585.742.81 - Regenerative Tissue Engineering
Description
This course focuses on the application of engineering fundamentals to designing biological tissue substitutes. Concepts of tissue development, structure and function will be introduced. Students will learn to recognize the majority of histological tissue structures in the body and understand the basic building blocks of the tissue and clinical need for replacement. The engineering components required to develop tissue-engineered grafts will be explored including biomechanics and transport phenomena along with the use of biomaterials and bioreactors to regulate the cellular microenvironment. Emphasis will be placed on different sources of stem cells and their applications to tissue engineering. Clinical and regulatory perspectives will be discussed.Prerequisite(s): Knowledge of basic molecular and cellular biology, physiology, and math through ordinary differential equations is required.
Instructor
Ethan Nyberg
This course contains content produced by faculty members other than the listed instructors including: Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff, Dr. Warren Grayson.
Course Structure
The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days, exceptions are noted in the Course Outline. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.
Course Topics
Cell Adhesion and Mechanobiology
Morphogenesis and Bioprinting
Tissue Structure and Function
Case Studies I (Cardiac)
Stem Cells, Differentiation
Modeling
Immune System and Flow Cytometry
Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing
Case Studies II (Cornea and Bladder)
Vascularization
3D Modeling
Clinical Lectures
Case Studies III (Vessels)
Grand Challenges in Regenerative Medicine
Course Goals
Communicate what Regenerative Tissue Engineering is and what problems it can best address.
Describe the embryonic development process and challenges of recapitulating the process in a single manufacturing process
Contrast structure of engineered and normative tissues using histology sections
Critically evaluate state of the art approaches to 3D-printed cardiac tissue
Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the different stem cells available for regenerative tissue engineering
Describe the immune system organs, cells, their phenotypes, and related cytokines
Explain the state of the art in harnessing the regenerative process in tissue engineering applications
Explain the biology and processes of blood vessel growth, maturation, and function.
Characterize the tissue constructs resulting from 3D growth
Textbooks
Readings and texts are available through the JHU Libraries.
Sarvazyan, N. (Ed.). (2020). Tissue Engineering: Principles, Protocols, and Practical Exercises. Springer Nature.
Required Software
In this class, some computer literacy skills you are expected to have include creating and submitting files in a word processing program, preparing and uploading video and multimedia presentations, using presentation software, and using web conferencing tools and software. Additionally, you will be expected to use online search tools for academic purposes, properly cite information sources, and prepare a presentation of such findings.
Student Coursework Requirements
Mini-projects – Three throughout the course. In each of these mini-projects, students will be required to work individually prepare a technical design or research proposal to effectively apply the tools and techniques presented in each third of the course to real-world scenarios. Students will share their mini-projects, and students will be assigned to critique other mini-projects and their approaches to the tissue engineering presented in the scenarios. I will grade the written reports and critiques using rubrics, which will be distributed when the first mini-project is assigned. | 30% |
Assignments – There are 6 graded assignments that students will complete individually. These assignments will vary depending on module learning objectives and will include problem sets and critical analyses of literature articles. Additionally, there will be a midterm and end of course survey that will count as an assignment grade for completion. | 10% |
Discussion activities - students will be asked to participate in asynchronous discussions on topics related to the module learning objectives. | 10% |
Midterm Exams – 3 graded exams in Blackboard. These will assess students’ achievement of the learning objectives in modules 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12 respectively. They will include multiple choice, short answer, and long form questions. | 45% |
Oral Interview – End of course interview one-on-one with the instructor to assess mastery of course learning objectives | 5% |
Grading Policy
EP uses a +/- grading system (see “Grading System”, Graduate Programs catalog, p. 10).
| Score Range | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 100-97 | = A+ |
| 96-93 | = A |
| 92-90 | = A− |
| 89-87 | = B+ |
| 86-83 | = B |
| 82-80 | = B− |
| 79-77 | = C+ |
| 76-73 | = C |
| 72-70 | = C− |
| 69-67 | = D+ |
| 66-63 | = D |
| <63 | = F |
Course Policies
Late submissions will be reduced by one letter grade for each week late (no exceptions without prior coordination with the instructors). In other words, the maximum grade for an assignment up to one week late is B, up to two weeks late is a C, and up to three weeks late is a D. Assignments will not be accepted after 4 weeks and will be given a grade of “0”.
Academic Policies
Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses
Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.
Academic Misconduct Policy
All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.
This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.
Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility
Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.
For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.
Student Conduct Code
The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically.
For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/
Classroom Climate
JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity.
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).
Course Auditing
When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.