Curriculum
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Descriptions
BME 344: Biological Performance of Materials


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Prerequisites

BIOL_SCI 201-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0 (can be taken concurrently), CHEM 215-1, MAT_SCI 201-0

Description

BMD ENG 344 discusses interactions between cells and tissues for applications in biotechnology and biomaterials development, with a focus on applications for the selection, design, and fabrication of materials for medical implants, devices and drug delivery. Topics include surface and interfacial properties of materials, surface characterization, protein adsorption, cell adhesion, foreign body response, immunomodulation, nanotechnology, gene delivery and in-vitro and in-vivo testing of biomaterials.

Who Takes It?

BMD ENG 344 is a recommended course within the Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine & Engineering tracks. It is generally taken by juniors, seniors, and masters students. Prerequisite: BME 343 or basic materials science course (MatSci 201, 301 or equivalent). Courses in cell biology and organic chemistry are beneficial but not required.

Mini-Syllabus

  • Biological fluids and processes
  • Protein adsorption: Theory and methods of analysis
  • Material surface properties and characterization
  • Methods of surface functionalization
  • Polyethylene Glycol: Properties and methods of functionalization
  • Mimicking the ECM: Structural and physical properties
  • Immunology
  • Nanobiomaterials/self-assembly
  • Nano-bio interface/Applications of nanobiomaterials
  • Inflammation and tissue regeneration
  • Biodegradable polymers

Required Class Materials

Clemens Van Blitterswijk, Tissue Engineering, 2nd Edition, ISBN # 9780124201453

Teaching Methods

In addition to lectures, a student-led discussion of a weekly journal article will be held at the end of class each Tuesday.

Evaluation Methods

A class participation grade will reflect each student’s participation in the weekly journal article discussions. For a final project, students will be placed in groups of 3-4. Each group will select an unmet biological need, design a material to address this problem, and provide a written report in grant proposal format (NIH R21): Maximum of 6 pages (including figures but not including references). Group presentations (5 min/person in each group) will be performed the last week of classes.