Medical Biotechnology and Biomimetics: Prospects and Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa

Advancements at the interphase of engineering and biology have produced disciplines that include Biotechnology and Biomimetics. These new disciplines proffer exciting solutions to real life problems. New technologies are available for the purification of water and treatment of sewage; challenges that are common in resource-limited countries. In the medical sciences, tissue engineering methods are rapidly and positively transforming the field of regenerative and restorative Medicine. The importance of Biotechnology and Biomimetics in the management of infectious diseases and in drug development (Pharmacology and Toxicology) is rising exponentially. However, for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these advances are yet to make meaningful and significant impact. Biotechnology and Biomimetics are still at very rudimentary stages of development with many challenges militating against progress. The prospects and challenges for SSA are discussed here.