Introduction

Given the growing use of implantable biomaterials in general, and biocompatible polymers in particular—which are frequently used in permanent or temporary implants whether—and considering that biomaterials are in direct contact with the cells, blood, and the body’s hard and soft tissues, understanding biomaterials, their interactions with body tissues, and their applications is essential.
Today, biocompatible materials are used to replace or augment organs with impaired function in Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, as well as in modern drug delivery systems. Advances over the past three decades, researchers have developed new applications for these polymeric and non-polymeric materials, utilizing them to replace human and animal organs. Through the establishment of advanced standards, the risks associated with using biomaterials have been significantly reduced.

 

Biomaterials
Currently, materials used in the body can be categorized into metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. The application of biomaterials depends on the interactions between the material and the body; these materials must be biocompatible. In other words, the effect of the body's environment on the material and the effect of the material on the body, both of which play a decisive roles in the application of biomaterials, must be considered. In this context, research into new technological methods, the preparation and synthesis of medical-grade materials, biopolymers, bioceramics, and biometals are among the key applied research priorities in this field.

Biopolymers: Among the various materials used in biomedical and healthcare applications, polymeric materials hold a special place; approximately 90% of biomaterials are polymer-based. Polymers offer a wide range of physical and mechanical properties, have lower densities than metallic and ceramic materials, and can exhibit desirable durability and resistance to biological environments. Today, biopolymers have a wide range of applications in artificial limbs, medical devices, therapeutic and diagnostic aids, restorative devices, smart biological systems, etc. Biopolymeric materials can be derived from natural, synthetic, or recycled sources.

Biometals: Metals are important materials in biomedical engineering that are widely used as surgical implants. The design, fabrication processes, and manufacturing of suitable biometals, in accordance with technological advances, require special attention because the use of foreign materials in contact with human tissues requires favorable biocompatibility.

Bioceramics: Ceramics are crystalline refractory compounds that are generally degradable and include materials such as silicates, metal oxides, carbides, various refractory hydrates, sulfides, and selenides. Since these materials possess distinctive and desirable properties, they have found many applications as implantable materials.

Bioglasses: Bioactive glasses are a group of glass-ceramic biomaterials which exhibit surface reactivity The biocompatibility and bioactivity of these compounds have led to their use as implants in the human body for bone repair and replacement. Bioactive glasses typically contain components such as silicates, silicon dioxide, sodium oxide, calcium oxide, and phosphorus pentoxide. These materials can exhibit high porosity percent and large surface areas; Furthermore, they have numerous applications, either in pure state or in combination with biopolymers and bioceramics.

 

Tissue Engineering
Today, the field of tissue engineering, at the intersection of medical and engineering sciences, offers promising approaches to addressing medical problems. Tissue engineering has advanced significantly in recent decades and gained prominence within the global scientific communities. The goal of tissue engineering is to design and develop biological substitutes for damaged or lost tissues in laboratory using engineered structures called scaffolds in combination with cells and cellular technologies. Significant advances in materials science and cell biology, along with a better understanding of various environmental stimuli such as mechanical loading, electrical and magnetic waves, etc., have led to the development of subfields in this discipline.
Studies in tissue engineering can categorized in various levels, such as genetic, cellular, tissue, and organ levels. Modeling cell growth and proliferation, as well as tissue regeneration, are among the applied areas of tissue engineering. In addition, the development of necessary tools in tissue engineering—such as bioreactors, microfluidic chips, nanotools, and nano/micro gene and drug delivery systems—is a practical focus of this discipline.
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering are interdisciplinary fields; they are complementary and represent modern branches of biomedical engineering. They utilize principles and methods from materials engineering, mechanics, physics, chemistry, and life sciences to produce biomaterials to replace, repair or regenerate damaged tissues, and to maintain or improve native tissue functions. Graduates of these disciplines, with knowledge of the structure of tissues, living cells, biomaterials, and the principles of tissue engineering,  can contribute to design and fabrication of biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds used in regenerative medicine.

 

Expectations, Duties, and career prospects for Graduates

Graduates of these disciplines are expected to be able to:

• Contribute to strengthening research and education in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering in universities and affiliated research institutions.
• Provide specialized expertise for leadership roles in research institutions and organizations involved in the production of biomaterials and tissue engineering products.
• Contribute to establishing the necessary foundations for advancing Regenerative Medicine.

 

The roles of graduates in society:
Graduates of this field undertake research, educational, and service-related activities in society.

Professional duties of graduates include:

• Design, implementation, and evaluation of projects related to the tissue regeneration of tissues and the development of biomaterials.
• Design, implementation, and evaluation of basic research on advanced technologies for the design and production of biomaterials and tissue engineering.
• Participation in teaching at universities and research centers.
• Provision of specialized laboratory services required by the public and private sectors.
• Production of scaffolds and tissue-related products.
• Quality control of scaffolds.
• Commercialization of laboratory research outcomes for clinical and hospital applications.

 

Career positions for graduates:

• Graduates can be recruited in research centers, medical laboratories, medical centers and hospitals, and knowledge-based companies as researchers, faculty members, production managers, technical managers, and in similar positions in Research & Development (R&D) departments and in the field of tissue engineering.
• Incubator centers.
• Research and technology parks and knowledge-based companies.
• Research centers, research institutes, and institutes related to the field.

 

Master’s Curriculum  in Biomedical Engineering (Biomaterials orientation):
Students must complete 12 specialized credits, 2 seminar credits, 12 elective credits, and 6 thesis credits (a total of 32 course credits) from the relevant curriculum table.

 

Master’s Curriculum in Biomedical Engineering (Tissue Engineering orientation):
Students must complete 12 specialized credits, 2 seminar credits, 12 elective credits, and 6 thesis credits (a total of 32 credits) from the relevant curriculum table.

 

 

Note: If a student has not completed the relevant courses in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering during their undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering, they must complete the corresponding prerequisite courses.