Biological Systems

This course introduces biological systems from an engineering perspective, focusing on the interactions between electric fields and biological structures.

• Cell structure: cell membrane, organelles, extracellular space; electrical properties of the membrane (capacitance, conductance, resting potential).
• Bioelectricity: action potentials, signal propagation along neurons, synapses, ion channels.
• Tissues and organs: electrical properties of tissues, dielectric dispersion, impedance spectroscopy.
• Electroporation: mechanisms of pore formation in the lipid bilayer, reversible and irreversible electroporation, temporal dynamics of pore evolution.
• Biomedical and biotechnology applications: electrochemotherapy, gene electrotransfer, irreversible tissue electroporation, biomolecule extraction.
• Experimental methods: impedance measurements, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, cell viability assays.

To understand the fundamentals of biological system behaviour from an electrical engineering perspective and to learn methods for investigating and exploiting the interactions between electric fields and biological structures.

After successful completion, students will be able to:

• describe the electrical properties of cell membranes, tissues, and organs
• explain electroporation mechanisms and distinguish between reversible and irreversible electroporation
• present the applications of electroporation in medicine and biotechnology
• design and carry out basic experimental protocols for working with biological systems
• analyse impedance measurement results and fluorescence microscopy data