MSE 473

Credit: 3 hours.

An emphasis on fundamental, unifying principles in biomolecular materials science. Major classes of materials considered include nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and sugars. Specific and non-specific interactions which govern biomolecular behavior in a wide range of contexts (e.g., self-assembly, cell adhesion) are presented. The relation of our present state of knowledge to extant empirical evidence is emphasized and integrated with discussions of experimental characterization and manipulation techniques in biotechnology. A case study term project involving application of course content and expository research into current literature is required.