The journalBiomaterials was launched in 1980. The subject of biomaterials science was then in its infancy, being largely cofined to the study of the characteristics of materials used for medical devices.

Twenty-five years on, we can truly say that biomaterials science has matured at an incredible rate and now represents a formidable sector that bridges the materials sciences, advanced medical therapies, and molecular and cell sciences.

This Silver Jubilee Compendium consists of reprinted versions of the top 25 papers, published during these 25 years, as judged by an international panel of biomaterials scientists.

This book is published as a landmark in biomaterials science and it is to be hoped that it will serve as a stimulus to young biomaterials scientists of the early twenty-first century for their pioneering work of the future.