The emerging science of nanobiotechnology relies on the observation that through evolution, nature has produced highly complex nanostructures using macromolecules, especially nucleic acids, polysaccharides and proteins. Therefore, understanding the principles of how these macromolecules interact to produce nanostructures, it is possible to exploit this knowledge in the design and synthesis of new artificial structures and devices. Many organisms, especially microorganisms, have novel and interesting structures that could be exploited, for example, the bacterial S-layer and bacterial spore coats both of which have protective properties. The spore coat is actually flexible and can expand and contract. This feature is critical for spore formation when the spore dehydrates and similarly for germination when the spore rehydrates. This aspect of a self –assembled structure is particularly interesting and might offer a number of future application in drug delivery, nanofabrication and surface coating. The protective coat of the bacterial spore offers two areas of interest for long-term exploitation pertinent to nanobiotechnology. First, as a substrate for delivery of biomolecules and second as a source for understanding self-assembling molecules. As a delivery vehicle the spore coat has been shown to provide a suitable surface for display of heterologous antigens using the CotB and CotC proteins.

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