MEng Materials Science and Engineering with Nanomaterials

The unit will demonstrate various types of stem cells: adult, embryonic, induced pluripotent and their specialised culture methods.

The unit aims to:

• Introduce students to various types of stem cells, their differentiation capabilities and their potential applications.
• Discuss how we can use stem cells combined with biomaterials for in vitro and in vivo applications.
• Develop an understanding of the principles of tissue engineering, the biomaterials commonly used and discuss some specific examples of engineered tissues.

A greater depth of the learning outcomes will be covered in the following sections:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Intellectual skills
• Practical skills
• Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Recognise the differences between stem cell types.
• Describe how to engineer materials to support directed differentiation.
• Define the various material properties that can be exploited to control stem cell differentiation.
• Recognise the principles of tissue engineering.
• Explain how biomaterials can be used to fabricate 3D scaffolds.
• Be able to give specific tissue and organ examples.
• Discuss the importance of mimicking structures of tissues and organs.

• Ability to understand, digest and reproduce information in a concise format.
• Be able to design a scaffold to direct differentiation.
• Be able to apply the correct (stem) cell type for a particular application.

• Team work.
• Ability to reproduce work in a suitable format for a lay audience.

• Presentation and communication skills.
• Team working.

Written and verbal