PurposeIn times when digitized and blended learning paradigms are getting more profuse, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially changed the dynamics of this program, forcing all the courses to migrate to virtual modality. This study highlights the biological engineering courses at the University of the Republic (Universidad de la República) in Uruguay pertaining to the adaptations to virtual learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzing its impact through the courses taught in the virtual setting.Design/methodology/approachGlobal education has seen a significant paradigm shift over the last few years, changing from a specialized approach to a broader transdisciplinary approach. Especially in life sciences, different fields of specializations have started to share a common space in the area of applied research and development. Based on this transdisciplinary approach, the Biological Engineering program was designed at the University of the Republic (Universidad de la República), Uruguay.FindingsThe new challenges posed by the virtual modality on the pedagogical areas like course design, teaching methodologies and evaluations and logistical aspects like laboratory-setting have sparked a considerable change in different aspects of the courses. However, despite the changes to virtual modality in this year, the student-performance showed an overall improvement compared to the last year.Originality/valueWith the changing direction of pedagogy and research in biological engineering across the world, it is quintessential to adapt university courses to the same, promoting an environment where the scientific and engineering disciplines merge and the learning methodologies lead to a dynamic and adaptive ubiquitous learning environment.

INTRODUCTION: Global education has seen a paradigm shift in the recent years; especially in life sciences, specializations have started sharing common space in applied research and development. Extending the transdisciplinary approach to undergraduate programs, a case study on the introductory course of Biological Engineering program at University of the Republic (Universidad de la República) Uruguay is presented. OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to shifting the biological engineering course to virtual modality, changing the pedagogical dynamics. This study aims at analyzing the adaptation to the new model of virtual learning. METHODS: Different course metrics over time has been analyzed along with surveys on students and professors of the course. RESULTS: Despite several new challenges posed by the virtual modality, the overall student-performance didn't decline. CONCLUSION: The biological engineering course presents interesting contents especially in its course design and student engagements, remodeled especially during its virtual mode.

The study of frequency dependence of Young’s modulus allows to describe mechanically arterial ducts. This modulus is complex, whose real component represents the purely elastic properties of the material, while its imaginary component represents purely viscous properties. In this work, the complex elastic modulus in two types of ducts was experimentally determined: synthetic type and biological type, (bovine artery). For this purpose, a continuous circulation biodynamic simulator (Bose® Corporation ElectroForce Systems Group) was used where the ducts were subjected to sinusoidal variations of internal pressure, frequency between 1 and 5 Hz. It was observed that the ratio between the measured pressure (Statham P23 DB transducer, Statham‐Gould, Valley View) and the acquired diameter (Laser transducer, Mitutoyo Corporation) constituted a Lissajous figure, with a representative slope of elastic behavior and a hysteresis indicative of viscosity parietal. Given the increase in frequency, the loop experienced an increase in hysteresis. For the calibrated tube, the elasticity (given by the storage modulus) resulted in the order of 14.1 mmHg/mm, while for the other it was 62.3 mmHg/mm. In the case of the bovine duct, the value was 4.88 mmHg/mm. On the other hand, the evaluation of the storage modulus showed differentiated results. While the elastic ducts manifested a linear increase with frequency, the arterial showed a logarithmic dependence. By virtue of them, the synthetic duct could be represented modelling viscosity as a linear function of frequency, but it is not the case of the arterial duct, whose viscoelastic behavior is nonlinear. Support or Funding Information [1]RICARDO L. ARMENTANO y E.I. CABRERA FISCHER, Biomecánica Arterial: Fundamentos para su abordaje en la clínica médica, primera edición, Librería AKADIA, Buenos Aires, 1994. [2]RICARDO L. ARMENTANO, DANIELA VALDEZ JASSO, LEANDO J. CYMBERKNOP, FLORENCIA MONTINI BALLARIN, DANIELA VELEZ, PABLO C. CARACCIOLO y GUSTAVO ABRAHAM, High Pressure Assenssment of Bilayered Electrospun Vascular Grafts by Means of an Electroforce Biodynamic System®, IEEE, 978‐1‐4244‐9270‐1, 3533‐3536, 2015. [3]D. A. MCDONALD, Blood Flow in Arteries, segunda edición, Edward Arnols, London, 1974. [4]W. K. MILNOR, Hemodynamics,Baltimore, MD, USA: WILLIAMS Y WILKINS, 1982. [5]B. S. GOW, M. G. TAYLOR, Measurements of viscoelastic properties of arteries in the living dog, Circ Res 23 (1): 111‐122, 1968. [6]P.B. DOBRIN, Mechanical properties of arteries., Physiol Rev 58 (2): 397‐460, 1978. [7]Y. C. FUNG, Biomechanics. Mechanical Properties of living tissues, Springer‐Verlag, New York, 1981. [8]DANIEL BIA, ISMAEL AGUIRRE, YANINA ZÓCALO, LUCÍA DEVERA, EDMUNDO CABRERA FISCHERC, Y RICARDO ARMENTANO. Diferencias regionales en viscosidad, elasticidad y amortiguamiento parietal de arterias sistémicas: análisis isopulsátil de la relación presión‐diámetro arterial. [9]BERGEL DH. The dynamic elastic properties of the arterial wall. J Physiol 156: 458‐ 469, 1961b.