Putting The “Engineering” Into Tissue Engineering: Development Of Undergraduate Tissue Engineering Course Materials And Laboratory Experiments

Tissue engineering is inherently multidisciplinary, requiring an understanding both of cell and molecular biology and basic materials science and engineering. According to the report of the International Technology Research Institute (WTEC Division) on Tissue Engineering Research (http://wtec.org/loyola/te/final/te_final.pdf), while there are a number of strong interdisciplinary research programs in the US that effectively bridge the gap between biology and materials science and engineering, there is a critical need to transfer this knowledge base to a potential work force. This is particularly challenging for undergraduate programs in biomedical engineering. Students are unlikely to develop significant expertise in both cellular and molecular biology or materials/mechanical engineering independently. Undergraduate course materials that provide opportunities for integration of these two areas are necessary. NC State Biomedical Engineering faculty with expertise in biomaterials, biomechanics, and tissue engineering are collaborating on design and development of course and laboratory materials that provide tissue engineering learning experiences for students in the sophomore, junior and senior years.