For Rice University degree-granting programs:To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rices Course CatalogTo view the most recent semesters course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule

BIOE 202 - CAREERS IN BIOENGINEERING

Description: This seminar is suitable for freshman, sophomores, and non-majors. A series of guest lectures will introduce students to a variety of career options in bioengineering. Students will participate in at least one field trip to an industry partner or hospital to learn more about careers in bioengineering.

BIOE 252 - BIOENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS

Description: Introduction to material, energy, charge, and momentum balances in biological systems. Steady state and transient conservation equations for mass, energy, charge and momentum will be derived and applied using basic mathematical principles, physical laws, stoichiometry, and thermodynamic properties. Problem based learning groups will solve open-ended problems. Required for students intending to major in bioengineering. MATH211 is a concurrent prerequisite and may be taken the same semester.

BIOE 302 - SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY

Description: This course will teach the fundamentals of human physiology with a specific focus on the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems. Basic introductory engineering principles will be applied to the study of physiological systems. The course is aimed to be accessible to students with non-engineering backgrounds. Students may receive credit for only one of BIOE302, BIOE322, and BIOC332. Cross-list: BIOC332. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE302 and BIOE322.

BIOE 307 - SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF BLOOD VESSELS

Description: How blood vessels respond to hypoxia is a process critical to the progression of many diseases and conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. Physiological processes such as exercise, aging, and wound healing also depend on hypoxia-induced microvessel changes. This course introduces engineering concepts of hypoxic response, angiogenesis, and capillary remodeling - from the effects at the intracellular level to the whole body. Topics covered include computational systems biology modeling of hypoxia and angiogenesis, the use of angiogenesis in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, imaging of blood vessel dynamics, capillaries of the brain, and the design of new blood vessels. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE507. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE307 and BIOE507.

BIOE 320 - SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY LAB MODULE

Description: Exploration of physiologic systems through measurement of biologic signals. EEG, ECG, EMG pulmonary function tests, etc. are performed and analyzed. Students will explore physiologic concepts through computer simulations, data collection, and analysis. Enrollment in or completion of BIOE322/BIOC332 is expected and maybe taken the same semester as BIOE320. For students intending to major in Bioengineering. Instructor Permission Required.

BIOE 321 - CELLULAR ENGINEERING

Description: Introduction to engineering principles and modeling regulation and circuitry at the cellular level. Topics include genetic metabolic networks and cell surface interactions.

BIOE 322 - FUNDAMENTALS OF SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY

Description: This course will teach the fundamentals of human physiology from an engineering perspective, with specific focus on the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary systems. Lectures, assignments and exams will be quantitative and will introduce engineering principles, such as conservation of mass and energy, controls and system analysis, thermodynamics and mass transport, and apply them to the study of physiologic systems. This course is limited to undergraduates. Students may receive credit for only one of BIOE302, BIOE322, and BIOC332 Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE322 and BIOC332/BIOE302.

BIOE 330 - BIOREACTION ENGINEERING

Description: Application of engineering principles to biological processes. Mathematical and experimental techniques for quantitative descriptions of enzyme kinetics, metabolic and genetic networks, cell growth kinetics, bioreactor design and operation.

BIOE 332 - BIOENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS

Description: This course provides a mathematically rigorous and quantitative coverage of the fundamentals of thermodynamics with applications drawn from contemporary bioengineering problems. Fundamental topics will include the Zeroth, First and Second Law, Entropy Inequality, Gibbs and Helmholtz Free Energies, The Third Law, Maxwell Relations, chemical potential, equilibrium, phase transitions, solution thermodynamics, protein-ligand binding and statistical mechanics. Advanced topics will include transcription factor-DNA binding, nucleic acid hybridization, translation initiation and genetic circuits. The course will cover the role that thermodynamics plays in molecular engineering and synthetic biology.

BIOE 342 - LABORATORY IN TISSUE CULTURE

Description: Introduction to tissue culture techniques, including cell passage, cell viability, and cell attachment and proliferation assays. Students complete quantitative analysis of their data. Engineering design and applications are featured in graded work. Sections 1 and 2 are taught during the first half of the semester. Sections 3 and 4 are taught during the second half of the semester. Students may be required to attend lab on a university holiday. Instructor Permission Required. Cross-list: BIOC320.

BIOE 348 - MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES IN BIOENGINEERING

Description: Introduction to the fundamental physical principles of light interaction with matter, separation (by charge, size, confirmation) and detection techniques utilized in the field of bioengineering. These include absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, light and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, electrophoresis, PCR, Blotting, and ELISA. BIOE342/BIOC320 may be taken concurrently with BIOE348.

BIOE 360 - APPROPRIATE DESIGN FOR GLOBAL HEALTH

Description: Seminar-style introductory design course covering epidemiology, pathophysiology, health systems, health economics, medical ethics, humanitarian emergencies, scientific and engineering design methods, and appropriate health technology case studies. To register, you must be enrolled in the GLHT minor and submit a 250 statement to beyondtraditionalborders@rice.edu by Monday of preregistration. The minor and course prerequisite is waived for students majoring in Bioengineering. Instructor Permission Required. Cross-list: GLHT360.

BIOE 361 - METABOLIC ENGINEERING FOR GLOBAL HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS

Description: Importance of nutritional and pharmaceutical compounds, impact of cost of compounds on global health; Overview of biochemical pathways; metabolite analysis; Genetic engineering and molecular biology tools for ME; Pharmaceuticals and drug discovery approaches (antibiotics, antivirals; anti-parasite compounds); anti-diarrhea treatments; vaccines. Cross-list: BIOC361, GLHT361.

BIOE 365 - SUSTAINABLE WATER PURIFICATION FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD

Description: This course is an overview of sustainable strategies for safe water supply in off-the-grid, low-income regions. Topics covered include water quality and treatment, sustainability and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). A major element of the course is a project to solve a water-related issue in a real-world context. Cross-list: CEVE314, GLHT314. Repeatable for Credit.

BIOE 370 - BIOMATERIALS

Description: This course will introduce both basic materials science and biological concepts with an emphasis on application of basic quantitative engineering principles to understanding the interactions between materials and biological systems. Topics covered include chemical structure of biomaterials, physical, mechanical, and surface properties of biomaterials, biomaterial degradation, and biomaterial processing. Additional topics include protein and cell interactions with biomaterials, biomaterial implantation, and acute inflammation, wound healing and the presence of biomaterials immune responses to biomaterials, biomaterials, immune responses to biomaterials, biomaterials and thrombosis, as well as infection, tumorigenesis, and calcification of biomaterials that can collectively apply to design of biomaterials for myriad applications. MECH211 or CEVE211 may be taken concurrently with BIOE370.

BIOE 372 - BIOMECHANICS

Description: This course introduces the fundamental principles of mechanics applied to the analysis and characterization of biological systems. Topics covered include normal and shear stresses, normal and shear strains, mechanical properties of materials, load, deformation, elasticity and elastoplastic behavior. Quantitative analysis of statically determinate and indeterminate structures subjected to tension, compression, torsion and bending will be covered. Additionally, aspects of blood rheology, viscoelasticity, and musculoskeletal mechanics will be addressed.

BIOE 380 - INTRODUCTION TO NEUROENGINEERING: MEASURING AND MANIPULATING NEURAL ACTIVITY

Description: This course will serve as an introduction to quantitative modeling of neural activity and the methods used to stimulate and record brain activity. Cross-list: ELEC380, NEUR383. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE380 and BIOE 480/BIOE 590/ELEC 480/ELEC 580.

BIOE 381 - FUNDAMENTALS OF NERVE AND MUSCLE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

Description: An introduction to cellular electrophysiology. Includes development of whole-cell models for neurons and muscle (cardiac and skeletal muscle) cells, based on ion channel currents obtained from whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments. Material balance equations are developed for various ions and chemical signaling agents (e.g., second messengers). Numerical methods are introduced for solving the ordinary and partial differential equations associated with these models. Several types of cell models are discussed ranging from neurons and muscle cells to sensory cells of mechanoreceptors, auditory hair cells and photoreceptor cells. Volume conductor boundary-value problems frequently encountered in electrophysiology are posed. Course provides a cellular basis for the interpretation of macroscopic bioelectric signals such as the electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), electroretinogram (ERG) and electroencephalogram. Cross-list: ELEC381.

BIOE 383 - BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTATION

Description: This is an introductory level course on fundamentals of biomedical engineering instrumentation and analysis. Topics include measurement principles; fundamental concepts in electronics including circuit analysis, data acquisition, amplifiers, filters and A/D converters; Fourier analysis; temperature, pressure, and flow measurements in biological systems.

BIOE 385 - BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION LAB

Description: Students will gain hands on experience with building biomedical instrumentation circuits and systems. Students will learn the basics of lab view programming and signal analysis. Instructor Permission Required.

BIOE 391 - NUMERICAL METHODS

Description: Introduction to numerical approximation techniques with bioengineering applications. Topics include error propagation, Taylor's Series expansions curre fitting, roots of equations, optimization numerical differentiation and integration, ordinary differential equations, and partial differential equations. Matlab and other software will be used for solving equations. Math 212 may be taken concurrently with BIOE391.

BIOE 392 - NEEDS FINDING AND DEVELOPMENT IN BIOENGINEERING

Description: Students in this course will learn and develop the engineering skill of needs finding in the field of bioengineering focused on designing for disabilities. Students will work in groups with patients with disabilities to identify daily needs and develop design criteria to meet those needs including preliminary prototype development. Instructor Permission Required. Cross-list: GLHT392.

BIOE 400 - ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Description: Independent investigation of a specific topic or problem in modern bioengineering research under the direction of a selected faculty member. Research project has a strong engineering component. Repeatable for Credit.

BIOE 401 - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Description: Independent investigation of a specific topic or problem in modern bioengineering research under the direction of a selected faculty member. Repeatable for Credit.

BIOE 403 - ADVANCES IN BIONANOTECHNOLOGY

Description: This course covers nanotechnology applications in bioengineering. Students learn about cutting edge research that uses the tools of nanotechnology to tackle medical problems. Topics include bionanotechnology - related research for diagnosis, detection, and treatment of disease; cell targeting; drug design and delivery; gene therapy; prostheses and implants and tissue regeneration. (REGISTRATION NOTE: The prerequisite BIOE370 can also be taken concurrently with BIOE403)

BIOE 408 - SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

Description: Design of biology at scales from molecules to multicellular organisms will be covered by lecture, primary literature, and student presentations. Students will execute a team based design challenge. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE508. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE408 and BIOE508.

BIOE 419 - INNOVATION LAB FOR MOBILE HEALTH

Description: This course will be an innovation lab for mobile health products. The students will organize themselves in groups with complementary skills and work on a single project for the whole semester. The aim will be to develop a product prototype which can then be demonstrated to both medical practitioners and potential investors. For successful projects with an operational prototype, the next steps could be applying for OWLspark (Rice accelerator program) or crowd sourcing (like Kickstarter) and/or work in Scalable Health Labs over summer. ELEC Juniors can also continue the project outcomes as a starting point for their senior design. Cross-list: ELEC419. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE534. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE419 and BIOE534. Repeatable for Credit.

BIOE 420 - TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN BIOENGINEERING

Description: BIOE/CHBE420 covers transport phenomena as applied to biological systems and biomedical devices. Conservation of momentum and mass equations are first derived and then used to analyze transport of momentum and mass in biology, physiology, and in biomedical devices. This course is designed for senior bioengineering students. Cross-list: CHBE420.

BIOE 421 - MICROCONTROLLER APPLICATONS

Description: This class covers the usage of microcontrollers in a laboratory setting. We will start with basic electronics and, in the lab component, design, program, and build systems utilizing widely-available microcontrollers (e.g. Arduino, Raspberry Pi). Units in motion control, sensors (light, temperature, humidity, UV/Vis absorbance), and actuation (pneumatics, gears, and motors) will provide students with functional knowledge to design and prototype their own experimental systems for laboratory-scale automation. Instructor Permission Required. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE521. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE421 and BIOE521.

BIOE 422 - GENE THERAPY

Description: This course will examine the gene therapy field, with topics ranging from gene delivery to vectors to ethics of gene therapy. The design principles for engineering improved gene delivery vectors, both viral and nonviral, will be discussed. The course will culminate in a design project focused on engineering a gene delivery device for a specific therapeutic application. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE522. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE422 and BIOE522.

BIOE 431 - BIOMATERIALS APPLICATIONS

Description: Emphasis will be placed on issues regarding the design, synthesis, evaluation, regulation and clinical translation of biomaterials for specific applications. An overview of significant biomaterials engineering applications will be given, including topics such as ophthalmologic, orthopedic, cardiovascular and drug delivery applications, with attention to specific case studies. Regulatory issues concerning biomaterial will also be addressed. Assignments for this class will include frequent readings of the scientific literature with occasional homework questions, one midterm and cumulative final, a group project, a seminar report and individual presentations. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE631. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE431 and BIOE631.

BIOE 439 - APPLIED STATISTICS FOR BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Description: Course will cover fundamentals of probability and statistics with emphasis on application t biomedical problems and experimental design. Recommended for students pursuing careers in medicine or biotechnology. BIOE439 and BIOE440/STAT440 cannot both be taken for credit. Prerequisite BIOE252 may be taken concurrently. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE539. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE439 and BIOE440/BIOE539/STAT440.

BIOE 440 - STATISTICS FOR BIOENGINEERING

Description: Course covers application of statistics to bioengineering. Topics include descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, and regression. Offered first five weeks of the semester. BIOE252 may be taken concurrently with BIOE440. BIOE440/STAT440 and BIOE439 cannot both be taken for credit. Cross-list: STAT440. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE440 and BIOE439.

BIOE 442 - TISSUE ENGINEERING LAB MODULE

Description: Students design and conduct a series of tests to synthesize PLLA, characterize PLLA and PLGA, monitor PLLA and PLGA degradation, and assess the viability, attachment, and proliferation of HDF cells on PLLA films. The experiments include many of the basic types of experiments that would be required to do a preliminary investigation of a tissue engineered product. Sections 1 and 2 will be taught during the first half of the semester and sections 3 and 4 will be taught during the second half of the semester. In addition sections 1 and 3 will need to come into lab on 2-3 Fridays and sections 2 and 4 will need to come into lab on 2-3 Saturdays. Section sign-up is required by the instructor in Keck 108 during preregistration week.

BIOE 443 - BIOPROCESSING LAB MODULE

Description: Students design and conduct a series of experiments to observe the growth of E. coli under different conditions, including agar plates, shake flasks, and a small-scale bioreactor. The E. coli has been transformed with a plasmid that produces beta-galactosidase. Engineering applications are emphasized. Some work "off hours" (early evening) is required. Sections 1 and 2 are taught in the first half of the semester and Sections 3 and 4 are taught in the second half of the semester. Section sign-up is required by the instructor in Keck 108 during preregistration week.

BIOE 444 - MECHANICAL TESTING LAB MODULE

Description: Students design and conduct a series of tests to elucidate the mechanical and material properties of animal tissue using the Instron. BIOE372 may be taken concurrently with BIOE444.

BIOE 445 - ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION LAB MODULE

Description: Students design and build a biomedical instrumentation device. Sign up is required in Keck 108 during preregistration week.

BIOE 446 - COMPUTATIONAL MODELING LAB

Description: This course offers a hands-on application to systems biology modeling. Students will learn a range of modeling methods, and apply them directly in class to current bioengineering problems. Weekly tutorials will be offered, and a laptop is required (or can be loaned). Topics covered include in silico drug delivery and design studies, integrating multiscale models with high-resolution imaging, experimental design vial computer modeling, and patient-specific simulations. Modeling methods include protein-protein interaction networks, biocircuits, stochastic differential equations, agent-based modeling, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element modeling.

BIOE 447 - DIGITAL DESIGN & VISUALIZATION

Description: Students will acquire basic to intermediate-level digital design proficiency for bioengineering-related applications. Programs for the design of patient-specific therapies including image reconstruction, computer aided design, and parameter modeling will be used to create models. Section sign up is required during pre-registration week.

BIOE 449 - TROUBLESHOOTING WORKSHOP FOR CLINICALLY-RELEVANT BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT

Description: Bioengineering course in the troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance of standard biomedical equipment used in hospitals in the developed and developing worlds. Cross-list: GLHT449. Repeatable for Credit.

BIOE 451 - BIOENGINEERING DESIGN I

Description: Senior Bioengineering students will design devices in biotechnology or biomedicine. This project-based course covers systematic design processes, engineering economics, FDA requirements, safety, engineering ethics, design failures, research design, intellectual property rights, environmental impact, business planning and marketing. Students will be expected to compile documentation and present orally progress of their teams. BIOE451 and 452 must be taken the same academic year. Instructor Permission Required.

BIOE 452 - BIOENGINEERING DESIGN II

Description: Senior Bioengineering students will design devices in biotechnology or biomedicine. This project-based course covers systematic design processes, engineering economics, FDA requirements, safety, engineering ethics, design failures, research design, intellectual property rights, environmental impact, business planning and marketing. Students will be expected to compile documentation and present orally progress of their teams. BIOE451 and 452 must be taken the same academic year. Instructor Permission Required.

BIOE 454 - COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS

Description: Fundamental concepts of finite element methods in fluid mechanics, including spatial discretization and numerical integration in multidimensions, time-integration, and solution of nonlinear ordinary differential equation systems. Advanced numerical stabilization techniques designed for fluid mechanics problems. Strategies for solution of complex, real-world problems. Topics in large-scale computing, parallel processing, and visualization. Prerequisites may be taken concurrently. Cross-list: CEVE454, MECH454. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE554. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE454 and BIOE554.

BIOE 460 - BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Description: Design, operation, and analysis of processes in the biochemical industries. Topics include enzyme kinetics, cell growth kinetics, energetics, recombinant DNA technology, microbial, tissue and plant cell cultures, bioreactor design and operation, and down stream processing. Cross-list: CHBE460.

BIOE 464 - EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX

Description: This course will address the biology, organization, mechanics, and turnover of extracellular matrix. There will be an emphasis on cells and cell-matrix interactions, matrix distribution within and design of connective tissues and organs techniques for quantitative analysis of matrix, techniques for measurement and modeling of connective tissue biomechanics, changes with growth and aging and tissue/matrix degradation. Cross-list: BIOC464. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE524. Recommended Prerequisite(s): BIOE372, BIOC/BIOE 341. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE464 and BIOE524.

BIOE 470 - FROM SEQUENCE TO STRUCTURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

Description: Contemporary introduction to problems in computational biology spanning sequence to structure. The course has three modules: the first introduces students to the design and statistical analysis of gene expression studies; the second covers statistical machine learning techniques for understanding experimental data generated in computational biology; and the third introduces problems in the modeling of protein structure using computational methods from robotics. The course is project oriented with an emphasis on computation and problem-solving. Cross-list: COMP470, STAT470. Recommended Prerequisite(s): COMP 280 and (STAT310 or STAT 331).

BIOE 481 - COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AND NEURAL ENGINEERING

Description: An introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the brain. Includes basic electrophysiology of nerve and muscle. Develops mathematical models of neurons, synaptic transmission and natural neural networks. Leads to a discussion of neuromorphic circuits which can represent neuron and neural network behavior in silicon. Recommendation: Knowledge of electrical circuits, operational amplifier circuits and ordinary differential equations. Involves programming Matlab. Cross-list: ELEC481, NEUR481. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE583. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Knowledge of basic electrical and operational amplifier circuits; and ordinary differential equations. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE481 and BIOE583.

BIOE 482 - PHYSIOLOGICAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

Description: A study of the somatic and autonomic nervous system control of biological systems. Simulation methods, as well as, techniques common to linear and nonlinear control theory are used. Also included is an introduction to sensors and instrumentation techniques. Examples are taken from the cardiovascular, respiratory, and visual systems. Cross-list: ELEC482. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE582. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Knowledge of basic electrical and operational amplifier circuits: and ordinary differential equations. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE482 and BIOE582.

BIOE 484 - BIOPHOTONICS INSTRUMENTATION AND APPLICATIONS

Description: This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of Biophotonics instrumentation related to coherent light generation, transmission by optical components such as lenses and fibers, and modulation and detection. Interference and polarization concepts and light theories including ray and wave optics will be covered. A broad variety of optical imaging and detection techniques including numerous microscopy techniques, spectral imaging, polarimetry, OCT and others will be covered. The course will guide through the principles and concepts used in a variety of optical instruments and point to special requirements for Biomedical applications with emphasis on principles and concepts used in a variety of optical instruments and point to special requirements for Biomedical applications with emphasis on principles and concepts used in a variety of optical instruments and point out special requirements for bio-medical applications in optical sensing, diagnosis, and biomedical applications. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: BIOE512. Mutually Exclusive: Credit cannot be earned for BIOE484 and BIOE512.

BIOE 485 - FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDICAL IMAGING I

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