Biomaterials is an exciting and rapidly developing field. Engineered materials are increasingly used in medical applications (such as drug delivery, gene therapy, scaffolds for tissue engineering, replacement body parts, and biomedical and surgical devices) while an understanding of structure-property relationships in natural biomaterials may lead to improved interventions for a wide variety of diseases and injuries. Because it is highly interdisciplinary (involving elements of materials science, engineering, biology, chemistry and medicine), biomaterials as a discipline requires a deep understanding of the properties of materials in general, and the interactions of materials with the biological environment in particular.

The biomaterials track is designed to provide a broad basis in the fundamentals of materials science and engineering, as well as a particular emphasis on the principles and applications of biomaterials. While the fundamental principles of materials science still apply, a complete understanding of biomaterials and their interactions with biological environments requires a greater degree of specialization than the standard undergraduate curriculum provides. The biomaterials curriculum includes topics such as biomimetic materials, natural biomaterials, host responses to biomaterials, biocompatibility, and applications of biomaterials, particularly in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical devices and implants. Our goal is to train students who can apply these principles to the development of novel materials that benefit human health.

To receive commendation for completion of the Biomaterials Track, the student must complete two electives, whose subject matter is some aspect of Biomaterials, and complete a biomaterials-related senior design project.  Approval of electives must be made by a student’s academic advisor prior to taking the courses, and approval of the senior design project must be pre-approved by the senior design instructor.

Complete details regarding the biomaterials track may be found in either the Undergraduate Advising Manual or the university catalog.

• Electives for Biomaterials Concentration

  Course Number	Course Title and Description	Instructor	Previous/Next offering
  Biomaterials Concentration (select 3 plus 510.430)			(planned offerings may change)
  510.430	Biomaterials Laboratory	Mao/Hristova	Spring 14/Spring 2015
  510.407	Biomaterials II	Hristova	Spring 12/
  510.426	Biomolecular Materials	Hristova	Fall 13/Fall 2014
  510.435	Mechanical Properties of Biomaterials	Weihs	………/Fall 2014
  580.441	Cellular Engineering	Green/Yarema	Fall 13/Fall 2014
  580.442	Tissue Engineering	Elisseeff/Grayson	Spring 13/Spring 2014
  540.404	Therapeutic and Diagnostic Colloids	Wirtz	Fall 13/Fall 2014
  540.459	Biotechnology in Regenerative Medicine	Gerecht	Spring 13/Spring 2014
  540.426	Biomacromolecules at the Nanoscale	Wirtz	Fall 13/Fall 2014
  510.437	Biosensor Materials and Mechanisms	Katz	Fall 13/Fall 2015
  540.405	The Design of Biomolecular System	Schulman	Spring 2014
  540.437	Application of Molecular Evolution to Biotechnology	Ostermeyer	Spring 2014
  530.445	Intro to Biomechanics	MechE faculty	Spring 2014