BioE 306

BIOLOGY BY DESIGN

BioFabrication Lab is a course that provides hands on experiences relating to tissue engineering and design of synthetic biological machines. This laboratory course is structured to simulate a graduate experience where the students will design systems, run experiments, analyze data and report findings. Projects will be assigned for teams of 2 students, to divide up workload needed for cell culture. Students will also keep a laboratory notebook and submit a report after completion of each project. Students will have the opportunity to independently design and build a biological machine and present their project to the class.

VIABILITY

GENE DELIVERY

PATTERNING

BIOBOTS

Students will test the effects of two different types and concentrations of commonly used stereolithography photoinitiators (I2959-biocompatible in low concentrations, I651 - cytotoxic)  on cell viability. They will assess viability via live/dead staining and MTS assay.

Students will learn standard methods for delivering genes with high efficiency to cell lines typically considered "hard to transfect." The students will transduce the cells the master transcription factor MyoDand ChR2 to achieve a myogenic phenotype that is light inducible.

Students will learn standard methods of culturing cells in 3D hydrogel matrices (good practice for and alternative to fibrin hydrogels which will be used in following labs). They will assess the effect of culture in a 3D environment that mimics native ECM on cell adhesion, proliferation, and morphology.

Students will learn how to design and fabricate living biological machines powered by engineered skeletal muscle that are capable of controlled directional locomotion in response to optical and electrical signaling. They will test the effects of "exercise" training on BioBot functional response and learn how to quantify force production using viscoleastic models of BioBot mechanics.

DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING

Instructor

Pablo Perez-Pinera

Pablo (a) illinois.edu

TA

Jackson Winter

jswinte2 (a) illinois.edu

Guest Lecturer

Lauren Grant

lcgrant3 (a) illinois.edu

UA

Pierce Hadley

phadley2 (a) illinois.edu

LAB POLICIES

Students must arrive in proper attire:

      You must wear pants and closed toed shoes.

      You must purchase and use a lab coat.

Students must complete biosafety training

Prerequisites:

      BIOE202

      BIOE206

 

Office Hours

DCL3122

 

Classroom

DCL3211

 

Laboratory

DCL3210

LOCATION