BME-321-davidlin-2026-08-25-11-31-51
Title of Course: Cellular Biomedical Engineering
Prefix and Number: BME 321
Semester and Year: tbd
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: BME 201 with C or better
Course Details
Day and Time: tbd
Meeting Location: tbd
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: tbd
Instructor Contact Information: tbd
Instructor Office Hours: tbd
TA Name: tbd
TA Contact Information: tbd
TA Office Hours: tbd
Course Description
Integrating cellular biology and engineering science by applying quantitative engineering principles for development of cellular-based materials, diagnostic devices and sensor designs.
Course Materials
Books: none
Other Materials: provided by instructor
Fees: none
|
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
|
Explain how cells function, communicate, grow, and maintain homeostasis, and relate these processes to engineering design. |
Lecture, in-class activities, homework, project | In-class activities, homework, exam, project |
|
Describe major genetic and molecular engineering tools, including imaging, CRISPR, DNA assembly, and PCR. |
Lecture, in-class activities, homework, project | In-class activities, homework, exam, project |
|
Design engineered biological systems, including metabolic pathways, cell factories, biosensors, tissues, & proteins. |
Lecture, in-class activities, homework, project |
In-class activities, homework, exam, project |
|
Assess ethical issues in cellular and molecular engineering. |
Lecture, in-class activities, homework, project |
In-class activities, homework, exam, project |
|
Communicate engineering designs, analyses, and ethical considerations in written and oral formats. |
Project |
In-class activities, homework, exam, project |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Course background & motivation Cell structure & composition |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 2 |
Central dogma, gene circuits, metabolism & homeostasis |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 3 |
Replication & apoptosis |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set, exam |
in-class activities, problem set, exam |
|
Week 4 |
Genetic engineering, crispr, transgenics, ethics |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 5 |
Cellular factories (biofuels, etc.), reactors, exponential growth/saturation, chassis selection, metabolic engineering |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 6 |
T-cells & immunoregeneration Cellular biosensors, ligand-receptor affinity, & films |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 7 |
Imaging, GFP, barcoding, sorting Stem cells & tissue engineering |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 8 |
Organ-on-a-chip (+ethics) |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
Writing assignment |
|
Week 9 |
History of cellular & molecular + recap |
Lecture, in-class activities, exam |
in-class activities, project, exam |
|
Week 10 |
Molecular engineering overview |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 11 |
Gene regulation |
Lecture, in-class activities, problem set |
in-class activities, problem set |
|
Week 12 |
Therapeutic modalities & clinical trials |
in-class activities, project |
in-class activities, project |
|
Week 13 |
Protein engineering |
Lecture, in-class activities, project |
in-class activities, project |
|
Week 14 |
Molecular programming |
Lecture, in-class activities, project |
in-class activities, project |
|
Week 15 |
Review and Team Project Presentations |
Lecture, in-class activities, project |
project |
Expectations for Student Effort
University guidelines state that for a three-credit course, students should expect to complete up to six hours of coursework outside of class per week.
Grading
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| In-class activities | 45% | |
| Homework | 37.5% | |
| Project | 5.5% | |
| Exams | 12% |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
>92 |
C | 73-76 |
| A- | 90-91 | C- | 70-72 |
| B+ | 87-89 | D+ | 67-69 |
| B | 83-86 | D | 60-66 |
| B- | 80-82 | F | <60 |
| C+ | 77-79 |
Numerical grades will be rounded to the nearest integer value.
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:
-receive an "F" grade for the course
-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards
-Have the right to appeal my decision
-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.