MEC660 - Introduction to BME I: Biomechanics, Sensors and Devices (2023-2024)

The course is divided into three parts:

1. A lecture about micromanipulation techniques including atomic force microscopy, micropipette aspiration/manipulation techniques, traction force microscopy and others. An example of the application of these techniques is the quantification of how soft or hard cells are as well as how much force they generate during essential processes including migrating, dividing, or attacking a microbe during an infection. The goal of the lecture is to introduce how these techniques work, how mechanical properties of cells regulate a number of cellular functions, and how understanding these mechanical aspects can help improve our understanding of fundamental cell biological questions under both normal and pathological situations.
2. A lecture about the role that mechanical factors play in the development, progression, and treatment of several pathologies including cardiovascular disease, cancer, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's disease. The goal of this second lecture is to describe the basis of mechanical involvement in these diseases at both the cellular and whole-tissue levels.
3. The last part consists of a series of lectures dedicated to microfluidics and biosensors whose development since the early 2000s has paved the way for better and more cost-efficient biological and biomedical tests that provide access to an unprecedented level of detail into biological processes. This part will give an introduction to the fundamental concepts behind microfluidic devices and microsystems as well as give an overview of the broad range of applications of these systems in the biomedical sciences. In parallel, examples of analytical sensors such as biochips and biosensors will be presented.