BioE 326 Biosensing Materials

The immense potential of biosensors to transform and advance healthcare has motivated bioengineers and material scientists to develop increasingly more innovative technologies over time. There is still an unmet need to achieve greater analytical performance, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of clinical biosensors with the ultimate aim of providing point-of-care testing for early detection of disease and for use in resource-limited settings. The course introduces you (the students) to the broad and multidisciplinary field of materials in biosensing, with a focus on real-world and state-of-the-art examples from the literature. You will first learn about the types of biosensors and how they are designed for various biomedical applications. You will then learn about five classes of materials which are exploited in biosensing applications: nanomaterials, polymeric materials, hydrogels, smart responsive materials, and fibrous materials. We will explore the different types of materials in each class, learning how they are exploited through case studies from the literature. Next, a variety of clinical biomarker types relevant across many diseases will be explored including nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, with an emphasis on cancer and non-invasive biomarkers. You will gain an understanding of the major approaches to measuring these biomolecules, focusing on systems with optical readouts (namely fluorescence and colorimetric). The course will emphasize on approaches and platforms used to transform biosensors to the point-of-care (e.g. using microfluidics, lateral flow assays). The course will also equip you with the skills to critically and quantitatively assess biosensor performance and research in this field.

Credits

3

Cross Listed Courses

MSE 326