Book excerpt: In its second, extensively revised second edition, Semiconducting Silicon Nanowires for Biomedical Applications reviews the fabrication, properties, and biomedical applications of this key material. The book begins by reviewing the basics of growth, characterization, biocompatibility, and surface modification of semiconducting silicon nanowires. Attention then turns to use of these structures for tissue engineering and delivery applications, followed by detection and sensing. Reflecting the evolution of this multidisciplinary subject, several new key topics are highlighted, including our understanding of the cell-nanowire interface, latest advances in associated morphologies (including silicon nanoneedles and nanotubes for therapeutic delivery), and significantly, the status of silicon nanowire commercialization in biotechnology. Semiconducting Silicon Nanowires for Biomedical Applications is a comprehensive resource for biomaterials scientists who are focused on biosensors, drug delivery, and the next generation of nano-biotech platforms that require a detailed understanding of the cell-nanowire interface, along with researchers and developers in industry and academia who are concerned with nanoscale biomaterials, in particular electronically-responsive structures. - Reviews the growth, characterization, biocompatibility, and surface modification of semiconducting silicon nanowires - Describes silicon nanowires for tissue engineering and delivery applications, including cellular binding & internalization, tissue engineering scaffolds, mediated differentiation of stem cells, and silicon nanoneedles & nanotubes for delivery of small molecule / biologic-based therapeutics - Highlights the use of silicon nanowires for detection and sensing - Presents a detailed description of our current understanding of the cell-nanowire interface - Covers the current status of commercial development of silicon nanowire-based platforms