Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Bionanotechnology

Code

9192

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Department

Departamento de Ciências da Vida

Credits

6.0

Teacher in charge

José Ricardo Ramos Franco Tavares, Pedro Miguel Ribeiro Viana Baptista

Weekly hours

5

Total hours

78

Teaching language

Português

Objectives

The main purpose of this course is to raise awareness towards the increasing relevance of nanotechnology, with particular emphasis on nanotechnology in biomedical applications.

 

In particular, it is intended to stimulate the students’ understanding of concepts and underlying mechanisms of nanotechnology applications in biodiagnostics and construction of biosensors, within a broader field of developments in clinical diagnostics and biomedicine research.

Subject matter

Historic perspective on the origin of Nanotechnology

 

Scale effect and properties of nanomaterials.

 

Nanofabrication: bottom-up vs. top-down approach

 

Microscopy for nanomaterials characterisation (TEM, SEM, SPR)

 

Bionanotechnology and Bionanomachines

 

Nanoparticles for clinical applications

 

Nanotechnology and Green Chemistry

 

Nanotoxicology

 

Construction of nanostructures

 

                Surface functionalisation

                               Self-assembling

                               Bio-polymerisation

                               Cross-linking

 

                DNA based nanostructures

                               Electronics

                               Bio-mimetizing

 

            Protein based nanostructures

 

Bionanodetection applications

 

                DNA & RNA (cross-linking vs. non-cross-linking)

 

Nanoparticles for drug delivery and nanovectors for gene therapy.

Bibliography

“Nanobiotechnology: Concepts, Applications and Perspectives”

C.M. Niemeyer, C.A. Mirkin (Eds.), 2004, Wiley-VCH, Weinhein, Germany

 

“Materials Chemistry”

B.D. Fahlman, 2007, Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands

 

“Bionanotechnology”, D.S. Goodsell, 2004, Wiley-Liss, Hoboken, NJ, USA

Teaching method

Theoretical classes of exposition with 2 h duration, includign problem solving. Practical laboratory classes with 3 h duration that include the laboratory implementation and accomplishment of protocols and a written report.

Evaluation method

Reports on the practical sessions with oral discussion and written assessment (25% of the final grade)

Two written half-page assays on proposed themes with no written support  (20%+20%)

Written reports on two scientific papers (10%+10%)

Q&A (15%)

This evaluation scheme is evenly divided in three instances throughout the Semester.

Courses