Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems in Biology and Medicine (BioMEMS)

3 Units

Microscale technologies have enabled advanced capabilities for researchers in unexplored territories of cells in biology and medicine. Biological (or Biomedical) Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Biomanufacturing involve the fundamentals of mechanics, electronics and advanced microfabrication technologies with specific emphasis on biological applications. MEMS is an interdisciplinary research area which brings together multiple disciplines including, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, clinical sciences, medicine, and biology. MEMS based technologies have found real world applications in tissue engineering, implantable microdevices, proteomics, genomics, molecular biology, biosensing, and point-of-care diagnostic platforms. This course aims to: (1) introduce the need for miniaturized systems in biology and medicine and the fundamental design and microfabrication concepts, (2) introduce the basics of microscale manipulation of cells, biological agents, and biomanufacturing, employing the fundamentals of microscale behaviors of fluids and mechanical systems, (3) expose the students to applications of MEMS, biosensing, and on-chip technologies in biology and medicine. Offered as EBME 456 and EMAE 456 .