327-2131-00L Materials of Life
| Semester | Autumn Semester 2020 |
| Lecturers | E. Dufresne |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Comment | Planned to be offered for the last time in HS 2021. |
| Abstract | This course examines the materials underlying living systems. We will consider the basic building blocks of biological systems, the processes which organize them, the resulting structures, their properties and functions. |
| Learning objective | Students will apply basic materials science concepts in a new context while deepening their knowledge of biology. Emphasis on estimating key physical quantities through ‘back of the envelope’ estimates and simple numerical calculations. |
| Content | I. Biology Essentials II. Water: the solvent of life III. Metabolism and Macromolecular Machines IV. Fundamentals of macromolecular assembly V. Structure, properties, and function of living materials: a. 1-D materials i. Cytoskeletal filaments b. 2-D materials i. Lipid membranes c. 3-D materials i. Polymer networks ii. Phase separated domains |
| Lecture notes | Lecture notes will be available for download after each lecture. |