Molecular Structure of Biological Materials
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this graduate and upper-level undergraduate course on the molecular architecture of materials made by living organisms. Lectures cover the structures of several types of collagen, silk, spider silk, wool, hair, bone, shell, protein adhesives, green fluorescent protein, and self-assembling peptides, tying molecular structure to material function. The course also addresses molecular design of new biological materials for applications ranging from medicine to engineering, along with a brief history of the field and its likely future impact on society. Guest lectures from invited experts supplement the core material. Course materials include the syllabus, lecture notes, and reading assignments as published through MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered. It suits students with a background in biology, chemistry, or materials science who want a structural, molecular-level grounding in biomaterials.