Various functional systems have been developed using artificially constructed structures and synthesized compounds, and the nanotechnology based on them has recently received much attention. However, current nanoscale technologies are still highly inferior to those seen in natural systems. The efficiency of the energy conversion that occurs in mitochondrial and photosynthetic systems far exceeds that obtained in artificial systems. A dog can smell and a bat can hear far more sensitively than most artificial sensors. The information processing exhibited by the brain and nervous systems is much more sophisticated than that exhibited by current computers. Nature developed superior nanotechnologies to our own several billion years ago. Therefore, the use of biomaterials for the development of various functional systems can be a very practical approach to reaching several goals in current nanotechnologies.Unfortunately, biomolecules in most cases give their best performance under ambient conditions and are not mechanically and thermally strong enough to be used in harsh conditions. In order to overcome such difficulties, hybridization of biomolecules with supporting materials such as lipid assemblies, polymers and inorganic materials has been proposed to attain both biological functions and mechanical stability . Biomolecules are frequently immobilized on silica supports through a sol-gel process. As advanced silica structures, mesoporous silica molecular sieves and related materials have received much attention as inorganic supports for biomolecules [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Mesoporous silica materials are chemically and mechanically stable and resistant to microbial attack. In addition, chemical modification to introduce organic functional groups to the inner silica pore wall is highly possible. Outstanding properties of the mesoporous structure also lie in their high specific surface area and huge specific pore volume, which are definitely advantageous for the efficient accommodation of biomolecules. In addition, the narrow pore size distribution could provide reliable immobilization of biomolecules. According to the j113 Bio-inorganic Hybrid Nanomaterials. Edited