Semester.ly

Johns Hopkins University | EN.540.428

Supramolecular Materials and Nanomedicine

3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

(4.46)

Nanomedicine is a quickly growing area that exploits the novel chemical, physical, and biological properties of nanostructures and nanostructured materials for medical treatments. This course presents basic design principles of constructing nanomaterials for use in drug delivery, disease diagnosis and imaging, and tissue engineering. Three major topics will be discussed, including 1) nanocarriers for drug delivery that are formed through soft matter assembly (e.g., surfactants, lipids, block copolymers, DNA, polyelectrolytes, peptides), 2) inorganic nanostructures for disease diagnosis and imaging (e.g., nanoparticles of gold and silver, quantum dots and carbon nanotubes), and 3) supramolecular scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Students are expected to learn the physical, chemical and biological properties of each nanomaterial, the underlying physics and chemistry of fabricating such material, as well as their advantages and potential issues when used for biomedical applications. This course will also provide students opportunities for case studies on commercialized nanomedicine products. After this class, students should gain a deeper understanding of current challenges in translating nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Fall 2013

(4.67)

Fall 2014

(4.25)

Fall 2013

Professor: Honggang Cui

(4.67)

Students thought that the best aspect of this course was the professor, who was passionate about the subject and accommodating with students’ schedules. Students believed that they learned a tremendous amount about what could happen when safety procedures weren’t fol owed, and they thought that all of the information they learned was practical and applicable to future lab experiences. Some students found that much of the material covered was either common sense or was easy enough to learn outside of class. Students also thought that the group work was awkward due to large group sizes, and that it felt more like busy work than anything to test their understanding of the content. Students also wanted fewer documents and more media about safety, such as videos and online activities. Prospective students should know that the course is fairly easy, although there is some work that needs to be completed. The course wil provide them with the background they need in lab safety and prepare them for future lab work.

Fall 2014

Professor: Honggang Cui

(4.25)

Students discovered that the best aspect of this course was the effective teaching of the instructors and the thorough introduction to the subject matter the class provided. They thought the biggest drawback of the course was that the material covered in lectures seemed repetitive at times. Students felt the course could be improved with greater interactivity. Some students also thought that some class 68sessions might benefit from being conducted in laboratory spaces. Students thought that it was useful for others thinking about taking this course that it requires a manageable, but not overwhelming amount of work.