Engineers design 'living materials': Hybrid materials combine bacterial cells with nonliving el
Inspired by natural materials such as bone -- a matrix of minerals and other substances, including living cells -- engineers have coaxed bacterial cells to produce biofilms that can incorporate nonliving materials, such as gold nanoparticles and quantum dots. These "living materials" combine the advantages of live cells, which respond to their environment, produce complex biological molecules, and span multiple length scales, with the benefits of nonliving materials, which add functions such as conducting electricity or emitting light.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/~4/30S7IIoNoG8" height="1" width="1"/>
