1. Bachelor’s degree (180 credits) or equivalent with a major in chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical technology, biomedical methods and technology, biomedical laboratory science, or in other areas of natural, medical, engineering sciences or technology of relevance to the programme with a minimum of 15 credits in chemistry and/or biochemistry.

2. The equivalent of English B, or English 6, in Swedish secondary school.

The course is given in the first semester of the Master’s Program in Biomedical Surface Science. The course is within the main field of the study and a mandatory course in the Master’s Program Biomedical Surface Science.

The aim of the course is to enable the students to acquire the theoretical knowledge required for understanding surface chemistry in academia as well as industrial biomedical and biotech research.

In the course, colloidal and surface chemical structures that exist in nature, for example in living cells and cellular structures as well as those used in applications in bio, biomedical, food, pharmaceutical technology and laboratory methodology are considered. Colloidal and surface chemical structures are described through principles and mechanisms that determine self-association of molecules. The role of intermolecular forces and thermodynamic relations are presented and discussed in order to give theoretical understanding of molecular self-organizations in cell biology and biotechnology as well as to explain behavior of molecules at surfaces (for example adsorption). Surface chemical behavior of surfactants, lipids and biopolymers is described in order to show the factors that define rheological properties and stability in polymer and dispersed systems.

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to

1. analyze the importance of surface chemical properties of biological and artificial interfaces,
2. describe principles and mechanisms that determine self-organization of molecular structures, e.g., self-organization of liquid crystalline systems using curvature and critical packing parameter,
3. perform theoretical analysis of forces acting in colloidal systems,
4. formulate and discuss principles of adsorption of surface active substances at different interfaces,
5. explain the main factors that affect rheological properties in biopolymer systems, and
6. identify and explain parameters that determine stability in dispersed systems.

To achieve the learning outcomes 1-6 lectures, seminars, problem-based learning and independent literature studies are used. Independent laboratory work, oral and written reports and laboratory experiments are used to stimulate students' active participation and reflection in order to achieve the learning outcomes 2, 4, 5 and 6.

The learning outcomes 1-6 are assessed through written examination and individual projects reports. Results from the practical methods section along with oral presentations and written assignments form the basis for assessment of learning outcomes 2, 4, 5 and 6

Right to re-examination
Students who fail the exam are given the opportunity to do two re-takes with the same course content and with the same requirements. The student also has the right to take the examination in the same course in the subsequent course according to the same rule. Examination and re-takes are carried out at the times specified in the course schedule.

Hamley, I. W. (2007) Introduction to soft matter: synthetic and biological self-assembling materials. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 328.

Holmberg, K., Jönsson, B., Kronberg, B., Lindman, B. (2003) Surfactants and polymers in aqueous solution. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2003, pp. 545.

Scientific publications will be added.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that ap-plied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.