INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERED CELLULAR SYSTEMS FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Stampa
Enrollment year
2019/2020
Academic year
2021/2022
Regulations
DM270
Academic discipline
ING-IND/34 (INDUSTRIAL BIOENGINEERING)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL,COMPUTER AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Course
BIOENGINEERING
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Year of study
Period
2nd semester (07/03/2022 - 17/06/2022)
ECTS
6
Lesson hours
75 lesson hours
Language
Italian
Activity type
WRITTEN TEST
Teacher
PASQUALINI FRANCESCO (titolare) - 6 ECTS
Prerequisites
Good understanding of the English language.
Learning outcomes
A recent trend in Pharmaceutical R&D is the validation of cell culture models that can help develop personalized therapies. Engineered cell culture platforms, such as organoids or organs-on-chips, can provide such predictive
power and are good opportunities for students in biomedical engineering to enter the Biotech and Pharma job markets.

In this introductory course, students will learn the fundamentals of cell mechanics and micro/nano-fabrication needed for the
creations of Hearts-on-chips platforms

This course, which will be given by a faculty member recently returned from the Harvard University Wyss Institute (where organs-on-chips were invented), has the following objectives:
1. To become familiar with the main applications in the pharmaceutical industry of:
o Mechanobiology
o Organs-on-chips
2. To understand the theoretical framework behind these disciplines
3. To be able to critically evaluate scientific publications in this field
4. To be able to communicate analytically and syntethically the progress in this field
5. To be able to network with other experts in this field
Course contents
1. Understanding drug RnD in Biotech and Pharma (7.5 hrs of lectures)

2. Basic notions of cell biology (7.5 hrs of lectures)

3. Basic notions in statistical and solid mechanics (7.5 hrs of lectures)

4. Introduction to Cardiac mechanobiology (7.5 hrs of lectures)

5. Introduction to the cell contractile apparatus (22.5 hrs of lab activities)

6. Introduction to mechano-transduction (22.5 hrs of lab activities)
Teaching methods
Flipped classroom:
- Selected book chapters
- Classroom discussion
- Laboratory activities
Reccomended or required readings
The material will be selected by the instructor from the following books:
Jacobs, C. R. Introduction to Cell Mechanics and Mechanobiology. (ISBN-13: 978-0815344254)
- Nelson P. Biological Physics. Energy, Information, Life. (ISBN: 978-0578695471)
- Hang, J; Bocard, D; Peitisch M. C.. Organ-on-a-chip: Engineered Microenvironments for Safety and Efficacy Testing. (ISBN: 978-0128172025)
Assessment methods
written exam + optional interview
Further information
Sustainable development goals - Agenda 2030