Engineering of Biocompatible Surfaces

Goal(s)

The aim of this class is to discover natural materials that form our tissues in the body and to understand what are the current progresses and challenges in the field of implantable biomaterials.
We will also focus on the modification of surface properties of biomaterials in terms of chemistry, topography and mechanical properties. The main steps of inflammatory reaction after implantation of a biomaterial will be reviewed. We will then discover the current products and major advances in the field of cardio-vascular implants and orthopedic biomaterials. Finally, we will present the concepts and methods used in tissue engineering.
This class is based on formal presentations by the teacher as well as on a « journal club ». This consists in presentation of selected articles (that focus on the different chapters of the class) by all the students attending the class.

Content(s)

1) Structure of natural materials : Building blocks at different length scales
2) Overview of implantable biomaterials
3) Importance of surface properties : from fundamental studies to applications
4) Reaction against a foreign body
5) Design and function of cardiovascular implants
6) Biomaterials for orthopaedic applications
7) Tissue engineering / Stem cell and precursor cell-based therapies

basic knowledge in cell biology and in physics of materials