Prereq: 10.302
U(1)
0-8-4
Laboratory projects in the areas of applied chemical research and unit operations. Students work in groups and choose one project for the whole term from projects suggested by local industry. Training in planning research projects, execution of experimental work, oral presentations and writing reports. Application of theory to practical problems of industrial concern.
Instructors
Eric Anderson, 66-462, x3-2369, ewanders@mit.edu
Clark Colton, 66-452, x3-4585, ckcolton@mit.edu
Jean-Francois Hamel, 56-107, x8-6665, jhamel@mit.edu
Robert Langer, E25-342, x3-3107, brown@wccf.mit.edu
Adel Sarofim, 66-572, x3-4566, sarofim@mit.edu
Gregory Stephanopoulos, 66-552, x3-4583, julmarie@mit.edu
Daniel Wang, 20A-211, x3-2126, childs@mitvma.mit.edu
Tony Modestino, 66-125, X3-6556, ajmod@mit.edu
Steve Wetzel, 66-0060, X8-7166, swetzel@mit.edu
The Writing Program
James Morrison, 14N-230, x3-0953, jimm@mit.edu
Teaching Assistant
Brian Laffey, 66-457, 3-6483, bdlaugh@mit.edu
This is an excerpt from a note I wrote for a mailing list about learning:
The best class I teach is the project laboratory for seniors in chemical engineering. In this class, groups of (usually 3) students work on real problems, chosen from a list we put together at the start of the term. Most of the problems are offered by local industry, though a few are based on the research of faculty on campus. These are real engineering problems, to be solved by the student group with the help of their industrial sponsors and a supervising faculty member. Problems are generally open-ended; the students decide what they will do to solve the problems. We coach them, encourage them, check their work, supply them with leads, and help them along the way, but the students do the work. It is, as much as possible, an engineering internship.
The problems are real, and they are worth solving. It is impossible to cheat, because seeking solutions by library work or by talking to others isn't cheating, it is doing good engineering. There can't be a solution manual, because we don't know the answers when we pose the problems. There is no make-work; students do the projects and then present and write up the results. Problems cover a wide range of engineering issues. Among the projects last fall we: developed a new process to remove mercury from stack gases, developed a method to separate some polymer mixes for recycling, redesigned a coating process to eliminate the need for chloroform, tried (but failed) to enhance solubility of an anti-cancer drug enough to allow it to be used in an implantable pump, tried to figure out why a certain coating process gave unpredictable results, grew recombinant bacteria engineered to secrete a drug used to treat emphesema patients, and developed a method to measure bioreactor conditions by growing bacteria with recombinant luciferase genes (they glow when they're happy!). This fall, we'll have 15 or 20 new projects.
If you have any questions about 10.26 or 10.27, please contact Eric Anderson at x3-2369.
--- Last modified 11/15/94 --- Eric W. Anderson --- ewanders@mit.edu