Interdisciplinarity in tomorrow's engineering education

Universities are embracing 'challenge-based learning' (CBL) to engage students in contributing to real-life societal challenges. In CBL learning takes places through identification, analysis and collaborative design of sustainable and responsive solutions to these challenges. One aspect of CBL is working in interdisciplinary student-teams. Hence, implementation of Interdisciplinary Engineering Education (IEE) is sought, with the aim to train students to bring together expertise from different disciplines in a single context. To support this implementation of IEE, this paper presents a review that synthesizes IEE research with a focus on characterizing vision, teaching practices, and support. We aim to show how IEE is conceptualized, implemented and facilitated in higher engineering education at the levels of curricula and courses. Ninety-nine studies were included for analysis. Results indicate challenges in identifying clear learning goals and assessments (Vision). Furthermore, developing interdisciplinary skills, knowledge, and values needs sound pedagogy and teaming experiences that provide students with authentic ways of engaging in interdisciplinary practice (Teaching). Finally, a limited understanding exists of barriers that hinder the development of engineering programs designed to support interdisciplinarity (Support). This review contributes a level of awareness that allows teachers and educational leadership to take the next step towards interdisciplinarity in CBL.</p

Targeting pediatric cancers via T-cell recognition of the monomorphic MHC class I-related protein MR1

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction of conventional T-cell targeting introduces complexity in generating T-cell therapy strategies for patients with cancer with diverse HLA-backgrounds. A subpopulation of atypical, major histocompatibility complex-I related protein 1 (MR1)-restricted T-cells, distinctive from mucosal-associated invariant T-cells (MAITs), was recently identified recognizing currently unidentified MR1-presented cancer-specific metabolites. It is hypothesized that the MC.7.G5 MR1T-clone has potential as a pan-cancer, pan-population T-cell immunotherapy approach. These cells are irresponsive to healthy tissue while conferring T-cell receptor(TCR) dependent, HLA-independent cytotoxicity to a wide range of adult cancers. Studies so far are limited to adult malignancies. Here, we investigated the potential of MR1-targeting cellular therapy strategies in pediatric cancer. Bulk RNA sequencing data of primary pediatric tumors were analyzed to assess MR1 expression. In vitro pediatric tumor models were subsequently screened to evaluate their susceptibility to engineered MC.7.G5 TCR-expressing T-cells. Targeting capacity was correlated with qPCR-based MR1 mRNA and protein overexpression. RNA expression of MR1 in primary pediatric tumors varied widely within and between tumor entities. Notably, embryonal tumors exhibited significantly lower MR1 expression than other pediatric tumors. In line with this, most screened embryonal tumors displayed resistance to MR1T-targeting in vitro MR1T susceptibility was observed particularly in pediatric leukemia and diffuse midline glioma models. This study demonstrates potential of MC.7.G5 MR1T-cell immunotherapy in pediatric leukemias and diffuse midline glioma, while activity against embryonal tumors was limited. The dismal prognosis associated with relapsed/refractory leukemias and high-grade brain tumors highlights the promise to improve survival rates of children with these cancers

Interdisciplinarity in tomorrow's engineering education

Universities are embracing 'challenge-based learning' (CBL) to engage students in contributing to real-life societal challenges. In CBL learning takes places through identification, analysis and collaborative design of sustainable and responsive solutions to these challenges. One aspect of CBL is working in interdisciplinary student-teams. Hence, implementation of Interdisciplinary Engineering Education (IEE) is sought, with the aim to train students to bring together expertise from different disciplines in a single context. To support this implementation of IEE, this paper presents a review that synthesizes IEE research with a focus on characterizing vision, teaching practices, and support. We aim to show how IEE is conceptualized, implemented and facilitated in higher engineering education at the levels of curricula and courses. Ninety-nine studies were included for analysis. Results indicate challenges in identifying clear learning goals and assessments (Vision). Furthermore, developing interdisciplinary skills, knowledge, and values needs sound pedagogy and teaming experiences that provide students with authentic ways of engaging in interdisciplinary practice (Teaching). Finally, a limited understanding exists of barriers that hinder the development of engineering programs designed to support interdisciplinarity (Support). This review contributes a level of awareness that allows teachers and educational leadership to take the next step towards interdisciplinarity in CBL

Interdisciplinarity in Tomorrow's Engineering Education

Universities are embracing ‘challenge-based learning’ (CBL) to engage students in contributing to real-life societal challenges. In CBL learning takes places through identification, analysis and collaborative design of sustainable and responsive solutions to these challenges. One aspect of CBL is working in interdisciplinary student-teams. Hence, implementation of Interdisciplinary Engineering Education (IEE) is sought, with the aim to train students to bring together expertise from different disciplines in a single context. To support this implementation of IEE, this paper presents a review that synthesizes IEE research with a focus on characterizing vision, teaching practices, and support. We aim to show how IEE is conceptualized, implemented and facilitated in higher engineering education at the levels of curricula and courses. Ninety-nine studies were included for analysis. Results indicate challenges in identifying clear learning goals and assessments (Vision). Furthermore, developing interdisciplinary skills, knowledge, and values needs sound pedagogy and teaming experiences that provide students with authentic ways of engaging in interdisciplinary practice (Teaching). Finally, a limited understanding exists of barriers that hinder the development of engineering programs designed to support interdisciplinarity (Support). This review contributes a level of awareness that allows teachers and educational leadership to take the next step towards interdisciplinarity in CBL