Some have predicted that the coming several decades will be the decades of "biotechnology," wherein cancer, birth defects, life span increases, cosmetics, biodegradation, oil spills and exploration, solid waste disposal, and almost every aspect of our material life will be affected by this new area of science. There will also be an extension of emphasis on giant molecules: DNA, enzymes, polysaccharides, lignins, proteins, hemoglobin, and many others. Biotechnology has been defined in various ways. In one sense, this field is older than human history and references to the human use of biotechnology-derived materials can be found in the oldest human writings, such as the Bible. In this book, biotechnology refers to the direct usage of naturally occurring materials or their uses as a feedstock, including the associated biological activities and applications of these materials. Bioactive polymers, on the other hand, are polymers which exert some type of activity on living organisms. These polymers are used in agriculture, controlled release systems, medicine and many other areas. The papers in this book describe polymers which essentially combine features of biotechnology and bioactivity.

Section 1: Polysaccharide Applications.- Factors Affecting the Bacterial Activity of Saccharides and Polysaccharides Modified Through Reaction With Organostannanes.- Acetan - A New Bacterial Polysaccharide.- Coagulation Properties of Chemically Modified Heparins.- Hylan Gel for Soft Tissue Augmentation.- Adsorption of Metal Ions on Chitosan and Chemically Modified Chitosan and Their Application to Hydrometallurgy.- Chitin and Chitosan: Ecologically Bioactive Polymers.- Recovery of Proteins From Whey Using Chitosan As a Coagulant.- Use of Lignin-Based Materials in the Selective Inhibition of Microorganisms.- Section 2: Polypeptides and Biodegradable Polymers.- Living Polymerization of Proteins: Actin and Tubulin. A Review.- Cell Adhesive Properties of Bioelastic Materials Containing Cell Attachment Sequences.- Expression of a Synthetic Mussel Adhesive Protein in Escherichia coli.- Experiences With Collagen-Derived Biomaterials in Research and Treatment of Humans.- Modulation of Phosphocholine Bilayer Structures.- Special Functional Group Triglyceride Oil Based Interpenetrating Polymer Networks.- Biodegradable Polymers in the Environment: Are They Really Biodegradable?.- Four Year Absorption Study of Three Morphologically Different Forms of Poly-L-Lactide in Rabbits.- Section 3: Medical Diagnostic Applications.- Non-Aqueous Polymeric Systems (NAPS) for Diagnostic Applications.- Protein Purification by Selective Adsorption on Immobilized Pyridinium Ligands.- Moldable Dry Chemistry.- Preparation of Bacterial Adsorption Polymer and Its Application to Biosensors.- Immobilization of Adenosines on Silica Gel and Specific Separation of Thymidine Oligomers.- Section 4: Controlled Release and Medicinal Applications.- Advances in Antimicrobial Polymers and Materials.- Developmentof Polymeric Beta-Lactam Systems - Synthetic Study and Characterization.- Biodegradable Polymers for the Controlled Delivery of Vaccines.- Strategies for Treating Arterial Restenosis Using Polymeric Controlled Release Implants.- The Use of PolyICLC in the Treatment of AIDS.- The Release of 5-Fluorouracil From Dextran and Xylan Systems.- Release Behavior of 5-Fluorouracil From Chitosan-Gel Microspheres Modified Chemically and Their Antitumor Activities.- Biologically Active Polyphosphate and Polyphosphonate Esters - Nucleic Acid Analogs.- The Controlled Release of a 5-Fluorouracil Prodrug From a Biodegradable Matrix.- Novel Antiinfective Biomaterials by Polymer Modification.- Contributors.