Lower Division Courses numbered 1–99 are designed primarily for freshmen and sophomores but are open to all students for lower division credit. (Graduate students requesting to enroll in lower-division undergraduate courses will not receive unit credit nor will the course fulfill degree requirements.) Upper Division Courses courses numbered 100–199 are open to all students who have met the necessary prerequisites as indicated in the catalog course description. Preparation should generally include completion of one lower division course in the given subject or completion of two years of college work.
GRADUATE COURSES
Courses numbered 200–299 are open to graduate students. (Undergraduate students must obtain the signature of the instructor, School Dean, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Graduate level units will count towards the required 120 units for graduation; however students are urged to meet with their academic advisor in order to determine if graduate course units may be used to fulfill a graduation requirement.)
CROSS-LISTED/CONJOINED COURSES
Cross-listed Courses are the same course offered under different course subjects at the same level (either undergraduate or graduate) that share the same meeting time, requirements, units, etc. Conjoined Courses are the same course but one is undergraduate and one is graduate.
COREQUISITE COURSE
A corequisite course is a course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites for courses should be followed carefully; the responsibility for meeting these requirements rests on the student. If you can demonstrate that your preparation is equivalent to that specified by the prerequisites, the instructor may waive these requirements for you. The instructor also may request that a student who has not completed the prerequisites be dropped from the course. If the prerequisite for a course is not satisfied, students must obtain the approval of the instructor (or school designee) of the course they wish to take.
For all undergraduate courses a “C-” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “P/NP” grade then a “P” grade is required.
For all graduate courses a “B” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “S/U” grade then a “S” grade is required.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
No credit is allowed for completing a less advanced course after successful completion (C-or better) of a more advanced course in the foreign languages. This applies only to lower division foreign language courses, not upper division courses.
GRADING OPTIONS
Unless otherwise stated in the course description, each course is letter graded with a P/NP or S/U option (unless required for your major or graduate program). The policy regarding Grading Options, can be found in an alternate section of the catalog.
ANTH 001: Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology
[4 units]
Introduction to human culture and cultural diversity, including the methods by which anthropology–via the study of social institutions, shared practices, and collective meanings–seeks to understand how people adapt to, make sense of, and transform their worlds.
Pass/No Pass option. Offered fall only. Discussion included.
ANTH 003: Introduction to Anthropological Archaeology
[4 units]
Survey of theory, field and analysis methods, and objectives of anthropological archaeology. Examines how intellectual perspectives guide the ways in which archaeologists undertake their work and the types of materials they collect and analyze to study issues such as technology, exchange, subsistence, settlement, social organization, and ideology.
Pass/No Pass option. Offered spring only. Discussion included.
Introduction to evolution and how natural selection has shaped modern human variation. Examination of non-human primate behavior and how analogous it might be to that of early humans. Discussion of culture, the fossil evidence, genetics, and inheritance.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to anthropology in community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of anthropology. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of anthropology.
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass only. Course may be repeated 2 times for credit.
ANTH 100: History of Anthropological Thought and Practice
[4 units]
Historical overview of key individuals and central ideas influencing the practice of anthropology and the production of anthropological knowledge. Topics may include the disciplining of anthropology into related subfields; social evolutionism, historical particularism, British structural-functionalism; French structuralism; cultural ecology; sociobiology; symbolic and interpretive anthropology; feminist and other critiques of anthropology.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 and (ANTH 003 or ANTH 005). Pass/No Pass option. Offered fall only. Discussion included.
ANTH 110: Migration, Diaspora and Transnational Belonging
[4 units]
Exploration of modern, global movements of people with a focus on the conditions, processes, and practices of contemporary national and transnational belonging. Topics include globalization, migration, immigration, Diaspora, the nation-state, national identities and cultural citizenship.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Introduces anthropological approaches to the phenomenon known as “globalization.” Explores the political, social, cultural and subjective processes that accompany neoliberal economic globalization by exploring weekly research themes and case studies carried out by anthropologists.
Political anthropology involves the study of formal political institutions as well as the manifestations of power in everyday life. Topics may include anthropological perspectives on: the state and other forms of political authority; social inequality; conflict; indigenous responses to colonialism and the nation-state; social movements; citizenship; governmentality; and globalization.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Examines the development of urban anthropology and major themes and research questions in the field of urban anthropology. Three core frames include the possibilities and limits of cities as global and local ethnographic sites; the past, present and future of cities; and issues of scale.
Introduction to the practices, spaces, artifacts and media through which social memory is formed, maintained and reproduced. Topics may include: how societies remember; how the past and its representation is bound up with national and other collective identities; commemoration; heritage; and the link between history, memory, and social justice.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Focusing on the contemporary struggles of Indigenous peoples for rights; self-determination; social, political, and environmental justice and/or increased nation-state participation. Examines how the mobilization of indigenous peoples is strengthened through regional, hemispheric and global solidarities; and how international law, media, and technology support indigenous actions for change.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Introduces anthropological approaches to citizenship. Explores how citizenship and belonging take place at scales beyond the juridico-legal definition of nationality. Examines the multiple ways of being a citizen and belonging to a place, particularly in the context of contemporary neoliberal economic globalization.
Provides knowledge about medical anthropology, how different cultures understand human physiology and health, definitions of sickness, types of medical systems and practitioners, how cultural practices affect health, issues in gender environmental health, and how medical anthropology influences health policy.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or ANTH 005. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included.
Provides knowledge of medical systems cross culturally including the three ancient literary systems (Chinese, Ayurvedic, Greco-Arabic), shamanism, folk medicine, and biomedicine. Readings focus on the beliefs and organization of each system, types of practitioners, types of sicknesses treated, and how anthropologists research and understand these phenomena.
ANTH 122: Anthropological Perspectives on Religion and Healing
[4 units]
Introduces students to religion from a cross cultural perspective, and provides them with analytical techniques to understand religious phenomena. Includes fundamental constituents such myth, symbol, and ritual; consideration of how religions differently define bodies and spirits; and religion as personal and political identity.
Covers anthropological perspectives on mental states, experience of emotions, and concepts of mental normality in a variety of cultural settings. Lectures and readings will focus especially on the relationship between individual and society, the role of emotions, and the definition of psychological phenomena cross culturally.
Examines gender and sexuality cross-culturally: cultural aspects of gender, sexuality, reproduction, and gender identity. Readings will explore definitions of male and female roles, sexual mores, issues in human reproduction, variations in definitions of sexual identity, and cultural, economic and religious aspects of gender, marriage, and family.
Examines the role that material objects play in human social relations, identity, and economy, including archaeological application of such knowledge to past societies. We explore the range of production and use of material objects, including theories of material culture, technology, style, meaning, memory, and agency.
ANTH 131: Space and Place: An Anthropological Perspective
[4 units]
Examines how space is theorized in anthropology, archaeology, and geography. Students learn multiple perspectives in thinking about spaces including how histories and identities are attached to places and landscapes, thus creating powerful or sacred symbols.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or ANTH 003 or Junior standing. Normal Letter Grade only.
Survey of the history of archaeological interpretation and the schools of thought from which they were derived. Students develop an appreciation of the close relationship between method, theory, and interpretation in archaeological practice.
Examines ethnographic and archaeological literature on small-scale hunter-gatherer-fisher and horticultural societies, and explores how these data contribute to study of subsistence and settlement strategies, technology, exchange, demography, and social relations in the past and present.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Critical examination of the legal, practical, and ethical aspects of cultural heritage management in the United States and abroad. Topics include cultural resource management in public and private contexts, participation of stakeholders, the application of anthropological knowledge, and public outreach.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 or WH 001 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option. Cross-Listed with WH 140.
An integration of archaeological knowledge with narrative and analytical writing. Students develop research and writing skills while learning to use and disseminate knowledge gained by producing creative, culturally sensitive, and factually supported texts.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 and (WRI 010 or equivalent exam). Normal Letter Grade only. Cross-Listed with WRI 141.
Examines theoretical perspectives, issues, and interpretations in archaeological study of the interaction between indigenous peoples, European colonists, and enslaved Africans. Topics include disease, power, resistance, colonial institutions, multi-ethnic communities, and gender relations in diverse native engagements with colonists and others from a variety of homelands.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Examines ritual, religion, and cosmology in the archaeological record and explores theories that inform research and contribute to archaeological inferences. Takes a broad comparative approach and holistic perspective for the investigation of their historical, environmental, and social contexts.
In-depth exploration of archaeological thought or data on one or more anthropological topics relevant to small-scale societies of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and/or Asia. Topics vary and course may be repeated for credit if topics differ.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 or Junior/Senior standing. Pass/No Pass option. Course may be repeated 3 times for credit.
Investigation of how human biological variation is studied and how the definition of such variation differs between the scientific community and the public. Topics include historical perspectives on race and eugenics, how scientific racism has shaped national policy, and how genetic diversity and the Human Genome Project have informed such issues.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Examination of how humans live in marginal environments, such as extremely hot, extremely cold, or high altitude areas. Evolutionary, genetic, ecological, demographic, and cultural explanations for human biological adaptability are explored. Students consider case studies from the high Andes, Siberia, equatorial South America, and the International Space Station.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Examination of the multiple cultural meanings of death and the dead person, including hospice, reactions to death, memorial gestures, rights to and constructions of the dead body in the U.S. legal system, cadavers in education and research, dead persons in mass disasters and human rights cases, archaeological examples, and repatriation issues.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Exploration of human population growth and decline, fertility and mortality, and population age and sex structure in the past without benefit of written records. Topics include the interplay of demography and hominid evolution, migration, environmental stress, the transition to agriculture, and the rise and fall of complex societies.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 and ANTH 005. Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Pass/No Pass option.
Explores the biological heritage of humans by providing students with a rigorous grounding in modern evolutionary theory and undertaking detailed study of the phylogeny, morphology, and paleoecology of the Hominini. In addition, this course uses the fossil record to reveal the truly unique features of Homo sapiens.
ANTH 162: Growth, Development, and Human Evolution
[4 units]
Applies modern life history theory to understand how evolution of growth patterns contributed to divergence in adult morphology among human ancestors, as revealed by the fossil record of hominin species. We also examine the uniquely human phenomenon of childhood, and the geographic diversity observed among modern human beings.
Explores current trends in biological anthropology. Course material will vary. Possible topics may include: isotopic analysis of human nutrition; genetic studies of human variation and adaptability; life history and population studies of health and disease; studies of the interaction of the environment, human behavior, and human biology; and ethics.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005. Pass/No Pass option. Course may be repeated 1 time for credit.
Training in how to conduct field based qualitative research including learning about ethics, training in human subjects protection, skills of participant-observation, interviewing, taking field notes, and the analysis and presentation of research results. Through discussion section activities, individual research projects are designed and operationalized and preliminary research conducted.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001. Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included.
Examines the critical use of historical documents, journals, and visual images; archives; and oral history to understand past cultures and culture change. Analysis of case studies and original archival research demonstrate how these sources complement data collected through ethnographic, archaeological, or biological methods.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or ANTH 003 or Junior standing. Pass/No Pass option.
Systematic consideration and practical application of analytical laboratory and data recording techniques used to study stone tools and manufacturing debris. Topics include procurement; production and reuse; style and function; the organization of technology with respect to settlement and gender; and craft specialization.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003. Open only to major(s) and minor(s): Anthropology. Pass/No Pass option. Laboratory included.
Introductory course in ceramic analyses that includes a laboratory component. Students will learn theory and methods as they are applied to ceramic artifacts and will conduct a hands-on research project using an in-house collection.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003. Open only to major(s): Anthropology. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Introduction to the goals and methods of archaeological surface survey, excavation, and various forms of field documentation. The integration of research issues and methods is addressed through both classroom and field activities.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 or Junior standing in the Major. Pass/No Pass option.
Students develop a basic familiarity with human skeletal remains, including the identification of the bones of the skull, dentition, and axial and appendicular skeletons. Identification of side (i.e., left, right) and element of both intact and fragmentary remains are to be considered.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005. Open only to major(s) and minor(s): Anthropology. Pass/No Pass option. Laboratory included.
Study of human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. Theoretical and thematic approaches in contemporary research. In-depth consideration of bioarchaeological methods used to explore pathology, occupation, geographic origins, etc. from human skeletal remains. Anthropometrics, disease, and trauma are considered, preparing students for anthropological study of both individual remains and skeletal populations.
Prerequisite: ANTH 005. Open only to major(s) and minor(s): Anthropology. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Exploration of a special topic or problem within or between fields in anthropology. Topics vary and course may be repeated for credit if topics differ.
Prerequisite: ANTH 001 or ANTH 003 or ANTH 005 or Junior/Senior standing. Pass/No Pass option. Course may be repeated 3 times for credit.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to anthropology in community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of anthropology. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of anthropology.
Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass only. Course may be repeated 2 times for credit.
Introduction to scientific and engineering computer programming using Python with an emphasis in problems and approaches most relevant to bioengineering. Programming fundamentals are covered using specific scientific/engineering applications involving random number generation, sequences and difference equations, discrete calculus, and differential equations.
Presents students with an overview of the creative synergies between engineering and life sciences that define the scope of Bioengineering. Examples of successful Bioengineering endeavors (devices, materials, processes, models) are provided. Discussion of current frontiers and future direction of Bioengineering, with an emphasis on information technology and nanotechnology.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam) and (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (CHEM 002 or CHEM 002H, either of which may be taken concurrently, or equivalent exam). Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Introduction to the basic concepts and theory of analog and digital signal processing in bioengineering. Signal processing plays a growing role in a wide variety of engineering systems.
Basic concepts such as voltage, current, resistance, impedance, Ohm’s and Kirchoff’s law applied to biological circuits. Basic electric circuit analysis techniques and its application to obtain biophysical and physiological parameters. Circuits with DC and sinusoidal sources, including Laplace and Fourier Transforms applications to solve Circuit Problems in biological systems.
Using the conceptual, analytical, modeling and design tools of engineering to achieve quantitative insights into physiological systems. Transport mechanisms, energy transduction, feedback and feed forward control, optimization, and materials selection principles in the context of cells, tissues, and organs. How muscles, nerves and biological fluids interact to allow you to read this course description.
BIOE 101: Modeling of Nanoscale Processes in Biology
[3 units]
Advanced mathematical modeling, simulation and data analysis applied to biological problems at the molecular level; probabilistic models. Scope and limitations of these techniques. Molecular conformations and folding, protein structure, molecular interactions, binding sites, formation of aggregates and complexes, phase changes, membrane transport, physiological control systems in cells.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam) and MATH 023 and (BIO 001 or equivalent exam). MATH 024 recommended. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Design of natural and artificial devices for characterizing the physical and chemical environment inside and outside living cells. Detection of metabolites, toxins, pathogens and cancers. Molecular and nanoparticle probes. Immunosensors. Nucleic acid sensors and DNA chips. Enzyme-based biosensors. Organism and whole cell-based biosensors. Natural and synthetic receptors for biosensors. Remote diagnosis.
Prerequisite: (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam). Course may not be taken for credit after obtaining credit for: BIOE 103. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Intended for the last-year engineering student to facilitate the student’s development into bioengineering investigation. Designed to introduce fundamental principles of circuit theory, analog and digital electronics and biological instrumentation techniques commonly used in biomedical research.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or PHYS 018 or equivalent exam) and (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and ENGR 166. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Biological Transport Phenomena is the quantitative description of momentum transport (viscous flow) and mass transport (convection and diffusion) in living systems. We explore the similarities between the fundamental principles of momentum, heat, and mass transfer, and combine fundamentals with conservation laws to develop mathematical descriptions of physiological and engineering systems.
Introduction to cell biology from bioengineering perspective. Focuses on the fundamental concepts of modern cell biology and their biomedical and bioengineering applications. Introduces fundamental principles of molecular cell biology and provides related biotechnology concepts.
Explores the molecular methods and applications of recombinant DNA technology and the issues regarding their use through case studies on the effect of genetic engineering on medicine, agriculture, biology, forensics and other areas of technology.
Preparation, characterization, and applications of supramolecular structures. Factors that promote controlled molecular assembly at interfaces and in 3-D. Hydrophobic bonding and the role of water. Liquid crystalline phases. In vivo and in vitro examples of self-assembly. Biomimetic materials: the quest for adaptive responses to changes in environment, and self-healing. “Green” processing routes via biotechnology. Limitations of biomimetic materials.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam) and BIO 002. Normal Letter Grade only.
The molecular and physical chemistry of membranes formed from natural and synthetic amphiphiles. Relationships between surfactant molecular structures, chemical and physical environment, and membrane assembly. Solubility of proteins in biomembranes. Pore formation and structure. Transport through biomembranes. Biomembranes as catalysts and reaction vessels. Characterization of membrane structure and properties.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam) and BIO 002. Normal Letter Grade only.
Cell receptor biology in the context of cell interactions with materials. Biomolecule adsorption to solid materials. Relevance to catalysis, adhesion, and responses to implanted biomaterials. Interactions between nanoparticles and biological tissue. Coagulation and thrombosis, infection, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation and the foreign body response, immune and tumorgenic mechanisms. Surface and interface characterization methods.
Introduce fundamental principles of biomedical instrumentation commonly used in biomedical engineering research labs and hospitals. Techniques and principles of bioinstrumentation include biosignal and noise, biosensors, electrodes, electrocardiogram (ECG), defibrillators, pacemakers, electroencephalography (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), respiratory instruments, and optical microscopy. Biomedical circuit and electronics will be reviewed.
Tissue Engineering is an interdisciplinary field focused on developing strategies for regenerating human cells, tissues and organs. Fundamental topics include: cell source and culture, tissue organization, modeling cell fate processes, gene therapy, bioreactor and tissue-material design, tissue preservation, and immunoisolation and/or modulation.
BIOE 117: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health
[3 units]
Innovative campus course between UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced which aims to 1) raise awareness and knowledge about global health issues 2) teach students critical engineering skills such as nano/micro-fabrication 3) enable students to design, build, and test their own diagnostics and 4) develop entrepreneurial skills. Students learn about tuberculosis from leading experts at UCSF and then address the death of sensitive diagnostics by designing and testing their own nano/micro-systems. Taught at UC Merced with tele-conferencing to the other campuses. Two field trips also are required.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (CHEM 002 or CHEM 002H or equivalent exam). Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Human physiological functions in organ systems. Labs emphasize functional aspects of organs systems through experimentation. This lab should help you gain practical lab skills, scientific reasoning, understanding of physiology subject matter, and teamwork skills. Physiology laboratory is intended for transfer students that have completed the lecture portion of Physiology at another institution.
Prerequisite: (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or equivalent exam) and BIO 002. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Designed to introduce fundamental principles of biomedical imaging commonly used in biomedical engineering research and applications. Techniques and principles of biomedical imaging include x-ray photon generation, x-ray imaging, fluorescence optical imaging, position emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, ultrasound imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging.
BIOE 126: Nanodevice Fabrication: Bridging Research and Education
[4 units]
Basic properties of nanomaterials and their applications as transducers (the lecture part). Nanomaterial synthesis using both solution and vapor-based approaches will be performed and a transducer will be fabricated and tested (the lab part). The interactive and experiential education will be blended with theoretical concepts.
Prerequisite: (CHEM 002 or CHEM 002H or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 009 or PHYS 009H or PHYS 019). ENGR 065 highly recommended. Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included. Cross-Listed with MSE 126. Conjoined with BEST 226.
Develops thermodynamic principles into a framework that is useful for addressing problems in the biological sciences. Provides a molecular perspective on thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and reaction kinetics that is critical for analyzing biological processes.
Characterization of the macromolecules of life from structural and functional standpoints. Explores fundamental concepts of biomolecular structure and function, the properties of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates, the mechanisms for their assembly and function, and the tools/approaches used in their isolation and characterization.
Focuses on the analysis and design of custom biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and macromolecular complexes. Students will learn the fundamentals of biomolecular structure and function, the experimental and computational tools/approaches for engineering biomolecules and their application to solving pressing problems in biotechnology, medicine and bioengineering.
Prerequisite: BIOE 135. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included.
Students work in teams on bioengineering problems requiring design solutions. Students define the problem, propose a viable solution, acquire approval for the design, and build and test the designed device.
Basic concepts analog and digital electronics and its application to bioengineering. Provides a background to design electronic instrumentation to assess physiological and molecular functions, from bioelectrical measurements to spectroscopic detection.
Research credit is designed to give credit to students that elect to conduct research in a laboratory on campus. Credits are proportional to the hours spent in the laboratory (1-5 credits).
Permission of instructor required. Normal Letter Grade only. Course may be repeated for credit. Laboratory included.
Covers background principles of cutting-edge research directions in the field of Biological Engineering. Includes 3 hours of lecture and discussion per week and significant out-of-class reading and study. The course format also emphasizes student-led presentation, analysis and discussion of reading assignments from the current and recent scientific literature.
Prerequisite: MATH 021 and BIO 002. Normal Letter Grade only.
Special Topics in Materials covers background principles of cutting-edge research directions in the field of material science. Includes 3 hours of lecture and discussion per week and significant out-of-class reading and study. The course format also emphasizes student-led presentation, analysis and discussion of reading assignments from the current and recent scientific literature.
Application of kinetic principles to the study of mass transport processes transformations, and reactions. Thermal activation and rates of processes; nucleation and growth; phase transformations; control of micro- and nano-structure. Case studies relevant to the processing of metals, polymers, ceramics, and nanomaterials. Undergraduate preparation in introductory calculus, physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics highly recommended.
Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included. Conjoined with MSE 111.
Structure and bonding of materials and their relationship to the mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials within the context of structure-properties-processing performance relationships. Non- and quasi-crystalline materials and the role of defects. Processing and device applications.
Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion, Laboratory included.
The field of synthetic biology is quickly emerging as potentially one of the most important and profound ways by which we can understand and manipulate our physical world for desired purposes. While synthetic biology builds upon existing areas, such as genetic engineering, systems biology, and non-biological fields such as computer science, it is becoming evident that synthetic biology represents its own new engineering discipline. At the heart of synthetic biology is the aim to make the engineering of new biological functions predictable, safe, and quick and to aid in creating biological applications of benefit to society. Relevant topics in cellular and molecular biology and biophysics, dynamical and engineering systems, and design and operation of natural and synthetic circuits are covered in a concise manner that than allows the students to begin to design new biology-based systems.
Open only to major(s): Applied Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Bio Eng and Sm Scale Tech, Quantitative and Systems Biology, Environmental Systems, Elec Eng and Computer Sci. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included.
Tissue Engineering is an interdisciplinary field focused on developing strategies for regenerating human cells, tissues and organs. Fundamental topics will include: cell source (including stem cells, plasticity, cloning, cell differentiation and purification), cell culture and tissue organization, gene therapy, cell adhesion and migration, bioreactor and tissue-material design, tissue preservation, and immunoisolation and/or modulation.
Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included. Cross-Listed with QSB 214. Conjoined with BIOE 114.
BEST 217: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health
[3 units]
This first-ever four campus course between UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced aims to 1) raise awareness and knowledge about global health issues 2) teach students critical engineering skills such as nano/micro-fabrication 3) enable students to design, build, and test their own diagnostics and 4) develop entrepreneurial skills. Students learn about tuberculosis from leading experts at UCSF and then address the dearth of sensitive diagnostics by designing and testing their own nano/micro-systems. Taught at UC Merced with tele-conferencing to the other campuses and two field trips.
Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included. Cross-Listed with QSB 217.
Covers computational methods in materials research and their applications in theoretical studies. Among such methods are ab initio, molecular dynamics (MD), Mesoscale, Multiscale modeling and Finite element methods. Nanostructure evolution and materials properties will also be included. A computational MD project will be developed (lab).
Open only to major(s): Bio Eng and Sm Scale Tech. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion, Laboratory included.
Introduces fundamental principles of biomedical imaging commonly used in biomedical engineering research and applications. Techniques and principles of biomedical imaging include x-ray photon generation, x-ray imaging, fluorescence optical imaging, position emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, ultrasound imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging.
Normal Letter Grade only. Conjoined with BIOE 124.
Matrix, tensor, and representation surface descriptions of stress, strain, and material properties (elastic, plastic, photoelastic and piezoelectric). Isotropic and anisotropic properties. Microscopic and macroscopic response of materials to stress, including plasticity due to dislocation motion, twinning and martensitic transformations. Kinetics of plastic deformation. Applications to materials processing, strengthening, and failure. Knowledge in an introductory materials course such as ENGR 045 is strongly suggested.
Open only to major(s): Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Bio Eng and Sm Scale Tech. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included. Conjoined with MSE 121.
Relationships between molecular characteristics, thermodynamics, kinetics, microstructure and properties in the context of polymeric materials. Students will apply their knowledge of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology to develop a proficient understanding of how structure and processing affect the properties and performance of biological and synthetic polymers.
Open only to major(s): Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Physics, Environmental Systems, Bio Eng and Sm Scale Tech, Quantitative and Systems Biology, Elec Eng and Computer Sci. Normal Letter Grade only. Discussion included. Conjoined with MSE 114.
BEST 226: Nanodevice Fabrication: Bridging Research and Education
[4 units]
Basic properties of nanomaterials and their applications as transducers (the lecture part). Nanomaterial synthesis using both solution and vapor-based approaches will be performed and a transducer will be fabricated and tested (the lab part). The interactive and experiential education will be blended with theoretical concepts.
Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included. Conjoined with BIOE 126, MSE 126.
Focuses on the analysis and design of custom biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and macromolecular complexes. Students will learn the experimental and computational tools/approaches for engineering biomolecules and how to apply these new technologies to solving some of the most pressing problems in biotechnology, medicine and bioengineering.
BEST 285: Seminar: Nanomaterials for Space Exploration
[1 unit]
Designed for students in materials engineering, physics, and chemistry. Intended to expose students to various nanomaterial-based devices, foster students’ critical thinking in postulating feasible approaches, and develop students’ communication and presentation skills.
Seminar series covering various topics in bioengineering, biomaterials and materials science and engineering, and nanotechnology, hosted by Biological Engineering and Small-Scale Technologies Graduate Group.
Normal Letter Grade only. Course may be repeated for credit.
Covers responsibilities and expectations for researchers as well as advice for success in graduate school and science careers, required for NIH-funded graduate students.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. Cross-Listed with QSB 294.