BIOE 431/631: Biomaterials Applications

Jeffrey G. Jacot, Ph.D.

Fall 2015: T, Th 10:50 am 12:05 pm, BRC 282
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes: This course expands upon the concepts presented in BIOE
370, and assesses the most current developments in biomaterials and tissue engineering. Students will
examine the field as the intersection of materials science, biology, and clinical science. Tissue-specific
applications and their unique challenges will be discussed.
Students should complete the course with an understanding of: the history of biomaterials development;
categories of materials in modern use; methods for materials synthesis and modification; and tissue- and
application-specific design requirements for biomaterials.
Lecturer: Jeffrey Jacot, BRC 725, jeff.jacot@rice.edu, office phone: 713-348-4446. Im most easily
reached by email. Office hours available by appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Dessy Vekilov vekilov@gmail.com
TA sessions to be decided.
Course Prerequisites: BIOE 370, BIOS 201, and CHEM 211 or equivalent. Please speak with me
directly during the first week of class if you have any concerns about your preparation for this class.
Textbook: Biomaterials Science, 3rd Ed., edited by Ratner, Hoffman, Shoen, and Lemons. Supplemental
reading will also be provided on the course Owlspace site.
Grading:
Homeworks:
Exam 1:
Final Exam:
Projects:
Whos Who:
Participation:
Seminar Report:

10%
10%
10%
50%
10%
5%
5% (plus a possible 1% extra credit for additional seminars)

Homeworks (10%): Homework assignments are due almost every week, usually on Tuesday. Problem
sets are due at the beginning of class on due dates. Because homework is relevant to the class
discussion for that day, late homework will not be accepted without prior approval.
Exams (20%): There will be one in-class exam and a cumulative final exam.
Projects (50%): Students will work together in small teams to produce a midterm and final project,
centering on biomaterials design. The general topics and format will be described in detail later in the
class. Projects will consist of a single team paper (5 pgs) and an elevator pitch (2 min). Project papers
and presentations will contribute equally to the final Project score. Papers will be graded based on
creativity in design, depth of investigation, and adherence to format requirements. Presentations will be
graded primarily on appearance, team participation, and adherence to time limits.

BIOE 431/631 Syllabus, Fall 2013, p. 1/2

Whos Who Presentations (10%): Each student will be assigned 1 major researcher in the broad field
of Biomaterials. At the start of each class period, the biographies of two researchers will be presented in
5-10 minute presentations. A template of required information will be provided, and a presentation
schedule will be posted. By the end of the class, we will have explored the connections among the
founding members of the field, and their successors.
Participation (5%): Participation will include preparedness for class and participation in group projects
and discussions.
Seminar Report (5%): Attend at least one departmental seminar related to biomaterials during the
semester, and submit (a) the posted abstract for the seminar, and (b) a one-page summary of the
speakers presentation. This may be repeated up to two additional times for extra credit (additional
0.5% each, or 1% total). Seminars with any biomaterials focus (either in design, synthesis, or
application) are eligible; students with any questions about the suitability of a seminar can check with Dr.
Jacot.
Good sources for eligible seminars are:
BioE department seminars (Tuesdays, 4-5pm, BRC 280)
Keck seminars (Fridays, 4-5pm, BRC Auditorium)
Other potential Rice departments:
o Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (Thursdays, 2:30-3:30p, Herzstein 210)
o Chemistry (Wednesdays, 4-5pm, Dell Butcher 180)
Any institutions in the Texas Medical Center.
Regrade Policy:
Please submit requests for re-grades in writing to the instructor within 3 days of receiving your graded
exam. Exams and homeworks are only regraded when there is evidence of a grading error.
Honor Code Expectations & Plagiarism:
Students are encouraged to talk to each other, the TAs, the instructor, or anyone else about material in
the course that is not specifically designated as pledged. This assistance is limited to the discussion of
the problem and sketching of a solution. Students must complete their own work.
Any concepts or phrasing that have been copied from another source must be set apart as a quotation
and referenced sufficiently. Both direct and indirect quotations from other sources, conveyed as the
students own thoughts, will be considered plagiarism.
Absence Policy: The absence policy for the class will follow the guidelines posted in the General
Announcements.
Disabilities Support: Any students with documented disabilities which require specific academic
accommodations should speak with Dr. Jacot within the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible
if the condition should develop throughout the course of the semester. All discussions will remain as
confidential as possible. In such cases, students should also contact Disability Support Services in the
Allen Center.
The information contained in this syllabus, other than the Absence Policy, may be subject to change with
reasonable advance notice, as deemed necessary by the instructor.
BIOE 431/631 Syllabus, Fall 2013, p. 2/2