This colloquium is open to upper level BME students who previously took, or are currently enrolled in, BME300 and are pursuing BME Departmental Honors. The class will meet once weekly and use out-of-class readings/podcasts with in-class discussions to delve deeper into synthesis, analysis, and especially application of biomaterials in medicine. The purpose of this course is to enhance your knowledge of translational biomaterials in a research setting by fostering your ability to read, critically analyze, and discuss relevant scientific research articles. At the end of the course, you will also compose an original "perspective" style manuscript (or other format) detailing your opinion on the future of biomaterials and the literature evidence supporting your argument. Topics to be discussed will be decided collectively.
- Teacher: Prabhani Atukorale
The primary objective of this course is to teach the chemistry and engineering skills needed to solve challenges in the biomaterials and tissue engineering area. This includes macromolecular chemistry & material science, physical characterization & properties, materials & biology, and focused biomaterial sections. The course will concentrate on fundamental principles in biomedical engineering, material science, and chemistry. This course uses a combination of lectures and self-directed learning to examine the structure and properties of hard materials (ceramics, metals) and soft materials (polymers, hydrogels).
- Teacher: Prabhani Atukorale
The course introduces the fundamentals of major force spectroscopy methods (atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, and magnetic tweezers), principles of force measurement, force calibration, signal and noise, and applications to studies of biomaterial's mechanical properties, such as polymer elasticity, protein folding, nanoindentation, and structural transitions in macromolecules. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: 1) Understand the physical concepts and key components of the three major force spectroscopic techniques; 2) Understand the importance and application areas of force spectroscopies in engineering research and product development; 3) Summarize key knowledge into a research/development report and present a talk.
- Teacher: X. Frank Zhang