Minor Requirements

The bioengineering minor requires 15 credit hours. A minimum of 9 credits used to satisfy the minor may not be used to satisfy any other department, college, or University requirement. The minor is open only to undergraduate engineering majors.

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Core Curriculum (6 credit hours)

BioE 201 - Introduction to Bioengineering I (3 credits)

Prerequisite: Chem 167
An exploration of cell structure and function, cellular metabolism, types of life forms, energy transport and use, biomolecule structure and function, and enzyme structure, function, and kinetics, with strong mathematical emphasis.

BioE 202 - Introduction to Bioengineering II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BioE 201
Feedback loops in biological systems, cell and microbial growth patterns, fermentation kinetics, and use of biotechnology in everyday living such as diseases, wastewater treatment, genetic engineering of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, and biosensor operation. Strong mathematical emphasis.

 

Non-core Curriculum (9 credit hours)

Students can either choose to specialize in a particular track or choose a set of courses from all tracks as a list of electives to draw from.

Track 1: Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

BCB 211 - Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (3 credits)
Overview of bioinformatics and computational biology. Database searching, sequence alignment, gene prediction, RNA and protein structure prediction, construction of phylogenetic trees, comparative and functional genomics.

BioE 325 - Systems Biology for Engineers (3 credits)Prerequisites: Math 267, BioE 201, 202
Review of systems approaches for modeling. Introduction or review of methods for gene regulation in cells and how to model them. Auto regulation of gene networks. Feedforward modeling, timing considerations. Feedback mechanisms, kinetic and rate-limiting steps.

BCB 401 - Fundamentals of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology I (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BCB 211, Com S 228
Biology as an information science.  Generative models for sequences. String algorithms. sequence alignment. Algorithmic and statistical aspects of database search. Basic methods in molecular phylogeny/phylogenomics. Genome sequence assembly.

BCB 402 - Fundamentals of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology II (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BCB 401
Genome annotation. DNA and protein motifs.  DNA microarrays. Introduction to gene expression studies. Protein, DNA and RNA structure. Structure representation, comparison and visualization. Biological networks and systems.

BCB 442 - Bioinformatics Tools and Techniques (1 credit/module)
Prerequisite: BCB 211
Workshops in basic bioinformatics tools and techniques. Offered on a satisfactory-fail grading basis only.  Sections A - F.

Track 2: Biomaterials and Biomechanics

BioE 352 - Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics (3 credits)
Prerequisites: EM 324, MatE 272, BioE 201
Introduction to the anatomy of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Range of movement, joint dislocation, bone deformity and fracture. Application of continuum mechanics (statics and dynamics) to both living and non-living systems. Laws of motion, free-body diagrams and simple force analysis of musculoskeletal system.  Biomechanical response of soft and hard tissues with emphasis on microstructure and mechanical properties (field equations, constitutive material response and boundary conditions). Applications to bioengineering design.

Mat E 456X - Biomaterials (dual listed with 556) (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Mat E 211 or Mat E 272 or Mat E 392
Presentation of the basic chemical and physical properties of biomaterials, including metals, ceramics, and polymers, as they are related to their manipulation by the engineer for incorporation into living systems. Role of microstructure properties in the choice of biomaterials and design of artificial organs, implants, and prostheses.

Ch E 440 - Biomedical Applications of Chemical Engineering (dual listed with 540) (3 credits)
Prerequisites: 210, Math 266, Phys 222
Applications of material and energy balances, transport phenomena, chemical reaction engineering, and thermodynamics to problems in biomedical engineering and applied physiology; survey of biomedical engineering; biomaterials; biomedical imaging. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Ex Sp 355 - Biomechanics (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Phys 106 or 111
Mechanical basis of human performance; application of mechanical principles to exercise, sport and other physical activities. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Track 3: Bio Micro Systems

BioE 341- BioMEMS and Nanotechnology (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BioE 201, 202
Overview of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) technologies for bioengineering, fundamentals of microfluidic device design, fabrication, and characterization, survey of microfluidic functional building blocks for lab-on-a-chip applications including mixers, valves, channels, and chambers. Topics of nanotechnology in bioengineering, nanoscale building block technologies for bioengineering including self-assembling, surface chemical treatment, nano-imprinting, nano-particles, nano-tubes, nano-wires, and stimuli-responsive biomaterials.

BioE 341L - BioMEMS and Nanotechnology Lab (1 credit)
Prereqisites: BioE 201, 202
Laboratory course accompanying BioE 341. Must be taken with BioE341. BioE341L is not a necessary corequisite with BioE341. Introductory laboratory course on the design, fabrication, and characterization of BioMEMS lab-on-a-chip devices and nanoscale techniques for bioengineering. It will include student projects in groups of maximum four students.

BioE 450 - Biosensing (3 credits)
Prerequisites: BioE 201and 202
Overview of biosensors and bioanalytical challenges; designing for performance including various analytical problems, ion-selective membranes, characteristics of enzymes and basics of bioaffinity sensing; fundamentals of bioselective layers including depositing films and membranes, surfaces for immobilization and bioselective agents; survey of different biosensing technologies including electroanalytical, biomembrane, optical, and acoustic-wave based sensors.

BioE 450L - Biosensing Lab (1 credit)
Prerequisites: BioE 201and 202
Laboratory course accompanying BioE450. Must be taken with BioE450. BioE450L is not a necessary corequisite with BioE450. The lab comprises the design, fabrication, and characterization of various electrical, chemical, polymer, optical and acoustic sensors.

BioE 428 - Bio Signals and Image Processing (dual listed with EE 528) (3 credits)
Prerequisites: E E 324
Review of signal processing, linear algebra, probability. Image sampling and quantization. Image transforms, image enhancement, image denoising/restoration. Tomographic reconstruction, segmentation and registration, recognition and shape analysis and applications in Computer Aided disease Detection (CAD).

Track 4: Biosystems and Environmental Engineering

BioE 402/502 - Bioprocessing and Bioproducts (3 credits)
Prerequisites: AE 216 or equivalent, Math 160 or 165, Chem 167 or higher, Biol 101 or higher, or BRT 501, 3 years of full-time equivalent statusSustainability, cleaner production, water conservation.   Microbial taxonomy, metabolism, kinetics and cultivation, special purpose organisms, aerobic and anaerobic fermentation.  Biofuels, bioenergy and coproducts.  Mass and energy balances, process integration, pretreatment of raw materials, waste reutilization and new byproducts, separation.  Dry-grind and wet corn milling, lignocellulosic ethanol, food-grade fermentation, membrane reactors, nanotechnology, mutagenesis, genetic engineering, microbial fuel cells and bioelectrolysis.   Cost and environmental factors and market forces.  Term project required for graduate credit.

ChE 415 - Biochemical Engineering (dual listed with 515) (3 credits)Prerequisites: Ch E 357 and 382 (recommended), Chem 331
Application of basic chemical engineering principles in biochemical and biological process industries such as enzyme technology and fermentation. Nonmajor graduate credit.

ChE 427 - Biological Engineering Lab (3 credits)
Prerequisites: 325, 358, 382 and BBMB 301
Experiments on biological applications in chemical engineering. Nonmajor graduate credit.

AE 216 - Fundamentals of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (3 credits)
Prerequisites: 110, Engr 160, Math 166
Application of mathematics and engineering sciences to energy and mass balances in agricultural and biological systems. Emphasis is on solving engineering problems in the areas of air and water vapor systems; electrical systems, grain systems; food systems, hydrologic systems, and bioprocessing.

AE 480 - Engineering Quanitification of Biological Processes (dual listed with 580) (3 credits)
Prerequisites: 216, Math 266, Biol 101 or 211 or 212, M E 330
Prediction of biological systems behavior by computer simulation of mathematical system models. Focus on mathematical representation of biological processes including population dynamics, growth, development, diffusion, bioenergetics, enzyme kinetics. Flow diagrams for representing systems and constructing mathematical models. Finite difference techniques for continuous system simulation including examples of plant growth and soil water balances. Students enrolled in A E 580 will be required to answer an additional final exam question, to report on two journal articles, and to complete a more comprehensive class project than students enrolled in A E 480.

CE 421 - Environmental Biotechnology (dual listed with 521) (3 credits)Prerequisites: 326
Fundamentals of biochemical and microbial processes applied to environmental engineering processes, role of microorganisms in wastewater treatment and bioremediation, bioenergetics and kinetics, metabolism of xenobiotic compounds, waterborne pathogens, parasites, and disinfection.

 

Related Courses

Note that a course can be taken only after its prerequisites, if any, are satisfied.

 

Biol 155 - Introduction to the Human Body (3 credits)
A survey course of the human body including principal structures and functions of the body systems and the diseases and disorders associated with them. Designed to meet general education requirements in natural science. Not recommended for those seeking a career in the allied health professions or for students majoring in life science.

Biol 173 - Environmental Biology (Same as Env S 173.) (3 credits)
An introduction to the structure and function of natural systems at scales from the individual to the biosphere and the complex interactions between humans and their environment. Discussions of human population growth, biodiversity, sustainability, resource use, and pollution. Non-majors only.

Biol 313 - Principles of Genetics (Same as Gen 313) (3 credits)
Prerequisites: 211L and 212 L, credit or enrollment in organic chemistry Introduction to the principles of transmission and molecular genetics of plants, animals, and bacteria. Recombination, structure and replication of DNA, gene expression, cloning, quantitative and population genetics. Students may receive graduation credit for no more than one of the following: 313 and 313L, Gen 260, Gen 313, Gen 320, and Agron 320.

Biol 314 - Principles of Molecular Cell Biology and Biochemistry (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Biol 313
Integration of elementary principles of metabolism, bioenergetics, cell structure and function to develop a molecular view of how the cell works.

BBMB 301 - Survey of Biochemistry (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Chem 231 or 331
A survey of biochemistry: structure and function of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids; enzymology; metabolism; biosynthesis; and selected topics. Not acceptable for credit toward a major in biochemistry or biophysics.

FSHN 351 - Unit Operations in Food Processing (3 credits)
Prerequisites: a course in calculus and Phys 106
Introduction to material and energy balances. Fluid flow, physical and thermal properties of food materials. Fundamentals of heat and mass transfer. Application of momentum and heat transfer to unit operations in food processing. Calculations and computer applications in food processing. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Gen 308 - Biotechnology in Agriculture, Food, and Human Health (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Biol 211 and 212
Scientific principles and techniques in biotechnology. Products and applications in agriculture, food, and human health. Ethical, legal, and social implications of biotechnology.

Micro 302 - Biology of microorganisms (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Biol 211, credit or enrollment in 212
Basic cell biology physiology, metabolism gentics and ecology of microorganisms, with an emphasis on prokaryotes and viruses, as well as the role of microorganisms in the environment, disease, agriculture and industry.