Products of biological systems engineering
Some biological molecular machines

Biological systems engineering or biosystems engineering is a broad-based engineering discipline with particular emphasis on non-medical biology. 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. 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

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 and/or ASABE 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. ASABE defines accredited programs within the scope of Ag/Bio Engineering.

North America

Institution Program Web site
Auburn University Biosystems Engineering www.eng.auburn.edu/
CalPoly San Louis Obispo BioResource and Agricultural Engineering www.brae.calpoly.edu/
California State University, Bakersfield BioResource and Agricultural Engineering [1]
Clemson University Biosystems Engineering [2]
Colorado State University Chemical and Biological Engineering [3]
Cornell University Biological Engineering bee.cornell.edu/
Environmental Engineering
Dalhousie University Engineering www.dal.ca
Florida A&M University Biological Systems Engineering [4]
Illinois Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering/Food Process Engineering [5]
Iowa State University Agricultural Engineering www.abe.iastate.edu/
Biological Systems Engineering
Kansas State University Biological Systems Engineering www.bae.ksu.edu/home
Laval University Agri-Environmental Engineering [6]
Food Engineering
Louisiana State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering www.bae.lsu.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Chemical-Biological Engineering www.mcgill.ca/bioeng/
McGill University Environmental Engineering www.mcgill.ca/bioeng/
Mercer University School of Engineering Bioresource Engineering [7]
Michigan State University Biosystems Engineering www.egr.msu.edu/bae/
Mississippi State University Biological Engineering www.abe.msstate.edu
Biomedical Engineering
Montana State University Biological Engineering [8]
Civil Engineering
Environmental Engineering
North Carolina State University Biological Engineering www.bae.ncsu.edu/
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Biological Engineering [9]
North Dakota State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering www.ndsu.edu/aben/
Northern Kentucky University Biosystems Engineering [10]
Oklahoma State University Biosystems Engineering biosystems.okstate.edu
Oregon State University Ecological Engineering bee.oregonstate.edu/
Forest Engineering
Penn State University Biological Engineering abe.psu.edu/
Purdue University Agricultural Engineering www.purdue.edu/abe
Biological Engineering
Rutgers University Bioenvironmental Engineering [11]
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Bioprocess Engineering [12]
Environmental Resources Engineering
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering [13]
South Dakota State University Chemical and Biological Engineering www.sdstate.edu/abe/
Texas A&M University Biological and Agricultural Engineering baen.tamu.edu/
Ohio State University Agricultural Engineering fabe.osu.edu
Food, Biological, and Ecological Engineering
University of Alabama Biological Engineering [14]
University of Arizona Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering cals.arizona.edu/abe
University of Arkansas Biological Engineering www.baeg.uark.edu/
University of California, Davis Biological and Agricultural Engineering bae.engineering.ucdavis.edu/
University of Colorado at Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering [15]
University of Florida Agricultural and Biological Engineering www.abe.ufl.edu/
University of Guelph Biological Engineering [16]
Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
University of Georgia Agricultural Engineering www.engr.uga.edu
Biological Engineering
University of Hawaii at Manoa Biological Engineering [17]
University of Idaho Biological Engineering uidaho.edu/
Environmental Engineering
University of Illinois Agricultural and Biological Engineering abe.illinois.edu/
University of Kentucky Biosystems Engineering jokko.bae.uky.edu/BAEHome.asp
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Engineering bse.unl.edu
Biological Systems Engineering
Environmental Engineering
University of Maine Bioengineering [18]
University of Manitoba Biosystems Engineering http://umanitoba.ca/
University of Maryland Bioengineering [19]
University of Minnesota Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering www.bbe.umn.edu/
University of Missouri Biological Engineering bioengineering.missouri.edu/
University of Puerto Rico Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering [20]
University of Saskatchewan Biological Engineering [21]
Chemical Engineering
University of Tennessee Biosystems Engineering bioengr.ag.utk.edu
University of Washington Bioresource Science & Engineering [22]
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
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Food Industry Engineering
Federal Institute of São Paulo (Campus of Avaré), Brazil Biosystems Engineering
Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil Biosystems Engineering
Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Food Industry Engineering
National University of Colombia Agricultural Engineering
Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico Irrigation Department portal.chapingo.mx/irrigacion/
Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi Food Engineering
Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of Campinas, Brazil Agricultural Engineering
Universidad de Cartagena Food Engineering
Universidad de las Américas Puebla Food Industry Engineering
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon Food Industry Engineering [23]
University of São Paulo (Campus of Piracicaba), Brazil Biosystems Engineering
University of São Paulo (Campus of Pirassununga), Brazil Biosystems Engineering
São Paulo State University (Campus of Tupã), Brazil Biosystems Engineering

Europe

Institution Department
KU Leuven, Belgium Department of Biosystems
University of Liege, Belgium Biosystem engineering
Aarhus University, Denmark Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany Biosystems Engineering
Leibniz University Hannover, Germany Biosystems and Horticultural Engineering,
University of Hohenheim, Germany Agricultural Engineering
Technological Institute Of Larissa, Greece Biosystems Engineering Mechanics, Agricultural, Food Science and Engineering, Biorobotics
University College Dublin, Ireland Biosystems Engineering
University of Maribor, Slovenia Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Technical University of Madrid, Spain Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering
UPC-BarcelonaTech, Spain Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering
Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands Biosystems Engineering
Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Turkey Agricultural Engineering
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Bingöl University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Bursa Uludağ University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Düzce University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Erciyes University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Iğdır University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering
Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Turkey Biosystems Engineering

Asia

Institution Department
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
China Agricultural University Agricultural Engineering
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, China Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering
Shanghai Jiatong University, China Biological Engineering; Food Science and Engineering
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China Energy and Power Engineering
Yunnan Agricultural University, China Agricultural Water-Soil Engineering
Zhejiang University, China Biosystems Engineering and Food Science
National Taiwan University Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering
Bogor Agricultural University Mechanical dan Biosystem Engineering
Tarbiat Modares University, Islamic Republic of Iran Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems
University of Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems
University of Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran Biosystems Engineering
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka Biosystems Technology
Gorgan University of agricultural sciences and natural resources, Islamic Republic of Iran Biosystems Engineering Department
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka Biosystems Engineering Department
Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Indonesia Biosystems Engineering
Kyungpook National University (KNU), Korea Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering
Chungnam National University (CNU), Korea Biosystems Machinery Engineering
Seoul National University (SNU), Korea Biosystems Engineering
Kangwon National University (KNU), Korea Biosystems Engineering
Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Agricultural Biosystem and Mechanical Engineering
University of Sumatera Utara (USU) Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik Agricultural Engineering
Mapua University Biological Engineering
Mapua Institute of Technology Biological Engineering
Tribhuvan University (TU,IOEPC), Nepal Agricultural Engineering
Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India Biological Systems Science and Engineering

Africa

Institution Department
Hawassa University, Ethiopia Biosystems Engineering
Ambo University, Ethiopia Agricultural and Bioprocess Engineering
Haramaya University, Ethiopia Agricultural Engineering
Adama University, Ethiopia Agricultural Engineering
University of Nairobi, Kenya Environmental and Biosystems Engineering
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Gulu University, Uganda Biosystems Engineering

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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/
  3. ^ Website American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  4. ^ Website Institute of Biological Engineers
  5. ^ Website Biomedical Engineering Society,
  6. ^ Website American Institute of Chemical Engineers,
  7. ^ Website http://www.jbioleng.org/content/5/1/2/ Biological approaches for addressing the grand challenge of providing access to clean drinking water
  8. ^ Website http://www.jbioleng.org/content/5/1/14/ Addressing the Grand Challenge of atmospheric carbon dioxide: geologic sequestration vs. biological recycling

Further reading

External links

Systems engineering
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