Biomaterials Course Requirements

This course focuses on the development of biomaterials both as new tools to study fundamental biology and as means to direct cell behavior and function for biomedical applications. Topics include the material properties of cells and tissue, biomaterials for recapitulating cell microenvironment, biomaterials for studying and directing cell mechanotransduction, biomaterials for gene editing, biomaterials for immunotherapy, and biomaterials for neuroengineering. This course will have in-depth discussions on recent findings and publications in these areas.

The course will describe and evaluate the synthetic routes, including condensation and addition polymerization, to macromolecules with varied constituents and properties. Factors that affect the efficiencies of the syntheses will be discussed. Properties of polymers that lead to technological applications will be covered, and the physical basis for these properties will be derived. Connections to mechanical, electronic, photonic, and biological applications will be made. Recommended Course Background: Organic Chemistry I and one semester of thermodynamics.

Introduction to basic principles of electron diffraction, phase contrast and Z-contrast and applications of these principles in microstructural characterization of materials by electron diffraction, high-resolution electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy.

This course focuses on principles and applications in cell engineering. Class lectures include an overview of molecular biology fundamentals, protein/ligand binding, receptor/ligand trafficking, cell-cell interactions, cell-matrix interactions, and cell adhesion and migration at both theoretical and experimental levels. Lectures will cover the effects of physical (e.g. shear stress, strain), chemical (e.g. cytokines, growth factors) and electrical stimuli on cell function, emphasizing topics on gene regulation and signal transduction processes. Furthermore, topics in metabolic engineering, enzyme evolution, polymeric biomaterials, and drug and gene delivery will be discussed. This course is intended as Part 1 of a two-semester sequence recommended for students in the Cell and Tissue Engineering focus area. Recommended Course Background: EN.580.221 or AS.020.305 and AS.020.306 or equivalent and AS.030.205

This course focuses on the application of engineering fundamentals to designing biological tissue substitutes. Concepts of tissue development, structure and function will be introduced. Students will learn to recognize the majority of histological tissue structures in the body and understand the basic building blocks of the tissue and clinical need for replacement. The engineering components required to develop tissue-engineered grafts will be explored including biomechanics and transport phenomena along with the use of biomaterials and bioreactors to regulate the cellular microenvironment. Emphasis will be placed on different sources of stem cells and their applications to tissue engineering. Clinical and regulatory perspectives will be discussed. Recommended Course Background: EN.580.221 or AS.020.305 and AS.020.306, AS.030.205 Recommended EN.580.441/EN.580.641

This course focuses on the development of biomaterials both as new tools to study fundamental biology and as means to direct cell behavior and function for biomedical applications. Topics include the material properties of cells and tissue, biomaterials for recapitulating cell microenvironment, biomaterials for studying and directing cell mechanotransduction, biomaterials for gene editing, biomaterials for immunotherapy, and biomaterials for neuroengineering. This course will have in-depth discussions on recent findings and publications in these areas.

This course provides an overview of carbohydrate-based technologies in biotechnology and medicine. The course will begin by briefly covering basics of glycobiology and glycochemistry followed by detailed illustrative examples of biomedical applications of glycoengineering. A sample of these applications include the role of sugars in preventative medicine (e.g., for vaccine development and probiotics), tissue engineering (e.g., exploiting natural and engineered polysaccharides for creating tissue or organs de novo in the laboratory), regenerative medicine (e.g., for the treatment of arthritis or degenerative muscle disease), and therapy (e.g., cancer treatment). A major part of the course grade will be based on class participation with each student expected to provide a “journal club” presentation of a relevant paper as well as participate in a team-based project designed to address a current unmet clinical need that could be fulfilled through a glycoengineering approach. Recommended Course Background: EN.580.221 Molecules and Cells.

This course is intended to provide a comprehensive overview on the current state of the field of Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering. Students will apply engineering fundamentals learned in the Tissue Engineering course (580.442/580.642) with special emphasis on how they apply to bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscle tissue engineering. The development, structure, mechanics, and function of each of these tissues will be discussed. Key articles from the lat three decades that focus on stem cell- and cell-free, biomaterial-based approaches to regenerate functional tissues will be presented and analyzed. Practical (regulatory/commercial) considerations that restrict the translation of therapies to the clinic will be discussed. Undergraduate by permission only. Recommend Course Background: EN.580.442 or EN.580.642.

An in-depth study of the use of biomolecular engineering tools and techniques to manipulate immune function for clinical translation. The course will begin with a brief overview of the immune system, placing a particular emphasis on the molecular-level interactions that determine phenotypic outcomes. The remainder of the curriculum will address ways in which integrative approaches incorporating biochemistry, structural biophysics, molecular biology, and engineering have been used either to stimulate the immune response for applications in cancer and infectious disease, or to repress immune activation for autoimmune disease therapy. Recommended background: Biochemistry and Cell Biology or the BME Molecules and Cells. Those without recommended background should contact the instructor prior to enrolling.

This course will provide the student with a mechanistic and systems biology-based understanding of the two defining features of stem cells: multipotency and self-renewal. We will explore these concepts across several contexts and perspectives, emphasizing seminal and new studies in development and stem cell biology, and the critical role that computational approaches have played. The course will start with an introduction to stem cells and a tutorial covering computational basics. The biological contexts that we will cover thereafter include “Cell Identity”, “Pluripotency and multipotency”, “Stem cells and their niche”, “Modeling cell fate decisions”, and “Engineering cell fate”. This class is heavily weighted by individual computational assignments. The motivation for this strategy is that regularly occurring, moderately-sized computational projects are the most efficient way to impart an understanding of our models of this extraordinary class of cells, and to inspire a sense of excitement and empowerment. Preferred background: 580.221 Molecules and Cells or equivalent and familiarity with the UNIX shell.