Bioengineering: A Conceptual Approach

Mirjana Pavlovic

Bioengineering

A Conceptual Approach

Bioengineering

Mirjana Pavlovic

Bioengineering

A Conceptual Approach

ISBN 978-3-319-10797-4 ISBN 978-3-319-10798-1 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-10798-1

Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014949238

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Mirjana Pavlovic

Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton , FL , USA

Illustrated by John Mayfi eld, undergraduate DIS student at FAU

This book is written in memory

of the shadows of my parents who taught

me that giving is the highest expression

of power.

To MOM and DAD with love

and unforgettable memories.

ix

Thank Y ou Note

This book is product of love and enthusiasm for the rapidly growing fi eld of science

which involves integration of different disciplines, something that I have sensed as

a need at a very early stage of my road less travelled. In trying to develop the par￾ticular subjects/topics/courses at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) within a bioen￾gineering group I have established signifi cant and friendly relationships with a lot

of people which I owe gratitude for this book design, and publication, and hope￾fully, its life in the future. Those are Dr. Zvi Roth, who has initiated the program and

stood by me when it was the most diffi cult, Drs. Nurgun Erdol and Borko Furht,

Chairmen and big fans of modernization and development of integrated programs,

Dr. Maria Larrondo Petrie, with her encouraging, supportive, and warm friendship,

Dr. Hanqi Zhuang who always believed in me, and most of my colleagues from

Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, at FAU. My graduate

and DIS students and their passion for bioengineering, their work and research that

they have done with me or other mentors, were also strong, supportive, inspiring,

and driving forces during this long journey toward the light. Quite unexpectedly, a

young man with infi nite patience and talents, undergraduate DIS/research student,

John Mayfi eld, was capable of following my thoughts and ideas giving his tremen￾dous input in illustrating this fascinating fi eld: a combination of nature and human

work. He used some existing visualizations as models and guides for each of his

visual elaborations. And fi nally, all of my friends and family members, especially

my extremely constructively helpful brother, deserve to be mentioned within this

list for encouraging me to get into this adventure. I do hope it will show up useful

to those who the book is purposely written for.

John Mayfi eld

xi

The book refl ects the critical principles and basic concepts in bioengineering. It

integrates the biological, physical, and chemical laws and principles enlightening

bioengineering as emerging, novel, complex approach with deep roots in the funda￾mental science. It is a concise review on the critical topics in this fi eld including

both: biological/medical and engineering aspects to it. It should be kept in mind yet,

that the book is not bioengineering itself, but rather the introduction to this subject,

with essential purpose to introduce those who do not have necessary background, to

fundamental biological and physiological principles, that are signifi cantly impli￾cated in bioengineering. Therefore, the physical/chemical properties of cells, the

natural design and function of tissues and organs, along with the main principles of

molecules of life existence, composition, conformation, and interplay within differ￾ent physiological scenarios are described and explained. They are used as the funda￾ment for complex cellular and tissues/organs physiological functions such as

function of heart, neuronal, skeletal muscle, and other cells and tissues: lungs, over￾all circulation, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys. The emerging concepts of

nanotechnology, drug delivery, biomaterials, scaffolds, biomagnetism, and regen￾erative/cellular therapy are outlined, emphasized, and their status of development

and progress is evaluated. Molecular aspects of life communication and molecular

aspects of bioengineering as a fundamental approach in this fi eld are interrelated

and therefore compared in order to give an insight into fundamental, structural

dimension of this approach and its brilliant natural or scientifi c solutions. The lead￾ing breakthrough personalities and events are mentioned where appropriate, and

their impact on scientifi c development of this fi eld, emphasized. The author has

combined her own laboratory experience and data with those of others in order to

give the book, both: monograph and scientifi c-book character. The book is written

by Dr. Mirjana Pavlovic, M.D., Ph.D., who is teaching these subjects/courses for

engineers and science students, and is highly recommended as a helpful tool along

with any textbook.

Abstract

xiii

Pref ace

Science is organized knowledge.

Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)

Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of concepts and methods

of biology to solve real-world problems related to the life sciences and/or the appli￾cation thereof, using engineering’s own analytical and synthetic methodologies and

also its traditional sensitivity to the cost and practicality of the solution arrived at. In

this context, while traditional engineering applies physical and mathematical sci￾ences to analyze, design and manufacture inanimate tools, structures and processes,

biological engineering uses primarily the rapidly developing body of knowledge

known as molecular biology to study and advance applications of living organisms.

In a word, biological engineering is based as well as classical engineering upon:

chemistry, electricity, mechanics, magnetism and life science/medical principles.

What is the Difference Between Bioengineering

and Biomedical Engineering?

Bioengineering: biological engineering , biotechnological engineering , or bioengi￾neering (including biological systems engineering ) is the application of concepts

and methods of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science to solve

problems in life sciences, using engineering’s own analytical and synthetic method￾ologies and also its traditional sensitivity to the cost and practicality of the solution(s)

arrived at [1–2]. In this context, while traditional engineering applies physical and

mathematical sciences to analyze, design, and manufacture inanimate tools, struc￾tures, and processes, biological engineering uses the same sciences, as well as the

rapidly developing body of knowledge known as molecular biology to study many

aspects of living organisms. Thus, biological engineering is a science - based disci￾pline founded upon the biological sciences in the same way that chemical engineer￾ing , electrical engineering , and mechanical engineering are based upon chemistry ,

electricity and magnetism , and classical mechanics , respectively [3].

Biological engineering can be differentiated from its roots of pure biology or

classical engineering in the following way. Biological studies often follow a reductionist

xiv

approach in viewing a system on its smallest possible scale which naturally leads

toward tools such as functional genomics . Engineering approaches, using classical

design perspectives, are constructionist, building new devices, approaches, and

technologies from component concepts. Biological engineering utilizes both kinds

of methods in concert, relying on reductionist approaches to identify, understand,

and organize the fundamental units which are then integrated to generate something

new. In addition, because it is an engineering discipline , biological engineering is

fundamentally concerned with not just the basic science , but the practical applica￾tion of the scientifi c knowledge to solve real - world problems in a cost - effective way .

Although engineered biological systems have been used to manipulate informa￾tion, construct materials, process chemicals, produce energy, provide food, and help

maintain or enhance human health and our environment, our ability to quickly and

reliably engineer biological systems that behave as expected is at present less well

developed than our mastery over mechanical and electrical systems [1].

The differentiation between biological engineering and overlap with biomedical

engineering can be unclear, as many universities now use the terms “bioengineer￾ing” and “biomedical engineering” interchangeably. However, according to Prof.

Doug Laufenberg of MIT , biological engineering (like biotechnology) has a broader

base which applies engineering principles to an enormous range of size and com￾plexities of systems ranging from the molecular level—molecular biology, bio￾chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, protein chemistry, cytology, immunology,

neurobiology, and neuroscience (often but not always using biological substances)—

to cellular and tissue-based methods (including devices and sensors), whole macro￾scopic organisms (plants, animals), and up increasing length scales to whole

ecosystems. Neither biological engineering nor biomedical engineering is wholly

contained within the other, as there are non - biological products for medical needs

and biological products for nonmedical needs [2].

ABET , the US-based accreditation board for engineering B.S. programs, makes

a distinction between biomedical engineering and biological engineering; however,

the differences are quite small . Biomedical engineers must have life science courses

that include human physiology and have experience in performing measurements on

living systems while biological engineers must have life science courses ( which

may or may not include physiology ) and experience in making measurements not

specifi cally on living systems. Foundational engineering courses are often the same,

and include thermodynamics, fl uid and mechanical dynamics, kinetics, electronics,

and materials properties.

How Bioengineering Relates to Areas

such as Stem Cell Research?

They are fundamentally interrelated, since stem cells are known to be the building

blocks of entire organism, the “blank chips” with great potential to Trans￾differentiate into different tissues, and so regenerate, repopulate, and recruit new

cells in order to heal the process caused by the initial tissue damage [3]. Here we are

Preface