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Tissue Engineering & Stem Cells (BMEN90011)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 2
Associate Professor Andrea O'Connor
Email: a.oconnor@unimelb.edu.au
Professor David Nisbet
Email: david.nisbet@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
AIMS
Students studying Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells will become familiar with the history, scope and potential of tissue engineering, and the potential role of stem cells in this field. This subject will address the use of biomaterials in tissue engineering; major scaffold materials and fabrication methods, scaffold strength and degradation; cell sources, selection, challenges and potential manipulation; cell-surface interactions, biocompatibility and the foreign body reaction; the role and delivery of growth factors for tissue engineering applications; in vitro and in vivo tissue engineering strategies, challenges, cell culture, scale-up issues and transport modelling; ethical and regulatory issues; clinical applications of tissue engineering, such as bone regeneration, breast reconstruction, cardiac and corneal tissue engineering, and organogenesis (e.g. pancreas).
This subject provides students with exposure to and understanding of a range of new and emerging applications of biomedical engineering. It includes research-led learning with opportunities to interact with experts and active researchers in the fields of stem cells and tissue engineering. The subject covers aspects of biology, materials engineering and process engineering which underpin tissue engineering and provides examples of the applications of this evolving area of technology.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Topics covered include tissue organization & tissue dynamics, stem cells, cellular fate processes & signalling, the ECM as scaffold material, natural and synthetic polymers for tissue engineering, bioceramics, scaffold design and fabrication, tailoring biomaterials, cell culture and cell nutrition, bioreactors for tissue engineering, risk management in tissue engineering, ethics in tissue engineering.
Intended learning outcomes
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILO)
On completion of this subject the student is expected to:
- Explain the significance, current status and future potential of tissue engineering
- Identify key challenges in tissue engineering of different human tissues
- Describe the design, fabrication and biomaterials selection criteria for tissue engineering scaffolds
- Describe the sources, selection, potential manipulations and challenges of using stem cells for tissue engineering
- Use simple models to quantify aspects of bioreactor design
- Discuss the challenges of in vivo implantation of biomaterials and scale-up issues relating to human clinical applications and explain the ethical and regulatory issues of significance in tissue engineering.
Generic skills
- Apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals
- Undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
- Utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance
- Function effectively as an individual and in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member.
Last updated: 31 January 2024