ΜΜ16 | Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Postgraduate Study Program | Computational and Experimental Engineering and Advanced Materials

Aims

To introduce students to the concepts underlying the mechanical and biological properties of synthetic and natural biomaterials and tissue engineering principles and scaffolding techniques.

Learning outcomes. The students will be able to:

1. Explain the concepts of stress and strain, and the parameters used to characterise the physical bulk and surface properties of materials.
2. Describe the composition, structure and mechanical properties of the main classes of biomaterials- metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and the body tissues; explain and give an example of how composition, structure and treatment modify the mechanical properties.
3. Explain how to determine the mechanical parameters of materials experimentally; interpret the results of tests and data sheets according to international standards.
4. Describe the interactions of biomaterials with the biological environment – stability, corrosion, histo-cyto- and hemo-compatability; explain how these interactions are assessed and influenced by material choice and modification.
5. Describe and the developments of biomaterials for regenerative therapies and tissue engineering; give an example of tissue engineering technique.
6. Describe and give an example of how biomaterials are used to fabricate devices for clinical use.

Laboratory:

1. Fabrication of porous polymeric biomaterials (leaching, electrospinning).
2. Cell-biomaterial interaction (cell culture on biomaterial surface, characterization).