Laboratory Activities for Introducing Students to Biomaterials

Because of the increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, there is a necessity to engineer biomaterials that can be used to treat these painful and debilitating disorders.  This paper presents two experiments that introduce freshman and senior-level undergraduate Chemical Engineering students to the design and evaluation of biomaterials.  By designing ceramic-polymer composites for bone substitution and hydrogels for cartilage replacement, students develop new knowledge in biomaterials science that also contributes to ABET learning outcomes for undergraduate Chemical Engineering courses.  Assessment results will be presented, including those of pre and post-tests, which indicate the effectiveness of the learning activities