BIOEN 498 Immunobioengineering

Credits: 3

UW General Catalog Course Description: Basic immunology specifically discussing cells and tissues of immune system; lymphocyte activation and specificity; cell biology of antigen processing and presentation; and effector mechanisms. Discussion of concepts in theoretical immunology used to describe viral dynamics and the dynamics of immune responses. Present case studies in the pathogenesis of immunologically mediated diseases caused by mucosal pathogens. Evaluate design, synthesis, and processing approaches for biomaterials used to modulate immunity.

Overview: Immunobioengineering describes efforts by immunologists and engineers to design materials that can be used to manipulate and to better understand the immune system. This rapidly emerging field is leading to the development of immunotherapeutics for autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer. Specifically, engineered materials are being designed to induce or prevent complement activation, to activate the immune system using biomaterial-based adjuvants, to develop carriers for antigen and adjuvant delivery, and for the design of well-defined immunomodulatory materials for probing the dynamics of the immune response. This course provides an introduction to the field of immunobioengineering, by covering three main topic areas: (1) immunology, (2) viral dynamics and the host response, and (3) material science approaches to control immune cell function. In the first topic area, we will introduce the nomenclature of immunology, and the components of innate and adaptive immune responses. We will discuss maturation, activation, and regulation of lymphocytes in response to antigen recognition. We will conclude by examining the effector mechanisms of immune response. The second topic area will focus on mathematical models used to describe viral infections, dynamics of the immune response, and the effects of antiviral therapy. We will focus on specific case studies describing the immune response to infection by mucosal pathogens. The final topic area will cover biomaterials applications to achieve tissue, cell, and organelle targeting of immunotherapeutics. We will examine biomaterial design of carrier systems to deliver agents to activate immune cells. Finally, we will examine materials approaches being developed to explore basic immunological function.

Textbooks: No single textbook is required but the course will use materials from the following textbooks: Abbas, A.K. and Lichtman, A.H. Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4160-5569-3 (paperback) Nowak, M.A. and May, R. Virus Dynamics: Mathematical principles of immunology and virology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN10: 0198504179 (paperback) Vajdy, M. (Ed.). Immunity Against Mucosal Pathogens. New York, NY: Springer, 2008. e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-8412-6 (electronic)

Additional course material will be taken from the primary scientific literature and will be available on the course website.

BIOEN 401 Bioengineering Capstone Principles

Credits: 3

UW General Catalog Course Description: Preparatory course for the bioengineering capstone projects. All students learn principles and issues involved in biomedical design and research.

Overview: The Department of Bioengineering offers two options for completing a senior capstone project. Students who choose the BIOEN 401-402 sequence conduct an individual design project. Students who choose the BIOEN 401-403-404-405 sequence conduct an individual research project and a team design project. The number of total credits in each sequence is equal.

BIOEN 401 prepares students for both the individual capstone design project option (BIOEN 402) and the capstone engineering research & design sequence (BIOEN 403-404-405). Each student is encouraged to choose a host lab before starting BIOEN 401 in spring of the junior year, and must select a project topic early in BIOEN 401.

The first goal of BIOEN 401 is to teach how to understand and perform both design and research in bioengineering, and how they relate to each other. Students will learn how to address a problem of biomedical significance using bioengineering tools. They will be coached in skills needed to thrive in a research laboratory, and to accomplish their projects efficiently. They will also learn the importance of understanding the context of their work with respect to their colleagues, their peers, their society, and their world.

The second goal of BIOEN 401 is to ensure that all students are affiliated with a laboratory and launched on a specific senior capstone design project (BIOEN 402) or capstone engineering research project (BIOEN 403) by the end of the quarter. An initial review early in BIOEN 401 confirms that each BIOEN 402 project will be a culminating Bioengineering design experience; this confirmation will be made in BIOEN 404 for those students pursuing the BIOEN 403-404-405 option. Every student is required to submit a detailed plan for their design project or research project, as appropriate. The validity of the project is examined twice: by the BIOEN 401 instructor and later by the Student Affairs Committee.

Students will be graded on their ability to process and communicate ideas of their proposed research projects.

Textbooks: None