Last fall, seniors in the MIT Department of Biological Engineering (BE) took on the most relevant of all possible design challenges — the Covid-19 pandemic. The capstone design class in the Course 20 major, class 20.380 (Biological Engineering Design) has a different theme every semester, and in September there was little doubt about this fall’s topic — Addressing the Pandemic with BE. “We weren't sure how students would respond. Would they be exhausted by Covid? Instead, students leapt at the chance to apply their skills to such an immediate problem,” says Professor Angela Koehler, a member of the teaching team.
“When the pandemic began, as Course 20s many of us felt helpless,” senior Afeefah Khazi-Syed observes. “This was supposed to be our area of expertise, and yet we were all stuck in quarantine. 20.380 helped us think about how the skills we’ve developed through the years can lead to much-needed innovation. It was rewarding to work on a project that is so...
learn more
