macromolecular interactions and their application is highlighted. Biopolymer assemblies stabilized by various types of non-covalent forces are used as examples to illustrate the potentials of such tools within the food hydrocolloids field. Control of nanoscale pattern and shape of objects, as well as their further hierarchical assembly has recently shown considerable progress. Further challenges include molecular control of these processes also for molecular species lacking detailed sequence specific interaction sites.