Biological systems engineering
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Biological systems engineering or biosystems engineering is a broad-based engineering discipline with particular emphasis on biology and chemistry. It can be thought of as a subset of the broader notion of biological engineering or bio-technology though not in the respects that pertain to biomedical engineering as biosystems engineering tends to focus less on medical applications than on agriculture, ecosystems, and food science. It involves aspects of genetic engineering, particularly regarding the agricultural applications. The discipline focuses broadly on environmentally sound and sustainable engineering solutions to meet societies' ecologically-related needs. Biosystems engineering integrates the expertise of fundamental engineering fields with expertise from non-engineering disciplines.
Background and organization[]
Many college and university biological engineering departments have a history of being grounded in agricultural engineering and have only in the past two decades or so changed their names to reflect the movement towards more diverse biological based engineering programs.[1][2] This major is sometimes called agricultural and biological engineering, biological and environmental engineering, etc., in different universities, generally reflecting interests of local employment opportunities.
Since biological engineering covers a wide spectrum, many departments now offer specialization options. Depending on the department and the specialization options offered within each program, curricula may overlap with other related fields. There are a number of different titles for BSE-related departments at various universities. The professional societies commonly associated with many Biological Engineering programs include the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)[3] and the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE),[4] which generally encompasses BSE. Some program also participate in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) [5] and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).[6]
A biological systems engineer has a background in what both environmental engineers and biologists do, thus bridging the gap between engineering and the (non-medical) biological sciences – although this is variable across academic institutions.[citation needed] For this reason, biological systems engineers are becoming integral parts of many environmental engineering firms, federal agencies, and biotechnology industries. A biological systems engineer will often address the solution to a problem from the perspective of employing living systems to enact change. For example, biological treatment methodologies can be applied to provide access to clean drinking water [7] or for sequestration of carbon dioxide.[8]
Specializations[]
- Land and water resources engineering
- Food engineering and bioprocess engineering
- Machinery systems engineering
- Natural resources and environmental engineering
- Biomedical engineering
Academic programs in agricultural and biological systems engineering[]
Below is a listing of known academic programs that offer bachelor's degrees (B.S. or B.S.E.) in what ABET terms "agricultural engineering", "biological systems engineering", "biological engineering", or similarly named programs. ABET accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
North America
Institution | Department | Web site |
---|---|---|
Auburn University | Biosystems Engineering | www.eng.auburn.edu/ |
CalPoly San Louis Obispo | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | www.brae.calpoly.edu/ |
Clemson University | Biosystems Engineering | [1] |
Cornell University | Biological and Environmental Engineering | bee.cornell.edu/ |
Dalhousie University | Department of Engineering (Agricultural Campus) | www.dal.ca |
Florida A&M University | Biological Systems Engineering | [2] |
Iowa State University | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | www.abe.iastate.edu/ |
Kansas State University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | www.bae.ksu.edu/home |
Louisiana State University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | www.bae.lsu.edu |
McGill University | Department of Bioresource Engineering | www.mcgill.ca/bioeng/ |
Michigan State University | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | www.egr.msu.edu/bae/ |
Mississippi State University | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | www.abe.msstate.edu |
North Carolina State University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | www.bae.ncsu.edu/ |
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University | Chemical, Biological and Bioengineering Department | www.ncat.edu/ |
North Dakota State University | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | www.ndsu.edu/aben/ |
Ohio State University | Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering | fabe.osu.edu |
Oklahoma State University | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | biosystems.okstate.edu |
Oregon State University | Biological & Ecological Engineering Department | bee.oregonstate.edu/ |
Penn State University | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | abe.psu.edu/ |
Purdue University | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | www.purdue.edu/abe |
South Dakota State University | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | www.sdstate.edu/abe/ |
Texas A&M University | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | baen.tamu.edu/ |
University of Arizona | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | cals.arizona.edu/abe |
University of Arkansas | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | www.baeg.uark.edu/ |
University of California, Davis | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | bae.engineering.ucdavis.edu/ |
University of California, San Diego | Bioengineering: BioSystems | be.ucsd.edu/biosystems |
University of Florida | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | www.abe.ufl.edu/ |
University of Georgia | Agricultural Engineering / Biological Engineering | www.engr.uga.edu |
University of Idaho | Biological and Agricultural Engineering | uidaho.edu/ |
University of Illinois | Agricultural and Biological Engineering | abe.illinois.edu/ |
University of Kentucky | Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering | jokko.bae.uky.edu/BAEHome.asp |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Biological Systems Engineering | bse.unl.edu |
University of Manitoba | Biosystems Engineering | http://umanitoba.ca/ |
University of Minnesota | Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering | www.bbe.umn.edu/ |
University of Missouri | Biological Engineering | bioengineering.missouri.edu/ |
University of Saskatchewan | Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science | www.engr.usask.ca |
University of Tennessee | Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science | bioengr.ag.utk.edu |
University of Wisconsin | Biological Systems Engineering | bse.wisc.edu/ |
Utah State University | Biological Engineering | be.usu.edu |
Virginia Polytechnic University | Biological Systems Engineering | www.bse.vt.edu |
Washington State University | Biological Systems Engineering | bsyse.wsu.edu |
Central and South America
Institution | Department | Web site |
---|---|---|
Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico | Irrigation Department | portal.chapingo.mx/irrigacion/ |
National University of Colombia | Agricultural Engineering | www.ing.unal.edu.co/ |
University of Campinas, Brazil | Agricultural Engineering | www.unicamp.br/unicamp/[permanent dead link] |
University of São Paulo, Brazil | Biosystems Engineering | www.en.esalq.usp.br/ |
Europe
Institution | Department | Web site |
---|---|---|
Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain | Biosystems Engineering | [3] |
Ankara University, Turkey | Agricultural Machinery | arsiv.ankara.edu.tr |
Atatürk University, Turkey | Agricultural Structures and Irrigation | www.atauni.edu.tr |
Harran University, Turkey | Agricultural Machinery | ziraat.harran.edu.tr |
Harran University, Turkey | Agricultural Structures and Irrigation | ziraat.harran.edu.tr |
Leibniz University Hannover, Germany | Biosystems and Horticultural Engineering, | http://www.bgt-hannover.de/ |
KU Leuven, Belgium | Department of Biosystems | www.biw.kuleuven.be/biosyst |
University College Dublin, Ireland | Biosystems Engineering | www.ucd.ie/eacollege/biosystems/ |
University of Hohenheim, Germany | Institute of Agricultural Engineering | www.uni-hohenheim.de/ |
Hamburg University of Technology, Germany | Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering | www.tuhh.de |
Asia
Institution | Department | Web site |
---|---|---|
China Agricultural University | Agricultural Engineering | english.cau.edu.cn/col/col5470/index.html |
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, China | Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering | en.nwsuaf.edu.cn/ |
Shanghai Jiaotong University, China | Biological Engineering; Food Science and Engineering | en.sjtu.edu.cn/academics/undergraduate-programs/ |
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China | Energy and Power Engineering | nd.xjtu.edu.cn/web/English.htm |
Yunnan Agricultural University, China | Agricultural Water-Soil Engineering | www.at0086.com/YUNNAU |
Zhejiang University, China | Biosystems Engineering and Food Science | www.caefs.zju.edu.cn/en/index.asp |
See also[]
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References[]
- ^ For example the Department of Biological Systems Engineering Archived 2004-04-01 at the Wayback Machine at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was established as agricultural engineering in 1920, and renamed in 1992 to reflect new focus areas in the teaching, research and extension programs.
- ^ The Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln began within Mechanical Engineering, awarded its first degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1908, and changed its name to Biological Systems Engineering in 1990. http://engineering.unl.edu/bse/history/
- ^ Website American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- ^ Website Institute of Biological Engineers
- ^ Website Biomedical Engineering Society,
- ^ Website American Institute of Chemical Engineers,
- ^ Website http://www.jbioleng.org/content/5/1/2/ Biological approaches for addressing the grand challenge of providing access to clean drinking water
- ^ Website http://www.jbioleng.org/content/5/1/14/ Addressing the Grand Challenge of atmospheric carbon dioxide: geologic sequestration vs. biological recycling
Further reading[]
- 2003, Dennis R. Heldman (ed), Encyclopedia of agricultural, food, and biological engineering.
- 2002, Teruyuki Nagamune, Tai Hyun Park & Mark R. Marten (ed), Biological Systems Engineering, Washington, D.C. : American Chemical Society, 320 pages.
- 2012, Paige Brown Jarreau, What is Biological Engineering, http://www.scilogs.com/from_the_lab_bench/what-is-biological-engineering-ibe-2012/
External links[]
- Biological engineering
- Biological systems
- Systems biology
- Systems engineering