Exciting new developments at the 5th International Symposium on Surface and Interface of Biomaterials

Materials intended for use as implantable or diagnostic devices are required not only to display the required functional bulk properties but also have surface properties that elicit a desired biological response, and do so with high selectivity. The area of surface functionalization approaches and bioactive coatings for biomaterials and biomedical devices has been the subject of much research over several decades; yet, many challenges still remain to be solved. The 5th International Symposium on Surface and Interface of Biomaterials (ISSIB) held in Sydney (Australia) in April 2015 was an ideal forum to discuss the most recent developments in biomaterial surface modification, characterization, and evaluation of biological responses. The conference covered a range of topics including antimicrobial coatings, analysis of biomaterial surfaces and interfaces, biomolecules and cells at surfaces and interfaces, nanoparticles, functional coatings, patterned biomaterials, nanofabrication, bioreactors, and biosensors. In this special conference issue, the authors include papers that detail some of the highlights from the meeting.