Many biological systems still hold a variety of very desirable molecular properties that so far cannot be matched by artifical analogs. Learning about the principles and tricks used by nature may provide access to novel nanostructures, improved catalysts for the functionalization of hydrocarbon compounds or may enable catalytic C-C bond formation under environmentally benign conditions. This volume recapitulates the state of the art in those sectors of bioorganic chemistry that, rather than mimick the natural example, aim to utilize the underlying principles for useful applications.
