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Courses

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This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.

Engineering Sciences

ENSC E-123 Laboratory Electronics: Digital Circuit Design (22098) (Website) (Printable version)
Thomas C. Hayes, JD, Lecturer on Physics, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Thursdays beginning Jan. 29, 6-9:35 pm, Science Center, Room 206. Optional sections Sundays, noon-3 pm.

This course forms the digital half of a two-semester sequence that provides a lab-intensive survey of electronics (the analog half of the sequence is PHYS E-123a). It covers digital design, emphasizing microprocessors and microcontrollers as well as programmable logic devices, and provides an understanding of the fundamentals of computer circuitry. After examining analog-digital interfacing issues, students build a microcomputer from the chip level. They apply this computer first to assigned tasks, later to individual projects. The student's microcomputer is based on an 8051-derivative microcontroller, chosen because it allows an easy transition after the course is completed from the course's pedagogically useful "transparent" design (using external buses and memory) to practical single-chip implementations. Each meeting includes a laboratory session. Prerequisites: high school algebra and some familiarity with analog electronics. PHYS E-123a is not a prerequisite. (4 credits)

ENSC E-130 Fundamentals of Microfabrication with Applications to BioMEMS (13210) (Website) (Printable version)
Fawwaz Habbal, PhD, Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit and graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Mondays beginning Sept. 15, 5:30-7:30 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G135.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

Electronics are pervasive—they are fully embedded in our daily life. Inside these appliances and gadgets are semiconductor chips and miniaturized electromechanical devices created from silicon and other related compounds using microfabrication. This course is a comprehensive introduction to the science and technology of miniaturization and its applications. We discuss methods, tools, and measuring devices to create submicron architectures. Different types of lithography methods are presented and techniques for bonding and packaging are reviewed. Applications in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), microfluidics, and related BioMEMS are discussed. (4 credits)

ENSC E-150 Introduction to Nanobiotechnology: Concepts and Applications (12806) (Website) (Printable version)
Anas Chalah, PhD, Research Fellow in Pathology, Harvard Medical School.
Course tuition: noncredit and graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 17, 5:30-7:30 pm, 53 Church Street, Room L01.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

Nanobiotechnology is a new frontier for biology with important applications in medicine. It bridges areas in physics, chemistry, and biology and is a testament to the new areas of interdisciplinary science that will become dominant in the twenty-first century. This course provides perspective for students and researchers who are interested in nanoscale physical and biological systems and their applications in medicine. It introduces concepts in nanomaterials and their use with biocomponents to synthesize and address larger systems. Applications include systems for visualization, labeling, drug delivery, and cancer research. Technological impact of nanoscale systems, synthesis, and characterizations of nanoscale materials are discussed. Prerequisite: introductory courses in chemistry, physics, and biology; an introductory course in nanoscale science would be helpful. (4 credits)

ENSC E-155 Fundamentals of Microfluidics with Applications in Biological Analysis and Discovery (22768) (Website) (Printable version)
Fawwaz Habbal, PhD, Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University. Anas Chalah, PhD, Research Fellow in Pathology, Harvard Medical School.
Course tuition: noncredit and graduate credit $1,725.
Spring term: Mondays beginning Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G135.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

Advancements in the study of microfluidic components and systems have created a new class of tools and devices. These devices are convenient platforms to study chemical and biochemical analysis and, as a consequence, applications in biology have been on the rise. In this course we provide a comprehensive introduction to the science and technology of miniaturization and its applications in creating microfluidic devices. We discuss methods, tools, and measuring devices to create microfluidic systems. Different types of lithography methods are presented with hands-on experiences for creating some simple devices. We discuss fluid flow and fluid characteristics in microchannels as well as the components for controlling fluid flow. After that we discuss applications to cellular analysis including nucleic acids analysis, DNA hybridization and sequencing, and protein analysis. Prerequisite: PHYS E-1b, or the equivalent, and some knowledge of biology. (4 credits)