Course Number
545.665
Primary Program
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Course Format
Onsite

Fundamental concepts in drug delivery from an engineering perspective. Biological organisms are viewed as highly interconnected networks where the surfaces/interfaces can be activated or altered “chemically” and “physically/mechanically.” The importance of intermolecular and interfacial interactions on drug delivery carriers is the focal point of this course. Topics include drug delivery mechanisms (passive, targeted); therapeutic modalities and mechanisms of action; engineering principles of controlled release and quantitative understanding of drug transport (diffusion, convection); effects of electrostatics, macromolecular conformation, and molecular dynamics on interfacial interactions; thermodynamic principles of selfassembly; chemical and physical characteristics of delivery molecules and assemblies (polymer based, lipid based); significance of biodistributions and pharmacokinetic models; toxicity issues; and immune responses.