Program Overview

Nature-Inspired Bioengineering (CENG0085)

Key Information

• Faculty: Faculty of Engineering Sciences
• Teaching department: Chemical Engineering
• Credit value: 15
• Restrictions: N/A

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

Aims

The module aims to teach students principles of living systems and how to apply them to solve challenges particularly within healthcare. By presenting different facets of state-of-the-art medicine, ranging from tissue engineering to cancer immunotherapy, the module seeks to develop a holistic, systems-based view in students so that they may recognise and exploit the complexity inherent in biological systems to design nature-inspired bioengineering solutions.

Synopsis

This module introduces the application of nature-inspired solution methodologies to tackle medical challenges. In recognition of biological complexity, this module highlights the importance of adopting a holistic, systems-based perspective, which is different from the reductionistic paradigm that dominates modern biology. Drawing from cutting-edge research, specific topics ranging from cancer immunotherapy to biomaterials and tissue engineering are covered to demonstrate how problems can be solved in an interdisciplinary, nature-inspired manner.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, the students are able to:

1. Draw lessons from biology and nature to improve, intensify and innovate engineering solutions to biomedical problems.
2. Understand how systems thinking can complement reductionism in bioengineering applications.
3. Understand essential systems-based concepts, such as emergence and collective behaviour, in the context of biological systems and medicine.
4. Exploit concepts from other disciplines, such as mathematics and architecture, to extract engineering principles from biological systems.

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

Intended Teaching Term: Term 2

• Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Intended teaching location: UCL East
• Methods of assessment:
  • 90% Coursework (2 assessments)
  • 10% Group activity
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 3
• Module leader: Dr Diego Lopez Barreiro