3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course focuses on the principle and application of biological and engineering fundamentals to design microphysiological systems such as organ/tissue chips, 3D-printed tissues, and organoids. This course will introduce the concept of human organ-on-a-chip and organoid engineering and discuss the latest developments in the field of drug development - the shift from animal testing toward human relevant, high content, high-throughput integrative testing strategies. Students will learn various biofabrication techniques such as microfluidics, microfabrication, and 3D bioprinting to create in vitro miniaturized 3D complex human tissue models that mimic the biochemical, electrical, and mechanical properties of organ or tissue function. This course will also cover a wide range of biomedical applications of microphysiological systems in disease modeling, drug screening, precision medicine, and space biology as well as technology commercialization efforts. This laboratory portion of the course consists of three experiments that will provide students with valuable hands-on experience in design, fabrication and applications of microphysiological systems, including organ-on-a-chip systems (tissue/organ chips), 3-D printed tissue constructs, and organoids. Experiments include 1) the basics of human induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation, 2) tissue/organ chip fabrication, and 3) functional phenotypic analysis and drug testing. Spring semester only. Recommended background: EN.580.441, EN.580.442 and EN.580.452