Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Micro and Nanotechnology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Hours agreed with the teacher at the beginning of the academic year (Tuesday from 11:00 to 12:00). In any case, you can make an appointment and arrange a face-to-face tutoring with the teacher by writing to the email ecastro@uic.es.
Introduction
Countless healthcare and biomedical solutions with high impact in terms of timely diagnostics, therapeutic success, patient comfort or financial sustainability of healthcare systems rely on micro- and nanotechnologies. Thus, it is not at all exaggerate to claim that such technologies play in current days a tremendous role with respect to improving the quality of our life, health and well-being, which are the main priorities of modern science. Harmonically combining biomaterials, cells and biologically relevant molecules to generate in vitro structures that mimic tissue for the proper development of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, requires the use of micro-level manufacturing techniques and the use of nanometric materials to be able to condition not only the chemical and physical properties at the micrometer scale, but also adapt the cell interactions to this sub-micrometric level.
Pre-course requirements
Subjects: Materials, Biomaterials and biocompatibility, Advanced materials and selection of materials, Shaping techniques of materials.
Objectives
- Know the fundamentals of micro and nanotechnologies and their application to the design and development of chemical sensors, biosensors and microchips.
- Understand the principles, design and cutting-edge applications for analysis and detection based on micro and nanotechnologies.
- Understand the principles and applications of advanced characterization techniques of chemical systems consisting of nanomaterials of high current interest.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB2 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and have the competences that are demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the resolution of problems within their field of study.
- CB4 - Students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- CE17 - To be able to identify the engineering concepts that can be applied in the fields of biology and health.
- CE18 - To define the main principles of the technologies that are used for the design and manufacture of micro and nano-sensors in biotechnological areas.
- CG10 - To know how to work in a multilingual and multidisciplinary environment.
- CG4 - To resolve problems based on initiative, be good at decision-making, creativity, critical reasoning and communication, as well as the transmission of knowledge, skills and prowess in the field of Bioengineering
- CT5 - To use information sources in a reliable manner. To manage the acquisition, structuring, analysis and visualisation of data and information in your specialist area and critically evaluate the results of this management.
- CT7 - To be fluent in a third language, usually English, with a suitable verbal and written level that is in line with graduate requirements.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Know and understand the scientific foundations on which nanotechnology is based.
- Understand the conceptual and methodological foundations of the micro and nanotechnologies that form bioengineering.
- Develop the ability to perform a work autonomously by searching for useful sources of information and discuss them.
- Present orally in public technical information.
Syllabus
- Introduction and historical review of micro and nanotechnology. Feynman's vision.
- Emerging technologies. Nanotechnology Market. Technological revolution.
- Classification of nanomaterials.
- Characteristic quantum phenomena. Electron confinement.
- Current state of the art. Nanotechnology applications: Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology. Biomimetic nanostructures and molecular motors.
- The micro and nanoscale. Specific surface area.
- Beyond Moore's law.
- Scaling laws. Superparamagnetism in nanoparticles. Size dependence on coercitive force, saturation magnetization and Curie temperature.
- Size dependence as nanomaterial property. The basics of quantum mechanics. Influence of morphology on the optical properties of nanoparticles.
- Nanotechnology applications: Nanoelectronics and nanorobotics. Quantum confinement. Band gap of nanomaterials. Electrical properties of nanomaterials.
- Definition of nanotechnology (EU versus USA).
- Definition of nanomedicine.
- Definition of nanomaterial – Size distributions.
- Need of bioengineering nanotechnology.
- Benefits of micro and nanotechnologies in tissue engineering.
- Nanomaterials. Self-assembled colloidal particles. Wires. Carbon fullerenes and nanotubes. Dendrimers. Amphiphilic micelles. Graphene. Nanocomposite materials.
- Nanoscaffolds. Hydrogels. Implanted bio-MEMS. Nanotechnology and cáncer: Discovery, detection, delivery and destruction. Micro and nanobots.
- Medical nanoparticles. Nanoshells. Lipid-based nanoparticles. Polymer-based nanoparticles and polymer therapeutics. Nanoparticles for drug delivery. Nanoparticles in the clinics.
- Microscopical characterization of nanomaterials. Magnification. Resolution and resolving power. Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscope (TEM and SEM). Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).
- Diffraction methods for nanomaterial characterization. Structure in nano-sized materials. Light scattering.
- Spectroscopical characterization of nanoparticles.
- Lithographic tools: Photolithography. Clean rooms. Resolution.
- Recent developments: Immersion lithography.
- Emerging technologies: Nanoimprint lithography and Dip-Pen Nanolithography.
- Thin film deposition.
- Sputtering, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and spin coating.
- Fluids at the nanoscale. Microactuators.
- Applications of nanofluidics: analysis of biomolecules. Biochips.
- Methods of preparing nanoparticles.
- Synthesis of nanoparticles using chemical reactions: MNPs.
- Property control of nanoparticles by setting experimental conditions during synthesis: Ag NPs.
- Industrial applications of NPs.
- Definition of nanosensors.
- Manufacture methods.
- Types of nanosensors.
- Nanostructures and nanomaterials in sensors.
- Applications of nanosensors.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
During the face-to-face classes, the fundamental aspects of each topic will be exposed so that they can be developed individually by each student through the use of selected bibliography and with the support of tutorials. Innovative educational methodologies such as Peer instruction, Flipped Classroom, LegoTM Serious Play will be followed in the course.
During the course, students will be asked to complete the following training activities:
Peer Instruction - Short questions thrown by the teacher at the beginning or end of the virtual or face-to-face class on the subject being treated in the subject at that time to which students must answer individually through a forum of Question and Answer (Q&A) evaluable enabled for it in Moodle, in such a way that among the students cooperatively construct the correct answer to the short question (which may fall in the examination of the subject) - the teacher will indicate the answers of those students That they are correct and this will allow them to score points for the evaluation of active participation.
Modelling (Do it yourself - DIY) - Construction of models and models in a group, during a practical seminar-type classroom, allowing students to learn by doing (such as a carbon fullerene / nanotube model or atomic force microscope model with Lego bricks) in a Lego Serious Play type learning methodology. Once the model or model has been built, students will be asked to use that model or model to carry out an activity that allows them to deepen their knowledge of the technology, technique or modelled material following a script provided by the teacher.
Treasure Hunt (Reading Promotion) - Divide the classroom into two groups, each with a spokesperson who goes to the library to look for a book indicated by the teacher (different for each group), in such a way that each one of the groups, look for a series of data or explanations requested by the teacher in the indicated book and cooperatively build a document with those data and explanations taken from the book and to be delivered, through the spokesperson, via the Moodle task, to the teacher at the end of class. The teacher will give points of active participation in the evaluation of the subject to the group that does it best.
Flipped Classroom - The teacher will post a link to a YouTube video in the Moodle about some aspect of the subject's syllabus that the students will visualize either as homework before the corresponding non-face-to-face class or during the break of the face-to-face class projecting it on the class screen. After viewing the video, the teacher will propose to the students to take a quiz through a tool like Socrative or Kahoot using their mobile phones, tablets or computers to check the assimilation of the concepts covered in the video. The teacher will give active participation points in the subject to students who answer correctly and more quickly to the quiz questions.
Laboratory practices - Learning based on small research projects in which they individually develop the script of the proposed practices themselves from a basic bibliography of consultation and a list of equipment available in the laboratory of degree practices, work cooperatively to obtain experimentally in the grade practice laboratory, some nanoparticles or a microfluidic device and present / explain to the rest of their classmates and the teacher their work procedure, materials used and results obtained as a research seminar.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The structure of the subject in theoretical and practical sessions involves the evaluation of the knowledge and skills acquired in a differentiated and complementary manner. In the case of the contents of the theoretical sessions, they will be evaluated in a partial and in a final test, both written and that will take into account both the ability to relate the contents of the different topics in a transversal way, as well as the development of one´s own thinking. Regarding the practical part of the subject, the evaluation will be continue, considering the following aspects with different relative weight: active participation in class, final course work and peer evaluation, laboratory practices, debate after the reading of the complementary bibliography. In order for both parts of the subject to be able to average and thus obtain the final grade for the subject, it will be necessary for both parts of the subject to be passed independently.
The student´s qualification will be:
1st call
|
Assessment type |
Evaluation system |
Weighing |
|
Summative evaluation |
Final exam |
30 % |
|
Summative evaluation |
Midterm exam |
25 % |
|
Formative assessment |
Oral presentation – TED Talk StQgat |
15 % |
| Authentic evaluation | Laboratory | 15 % |
|
Authentic evaluation |
Homework | 15 % |
|
|
2nd call
|
Assessment type |
Evaluation system |
Weighing |
|
Summative evaluation |
Final exam |
70 % |
|
Formative assessment |
Oral presentation – TED Talk StQgat |
15 % |
| Authentic evaluation | Laboratory | 15 % |
Important considerations:
- Plagiarism, copying or any other action that may be considered cheating will be zero in that evaluation section. Besides, plagiarism during exams will mean the immediate failing of the whole subject.
- In the second-sitting exams, the maximum grade students will be able to obtain is "Excellent" (grade with honors distinction will not be posible).
- Changes of the calendar, exam dates or the evaluation system will not be accepted.
- Exchange students (Erasmus and others) or repeaters will be subjected to the same conditions as the rest of the students.
Bibliography and resources
(1). Rogers, B. (2017). Nanotechnology: understanding small systems. CRC Press.
(2). Mendelson, M.I. (2013). Learning bio-micro-nanotechnology. CRC Press.
(3). Abdullaeva, Z. (2017). Nano- and biomaterials: compounds, properties, characterization, and applications. Wiley-VCH.
(4). Binns, C. (2022). Introduction to nanoscience and nanotechnology. Wiley Blackwel.
(5). Poinern, G.E.J. (2020). A laboratory course in nanoscience and nanotechnology. CRC Press.
(6). Contera, S. (2019). Nano comes to life: how nanotechnology is transforming medicine and the future of biology. Princeton University Press. [eBook]
During the course, innovative articles and reviews on specific aspects discussed in it will appear in scientific journals and we will discuss some of them.
Evaluation period
- E1 15/01/2025 P2A03 12:00h