20.020 | Spring 2009 | Undergraduate

Introduction to Biological Engineering Design

Lecture and Studio Notes

Session Key

L = Lecture
S = Studio

The lecture and studio notes for each week are linked in the following table.

WEEK # SES # TOPICS ACTIVITIES NOTES PAGES
1 L1 Design, build, test Paper airplane Week 1 Notes
S1 Sampling of past projects iGEM project review
L2 Science as a take-apart Take apart a tape recorder
2 L3 Engineering as a rebuild Reassemble the tape recorder Week 2 Notes
S2 Broader project landscapes Scripts and storyboards
L4 Decide what’s worth doing Play “Decide” (an exercise in policy and team dynamics)
3 S3 Sorting hat into project camps Temporary teams brainstorm project ideas Week 3 Notes
L5 Knowns vs. unknowns The Clock of the Long Now
4 L6 Backyard biology Kitchen DNA, Lego™Phoresis Week 4 Notes
S4 Project teams assigned Work on team contract and Facebook page
L7 FooCampers guide to bioengineering More Lego™Phoresis
5 L8 Scientist as activist Video of DNA experimentation hearings, 1976 Week 5 Notes
S5 Design day 1

MIT Libraries research guide webpage

Work on projects

L9 Interface between scientific/engineering community and the broader public Guest lecture by Prof. Jonathan King, MIT
6 L10 Project work day   Week 6 Notes
S6 3 ideas presentations  
L11 3 ideas feedback Final project selection
7 L12 System overviews Flip books, iGEM “bacterial buoy” project Week 7 Notes
S7

Design day 2

Abstraction in action part 1: systems to devices

Work on projects
L13 Abstraction in action part 2: devices to parts  
8 L14 Parts and registry   Week 8 Notes
S8 Design day 3 Test and debug; data-driven decision making
L15 Hypothesis-driven engineering Validate system operation, learn from modes of failure
9 L16 Project work day   Week 9 Notes
S9 Tech spec review presentations  
L17 Tech spec feedback Plan project re-design
10 L18 Reliability Failures of materials, system performance and human sources Week 10 Notes
S10 Re-design day 1 Join Registry of Standard Biological Parts
L19 Ownership and sharing Inventor vs. investor role playing
11 S11 Re-design day 2 Drew Endy teaching Week 11 Notes
L20 Project work day Drew Endy teaching
12 L21 Project work day (cont.)   Week 12 Notes
S12 Consulations on projects  
L22 Tips on oral presentations  
13 L23 Project work day   No notes – see projects page for presentations
S13 Final presentations day 1 Three teams present
L24 Q&A and project work Class evaluation
14 L25 Q&A and project work (cont.)   No notes – see projects page for presentations
S14 Final presentations day 2 Three teams present
L26 Wrap-up and celebration  

Course Info

As Taught In
Spring 2009
Learning Resource Types
Tutorial Videos
Lecture Notes
Projects with Examples