A molecular plasma discharge deposition method for depositing colloidal suspensions of biomaterials such as amino acids or other carbon based substances onto metal or nonmetal surfaces without loss of biological activity and/or structure is described. The method is based on generating a charged corona plasma which is then introduced into a vacuum chamber to deposit the biomaterial onto a biased substrate. The deposited biomaterials can be selected for a variety of medical uses, including coated implants for in situ release of pharmaceuticals.