Teaching:
BME 260L: Models of Cellular and Molecular Systems
Course description: This course introduces the application of engineering models to biotechnology and the study of cellular and molecular processes. Topics covered include thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium and kinetics, enzyme kinetics, DNA denaturation and rebinding, binding of proteins to DNA, regulation of gene expression, cell signaling, and gene delivery to tissues and cells. Laboratory experiments are designed to apply the concepts learned in class.
BME 562: Biology by Design
Course description: This course is a broad introduction to engineering biological systems with an emphasis on synthetic biology and the application of biological and chemical principles to the design of new biomolecules, cellular pathways, and tissue-level responses. This course is taught from the primary scientific literature and highlights contemporary research in this area, including topics such as artificial amino and nucleic acids, synthetic gene regulatory systems and gene circuits, directed molecular evolution, recombinant antibody and high-throughput screening technologies, novel biosynthesis pathways, engineered cell-cell and cell-matrix communication, and the design of minimal organisms and ecosystems. These topics will be presented in the context of biomedical applications such as drug design and discovery, biopharmaceutical production, regenerative medicine, and artificial intelligence.
Undergraduate Research Programs:
- Pratt Research Fellows Program
- Howard Hughes Research Fellows Program
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program
- Duke International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Club