This class serves as an introduction into the design of materials for biomedical applications. Its focus lies on controlling interactions at the interface between biomolecules, bacteria or living cells and synthetic materials.Knowing some basic concepts allows us to define requirements for material surfaces and to utilize molecular engineering principles for their realization.

Many disciplines are meeting at the nanoscale, from physics, chemistry to engineering, from the life sciences to medicine. The course will prepare students to communicate more effectively across disciplinary boundaries, and will provide them with deep insights into the various frontiers.

The course teaches the fundamentals and techniques of single-molecule biophysics - covering optical and electrical detection methods, instrumentation, and data analysis - while giving students hands-on experience in building experiments, acquiring signals, and processing quantitative data.