Biomedical Engineering 697A - ST- Nature's Materials

Material science and mechanical engineering approaches are used to explore the structure-function relationships of natural biomaterials. Principles that govern mechanical behavior are used to discuss design approaches for synthetic bio-inspired and biomimetic materials. The main focus is on structure/function relationships of materials. There is also emphasis on mechanical design and function, with some discussion of cellular interactions. Materials covered include skin, horn, nail, hoof, hair, wood, plants, spider silk, nacre, bone, tendon, ligament, cartilage, meniscus, and tissue engineering scaffolds. Topics for bio-inspired and biomimicked materials include structural and energy absorbing materials and biomedical materials for clinical applications.