A ribosome is a biological machine that utilizes protein dynamics
Some biological machines
Biological engineering, or bioengineering/bio-engineering,
is the application of principles of biology and the tools of
engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number of pure and applied sciences, such as mass and heat transfer, kinetics, biocatalysts, biomechanics, bioinformatics, separation and purification processes, bioreactor design, surface science, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics,
and polymer science. It is used in the design of medical devices,
diagnostic equipment, biocompatible materials, renewable bioenergy,
ecological engineering, agricultural engineering, and other areas that
improve the living standards of societies. Examples of bioengineering
research include bacteria engineered to produce chemicals, new medical imaging technology, portable and rapid disease diagnostic devices, prosthetics, biopharmaceuticals, and tissue-engineered organs. Bioengineering overlaps substantially with biotechnology and the biomedical sciences in a way analogous to how various other forms of engineering and technology relate to various other sciences (for example, aerospace engineering and other space technology to kinetics and astrophysics).
In general, biological engineers (or biomedical engineers)
attempt to either mimic biological systems to create products or modify
and control biological systems so that they can replace, augment,
sustain, or predict chemical and mechanical processes. Bioengineers can apply their expertise to other applications of engineering and biotechnology,
including genetic modification of plants and microorganisms, bioprocess
engineering, and biocatalysis. Working with doctors, clinicians and
researchers, bioengineers use traditional engineering principles and
techniques and apply them to real-world biological and medical problems.
History
Biological engineering is a science-based discipline founded upon the biological sciences in the same way that chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering can be based upon chemistry, electricity and magnetism, and classical mechanics, respectively.
Before WWII, biological engineering had just begun being
recognized as a branch of engineering, and was a very new concept to
people. Post-WWII, it started to grow more rapidly, partially due to the
term "bioengineering" being coined by British scientist and broadcaster
Heinz Wolff
in 1954 at the National Institute for Medical Research. Wolff graduated
that same year and became the director of the Division of Biological
Engineering at the university. This was the first time Bioengineering
was recognized as its own branch at a university. Electrical engineering
is considered to pioneer this engineering sector due to its work with
medical devices and machinery during this time. When
engineers and life scientists started working together, they recognized
the problem that the engineers didn't know enough about the actual
biology behind their work. To resolve this problem, engineers who wanted
to get into biological engineering devoted more of their time and
studies to the details and processes that go into fields such as
biology, psychology, and medicine. The
term biological engineering may also be applied to environmental
modifications such as surface soil protection, slope stabilization,
watercourse and shoreline protection, windbreaks, vegetation barriers
including noise barriers and visual screens, and the ecological
enhancement of an area. Because other engineering disciplines also
address living organisms, the term biological engineering can be applied more broadly to include agricultural engineering.
The first biological engineering program was created at University of California, San Diego in 1966, making it the first biological engineering curriculum in the United States. More recent programs have been launched at MIT and Utah State University. Many old agricultural engineering departments in universities over the world have re-branded themselves as agricultural and biological engineering or agricultural and biosystems engineering,
due to biological engineering as a whole being a rapidly developing
field with fluid categorization. According to Professor Doug
Lauffenburger of MIT,
biological engineering has a broad base which applies engineering
principles to an enormous range of size and complexities of systems.
These systems range from the molecular level (molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, protein chemistry, cytology, immunology, neurobiology and neuroscience)
to cellular and tissue-based systems (including devices and sensors),
to whole macroscopic organisms (plants, animals), and can even range up
to entire ecosystems.
Education
The average length of study is three to five years, and the completed degree is signified as a bachelor of engineering (B.S.
in engineering). Fundamental courses include thermodynamics,
bio-mechanics, biology, genetic engineering, fluid and mechanical
dynamics, kinetics, electronics, and materials properties.
Sub-disciplines
Modeling of the spread of disease using Cellular Automata and Nearest Neighbor Interactions
Depending on the institution and particular definitional boundaries
employed, some major branches of bioengineering may be categorized as
(note these may overlap):
- Biomedical engineering: application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes
- Biochemical engineering: fermentation engineering, application of engineering principles to microscopic biological systems that are used to create new products by synthesis, including the production of protein from suitable raw materials
- Biological systems engineering: application of engineering principles and design concepts to agriculture, food sciences, and ecosystems.
- Bioprocess engineering: develops technology to monitor the conditions of the where the process of making pharmaceuticals takes place, (Ex: bioprocess design, biocatalysis, bioseparation, bioinformatics, bioenergy)
- Environmental health engineering: application of engineering principles to the control of the environment for the health, comfort, and safety of human beings. It includes the field of life-support systems for the exploration of outer space and the ocean
- Human-factors engineering: application of engineering, physiology, and psychology to the optimization of the human–machine relationship
- Biotechnology: the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products. (Ex: pharmaceuticals)
- Biomimetics: the imitation of models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. (Ex: velcro, designed after George de Mestral noticed how easily burs stuck to a dog's hair)
- Bioelectrical engineering:
- Biomechanical engineering:
- Bionics: an integration of Biomedical, focused more on the robotics and assisted technologies. (Ex: prosthetics)
- Bioprinting: utilizing biomaterials to print organs and new tissues
- Biorobotics: (Ex: prosthetics)
- Systems biology: The study of biological systems.
Organizations
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the U.S.-based accreditation board for engineering B.S. programs, makes a distinction between biomedical engineering and biological engineering, though there is much overlap (see above).
- American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is made up of 1,500 members. Their main goal is to educate the public about the value biological engineering has in our world, as well as invest in research and other programs to advance the field. They give out awards to those dedicated to innovation in the field, and awards of achievement in the field. (They do not have a direct contribution to biological engineering, they more recognize those who do and encourage the public to continue that forward movement.)
- Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) is a non-profit organization, they run on donations alone. They aim to encourage the public to learn and to continue advancements in biological engineering. (Like AIMBE, they don't do research directly, they do however offer scholarships to students who show promise in the field).
- Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) is a technological community associated with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). SBE hosts international conferences, and is a global organization of leading engineers and scientists dedicated to advancing the integration of biology with engineering.
