Bioengineering

This course covers computational techniques used to solve complex problems in biology and medicine, characterized by the analysis of large quantities of information. Topics covered include: computational approaches and techniques for searching sequence, structural and expression databases and their relationship with disease databases; alignment and comparison of sequences through dynamic programming; gene structure prediction; restriction site searches; secondary structure prediction; generation of recombinant vectors in silico; obtainment of encoded protein sequence; folding and protein structure prediction; functional and protein-binding domain prediction; protein interaction prediction; evaluation of the pathogenicity of disease variants; molecular and phylogenetic sequence evolution analysis. Students are strongly advised to have completed coursework in mathematics, programming, biology, and biochemistry.

This course gives a detailed technical view into miniaturized bioanalysis and highlights some of the lab-on-a-chip technologies that are currently used in clinical medicine and biomedical research. The course covers sample handling and detection principles, which are key areas of interest in fundamental principles for bioanalysis integrated in microfluidic systems. This course represents the labs only.

The course aims at giving increased skills in making quantitative analysis of microbial processes, both on the cellular and the reactor level. The course also gives an enhanced understanding of mass and heat transfer phenomena in a bioreactor and the role of these phenomena in design and scale-up of bioreactors.

This course introduces students to the business of biotechnology and to how biotechnology firms capture and create value. The course starts with a case study in which the basic concepts used in the business of biotechnology are introduced. The first lecture is followed by lectures that address theoretical concepts that allow a structured study of the business of biotechnology. Students build a theory of the business (following Donaldson) and discuss theories of innovation (Rogers, Kano, Schumpeter, etc.), and the cognitive theory of the firm (Nooteboom). Students also discuss the products derived from industrial biotechnology research and development with a special focus on biotherapeutics and their development process.

This course introduces the basics of bio-materials and applications. The bio-materials in this course cover proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and DNA recombinant technologies. The medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and biosensors are introduced as the applications of bio-materials. Topics include proteins, enzymes, electrochemistry, immunochemistry, chromatography, protein purification, DNA&RNA analysis, recombinant technology, biosensors. Text: Bettelheim et al., INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY.