ABSTRACT
From the 1950s onward, research of chitin and chitosan with regard to their production, chemistry, biology, and applications has been intense. One of the key areas of promise for chitin and chitosan is the area of biomedical applications. A comprehensive survey of this aspect during the period 1950-2000 was covered in a 2001 review (Khor 2001). Since the turn of the twenty-rst century, there has been no let up in the research of chitin and chitosan for biomedical applications, and publications continue to appear in the scientic literature. One interesting observation is that publications from new research groups from previously non-participative centers are appearing and increasing. Conversely, publications from established or traditional authors have seen a decline in their output and some are no longer contributing. The author notes the passing of Professor S. Hirano, the retirement of many of the twentieth-century pillars of this research community, and the elevation of others to senior administrative positions. It is therefore tting that a new generation of scientists is lling the void. This portends well for the future of chitin and chitosan research.
