Bionanotechnology

General characterization

Prerequisites

General knowledge of physics, engineering, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology

Bibliography

“Nanobiotechnology: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives”

C.M. Niemeyer, C.A. Mirkin (Eds.), 2004, Wiley-VCH, Weinhein, Germany

“Materials Chemistry”

B.D. Fahlman, 2007, Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands

“Bionanotechnology”, D.S. Goodsell, 2004, Wiley-Liss, Hoboken, NJ, USA

Teaching method

Lectures will have a duration 2 h duration and will include problem solving. Each week, the first 2 hours will be taught by the Lecturers, and the second 2 hours will be taught by invited experts or groups of three students will present their Seminars.

Evaluation method

Two written tests including all matters taught by the Professors and invited experts (each test corresponds to 25% of the final grade). Alternatively, this evaluation component of 50% can be obtained in an examination after the end of classes (“Recurso”). The seminar presented by the students corresponds to 40% of the final grade and takes into consideration the presentation, the discussion and the documentation submitted. The discussion period after each of the student’s Seminars counts by 10% of the final grade and takes into consideration questions posed by the audience students to their colleagues presenting.

To pass, you need to have a grade of, at least, 9.5 as average of the two tests. There is no minimal grade for each test. If you miss the test you will have zero in that test.

“Recurso” Examination: Only for students that had less than 9.5 in the average of the two tests. To pass, these students need to have a grade of, at least 9.5, in this Exam, that counts 50% for their final grade.

If you want to improve your grade on this 50%, you can apply and pay the tax for “Melhoria” and will have an ORAL Examination including questions about ALL the syllabus of the course (namely, classes taught by Professors, experts Seminars and Seminar presentation of all groups).

Discussion period after each Techniques Seminar- 10% of the final grade: This part of the grade will reflect the questions posed by colleagues during the discussion periods of Seminars. For each question, the Professors will immediately communicate orally its score. The score will be determined by the importance of the question and its relevance for the Seminar just presented.

3 points – Very good/Excellent question

2 points – Good question

1 point – Question without  a ”nano” content

Please note that questions about medical curiosities, or others such as, “I didn’t understand that figure...”, “Please explain better (...)”, “Did you like to work on this subject?” or any others that do not imply any effort for understanding the Seminar, will not be scored.

Each group needs to ask 4 questions along the 5 students’ Seminar sessions. The grade at this component will be calculated by the formula:

(Sum of the scores of the 4 questions)/12 * 20

Subject matter

Historic perspective on the origin of Nanotechnology

Scale effect and properties of nanomaterials.

Nanofabrication: bottom-up vs. top-down approach

Microscopy for nanomaterials characterisation (TEM, SEM, SPR)

Bionanotechnology and Bionanomachines

Nanoparticles for clinical applications

Nanotechnology and Green Chemistry

Nanotoxicology

Construction of nanostructures

                Surface functionalisation

                               Self-assembling

                               Bio-polymerisation

                               Cross-linking

                DNA based nanostructures

                               Electronics

                               Bio-mimetizing

            Protein based nanostructures

Bionanodetection applications

                DNA & RNA (cross-linking vs. non-cross-linking)

Nanoparticles for drug delivery and nanovectors for gene therapy.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: