Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Concentration

The engineering foundational courses during freshman year introduce students to engineering problem-solving and design. Beginning in the sophomore year, students will apply this collective knowledge to the biotechnology and bioprocess engineering discipline, taking a series of courses providing the ability to quantify energy, mass, and water movement throughout living systems, from DNA and molecules to cells and microorganisms. Students learn marketable internship skills (using industry-standard lab techniques and equipment) early in the program and are provided a common Virginia Tech experience in discourse, reasoning, critical thinking, and analysis. Required courses include organic chemistry, biochemistry, biological processing plant design, and biotechnology labs. Selected electives complement the program, with choices from protein engineering to food engineering. The concentration provides hands-on learning experiences, integrating our state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratories. The program culminates in a year-long Capstone Design Experience of real-world design problems with an industry partner.

It’s easy to remove the Biotechnology & Bioprocess Engineering (BioE) concentration and continue to pursue the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) degree without a concentration. All of the courses you have taken count toward the BSE degree.

The Biotechnology & Bioprocess Engineering (BioE) concentration is a curricular focus and specialty within the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) degree. Both choices provide skills and training to solve critical societal, ecological, and environmental challenges. BioE students learn fundamental bioprocesses and how to scale-up those processes for large-scale production. Required courses in the BioE concentration that are not required in the BSE degree include organic chemistry, biochemistry, biological processing plant design, and an additional biotechnology lab. While BioE follows a more structured curriculum, students in BSE have the flexibility to choose from a variety of electives, specific to careers in environmental health engineering, biotechnology, food engineering, and ecological engineering. The student’s diploma will list Biological Systems Engineering regardless of whether they pursue an additional concentration or not, but the student’s transcript will additionally list Biotechnology & Bioprocess Engineering as a concentration.