Bio-NanoScience and Engineering

Summary of Courses

ME 265: Instrumentation for Single Molecule Manipulation (Developed for CBIMMS)
This is an advanced course in instrumentation design with a focus on instruments for nanoscience and nanofabrication. The course emphasizes the physical principles of optical traps and scanning probe microscopy, such as atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and near field scanning optical microscopy. The interaction of servo control and metrology at the nanoscale will be covered and the design of control systems for microscopy and nanomanipulation will be discussed.

MEMS 265: CBIMMS II
(Developed for CBIMMS)
The follow-up to the CBIMMS introductory course, CBIMMS II focuses on actual experimental techniques and component design analyses arising from reverse engineering nature's products and processes. The course explores three questions: 1) What were the problems nature solved? 2) What are the problems nature has? 3) How can scientists use nature's solutions to inspire medical solutions to nature's problems?

ME 265: Optical Properties of Nanostructured Materials
Optical properties of nanoparticles, nanoparticle materials, surfaces, interfaces, and molecules and nanoparticles on substrates. Surface plasmons and surface plasmon sensors. Localized surface plasmon resonance and surface plasmon resonance in nanoparticle assemblies and arrays. Substrate modulation of lifetimes and resonant frequencies of fluorescent molecules and nanoparticles on surfaces. Soft matter modulation of the optical properties of nanostructured matter. Applications to molecular detection and to nanostructured light-emitting and waveguiding devices.

CHEM 334: Physical Organic Chemistry
This course provides an overview of intermolecular interactions in organic, supramolecular, and materials chemistry.

CBI 251: Molecular Cell Biology
CBI 251 covers a broad range of topics in modern cell biology, with an emphasis on reading primary research papers. Areas covered include membrane organelles and protein trafficking; cytoskeleton and cell motility; cell cycle and cell signaling mechanisms; developmental biology; molecular based diseases.

MEMS 211: Theoretical and Applied Polymer Science
This is an advanced course in polymer materials science dealing specifically with the relationship between structure and properties of macromolecules. Applications in biology and medical technology are discussed.

BME 220L: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
BME 220L provides an introduction to the basic building blocks of biomolecules--amino acids, nucleotides, sugars and lipids, and their organization into higher order structures such as proteins and DNA. Students are introduced to the principles and techniques of molecular biology, which are directly applied in laboratory modules that begin with purification and characterization of plasmid DNA, and culminate in the expression and purification of an artificial elastin-like polypeptide in the laboratory component.

BME 265: Mechanics of Motor Proteins
(Developed for CBIMMS)

COMPSCI 296: Biomolecular Nanotechnology
We will cover nanotechnology, bionanotechnology, introductory structural biological, molecular bioengineering, DNA computing, molecular electronics, and related fields with a focus on the design, fabrication, use, and development of systems with molecular-scale components. Previous knowledge of chemistry or macromolecular structure is not required. The course is appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergrads in engineering, computer science, materials science, chemistry, and biomedical fields.

CHEM 348: Solid State Chemistry
The course combines knowledge in both solid state chemistry and solid state physics to provide a broad background for students to understand the electronic structures of solid materials and their theoretical origin. It also describes the recent progress in nanoscale materials and applies the background knowledge to provide greater understanding of the unique electronic properties of these materials.

ECE 299: Nano200 Foundations of Nanoscience
This course is designed to introduce students to the interdiciplinary aspects of nanoscience by integrating important components of the broad research field together. This integrated approach will cross the traditional disciplines of biology, chemistry, electrical & computer engineering, computer science, and physics. The focus of the course will be on fundamental properties of materials at the nanoscale, synthesis of nanoparticles, characterization tools, self-assembly, and nanoscale systems.