NE 486Biosensors
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
- Subject
- Nanotechnology Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Introduction to biosensors. Chemical, optical, and pattern recognition-based sensing. Sensors for metal ions, small molecules, proteins, cancer cells. Deoxyribonucleic acid/ribonucleic acid (DNA/RNA) properties and chemical synthesis. DNA aptamer-based sensors and devices. Combinatorial selection of functional DNA. Applications in drug screening and diagnostics.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Students must be in level 4A or higher
- Complete 1 of the following
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- NE381 - Introduction to Nanoscale Biosystems (0.50)
- Enrolled in H-Nanotechnology Engineering
- Must have completed the following:
- Enrolled in H-Biomedical Engineering, or H-Chemical Engineering
- Complete all of the following
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 5235 | 35 / 60 | T 14:30–15:50 Th 14:30–15:50 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
100% liked it100% easy50% useful
From 2 ratings and 1 comment on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Course content is interesting (Sensor types and mechanisms, biorecognition elements, Ab affinity and binding kinetics), although only relevant if you're pursuing research or doing a sensor-related FYDP. Shirley Tang is an engaging professor, so lectures were interesting.
Very few deliverables - 2 assignments, 1 final presentation and 1 report. No final exam. This course is probably the best NE TE for a grade boost.Dec 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
4 posts and comments in 3 threads mention NE 486, March 2022 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2022
Can any Nano grads give me opinions on 4th year courses? 5 points, 1 comment
u/goosemcnoose: “… Can anyone comment on the workload or give a review for specific courses: NE 451 - Simulations NE 486 - Biosensors NE 481 - Nanomed + Nanobiotech”
NE 451/ SYDE 572 1 point, 0 comments
u/7BluePanda: “… less important but still curious, if you've taken NE 481 or NE 486 Biosensors before, what did you think of those courses?”
Winter 2022
NE 486/481 or any Biosensors related course 0 points, 3 comments
u/7BluePanda: “… I wanted to select NE 486 Biosensors, but there is no schedule of last Fall/upcoming Fall for this course. Does this mean it is not given (and is it certain that it then won't be given or is it possible for it to be added later)? …”
u/emananoo_10_9: “NE 486 got dropped kinda by surprise this year. NE 466 ended up basically being a big biosensors paper review. NE 481 is very not biosensors, it’s more biomaterials, and the follow up NE 488 is on tissue engineering”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them