Bioengineering Opportunities within the College of Engineering

students

The intersection of the fields of biology and engineering is an exciting and promising place for prospective students. There are a number of opportunities to study biology and engineering at Illinois. Some options include:

Major in Agricultural Engineering

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering has a strong biological engineering emphasis within its curriculum. Its mission is to integrate life and engineering for the enhancement of complex living systems. Engineering is integrated with biology to solve problems related to food, energy, the environment, automation, natural resources, bioprocessing, sensing systems, and more. As the world transitions from a fossil fuel-based economy to a bio-based economy over the next 30 years or so, agricultural and biological engineers will be leaders in the bioproduction, bioprocessing, and biosensing aspects of that process.

Students complete basic courses in biological and natural sciences. By specializing in various areas of interest, students are able to apply their biological knowledge in designing equipment, processes, and systems that account for the properties of biological materials and for the environmental requirements of plants, animals, microorganisms, soils, and humans.

Many companies are looking for engineers who have a biological foundation to be able to solve problems that involve biological commodities. Bio-environmental engineers go to consulting firms, government agencies (NASA, DOD), and many energy/environmental related firms. Bioprocessing graduates are employed by food and pharmaceutical companies (ADM, Kraft, General Foods).

Several biosensing and nanotechnology firms are being established and are in need of engineers with a biological background. Knowledge of biology is becoming increasingly necessary in the design of automated machinery for food production to create an optimal environment for plant growth. Companies such as Deere & Company, CNH, and AGCO are quick to employ our graduates, because of their knowledge in the biological domain.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/ag_engin.html

Major in Bioengineering

This program of study in the Department of Bioengineering provides a strong foundation in biology and engineering, plus the opportunity to specialize in areas like Biomaterials; Biomechanics; Biomolecular Engineering; Computational Biology/Bioengineering; Electrical Systems; or you may design your own specialization.

Admission to Bioengineering is competitive, and there currently is an enrollment cap on the program. However, students who apply to Bioengineering are offered a second choice of a program of study.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/bioengin.html

Major in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ranks among the best environmental/environmental health undergraduate and graduate programs in the nation. Of special interest to students who may have been interested in biology include opportunities in the field of Environmental Biotechnology. The following topics are addressed in courses and research opportunities for undergraduate students:

Biodegradation and Bioremediation: biological control of chemical contaminants in natural and engineered environmental systems
Disinfection: detection and control of emerging airborne and waterborne infectious agents
Modeling: optimization or bioremediation and disinfection processes, and control of microbial ecology
Molecular Biology: characterization and control of microbial ecology in natural and engineered environmental systems

Environmental engineers pursue careers as consultants, researchers, or in management of environmental issues. Employers include industry, consulting organizations, government, and universities.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/civil.html

Major in Computer Science

Many of the most widely-known breakthroughs in biology involved the advanced use of computers. As one of the newest and fastest growing research areas in computer science, Bioinformatics is the development of algorithms and tools to extra useful knowledge from the data produced by biological techniques. Bioinformatics itself is a new discipline which overlaps with several not-quite-so-new areas, such as data mining and machine learning.

Faculty in the Department of Computer Science working in this area study gene regulation, comparative genomics, sequence analysis, and evolution; mine biological sequences and biological networks; biological text processing and sequence analysis; and numerical algorithms for the simulation of systems in biochemistry and statistical mechanics. A new course, Introduction to Bioinformatics (CS 466), supplements our offerings in databases, data mining, and machine learning.

Students graduating with degrees in computer science have gone on both to medical school and to graduate programs in bioinformatics and bioengineering.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/comp_sci.html

Major in Engineering Mechanics or in Mechanical Engineering

For students interested in bioengineering, the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) offers two majors: Engineering Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering. Engineers with this training research the structural behavior of single cells, develop new materials to replace damaged tissues, improve the design of artificial hearts, and model the dynamic movement of the human body.

Courses taught by MechSE faculty include Celluar Biomechanics, Biology for Engineers, Physics of Biological Systems for Engineers, Musculoskeletal Tissue Mechanics, Mechanics of Biological Solids, and Modeling of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics. Both the Engineering Mechanics and the Mechanical Engineering curricula are particularly strong in the deformation and dynamics of all types of bodies, both solid and fluid.

Students in Engineering Mechanics can select Bioengineering as their Secondary Field of Concentration (SFC). This option consists of twelve hours of biology- and bioengineering-related courses, taken during the junior and senior years. Students take Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cellular Biomechanics, and two other courses of their choice.

Students in Mechanical Engineering can select up to twelve hours of biology- and bioengineering-related courses as their technical electives, with at least six hours within the department. Alternately, ME students who pursue the Bioengineering Minor can count twelve hours of bioengineering courses toward their technical elective requirement.

From either program, students may go on to bioengineering firms and work on drug delivery, medical equipment design, or artificial organs. Students are also well prepared for graduate study and research in bioengineering, or for medical school.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/engin_mech.html and http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/mech_engin.html

For a list of MechSE faculty who are affiliated with Health and Biological Engineering, see www.mechse.uiuc.edu/content/about/research/faculty_by_research_area.php?fundamental_area_id=0&societal_need_id=4

Major in General Engineering or Industrial Engineering

Within the Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering, the Secondary Field of Concentration (SFC) in the General Engineering curriculum provides virtually unlimited opportunity and flexibility to one's interests and career goals. As one of the pre-approved SFCs, Bioengineering presents an excellent opportunity for students to pursue their interests in biomedical- and bioengineering-related fields. Students completing this concentration have the opportunity to continue their careers in medicine, design and development of medical devices and equipment, medical care delivery, rehabilitation engineering, and much more. Pre-approved courses for this SFC are mainly biology-related; however, students may augment their curriculums (via petition) with additional courses.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/gen_engin.html and http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/ind_engin.html

Also, see departmental sites, including www.iese.uiuc.edu/ugrad/advising/secondary_fields.html and www.iese.uiuc.edu/ugrad/courses/bioengineering.html

Major in Materials Science and Engineering

During the junior year, students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, elect an area of concentration. The department offers a concentration area in biomaterials, which focuses on the interactions between materials and biological systems. The courses required for this concentration include Design and Use of Biomaterials, Biomolecular Materials Science, a senior Biomaterials Laboratory course, as well as courses offered by the Chemistry Department and the School of Molecular and Cell Biology. In addition, students can take courses from other programs, including Bioengineering, to satisfy technical elective requirements. Finally, it is useful to know that the courses required for biomaterials juniors and seniors overlap significantly with required courses for pre-med students.

Biological sciences and applications are presented from a very general perspective, and they are specifically covered in the courses required for the biomaterials students. Engineering positions exist at companies such as GE Health Care Systems, Kimberley-Clark, Abbott Laboratories, medical and veterinary schools, as well as MS and PhD graduate programs in materials science and in bio-related fields.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/matse.html

Other Options

Minor in Bioengineering

You may study any engineering major at Illinois and elect to pursue a Minor in Bioengineering. You enroll in the minor after you arrive on campus, and there is no enrollment cap for this program.

For more information, see http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/programs/urbana/2008/fall/undergrad/engin/about engin.html#bio

Conduct undergraduate research in bioengineering.

As an undergraduate student in any engineering program of study, you can become involved in research in the field of bioengineering. This is a great way to learn about cutting-edge research while gaining valuable experience. A partial listing of faculty affiliates doing bioengineering research is at www.bioen.uiuc.edu/people and a summary of bioengineering research is at www.bioen.uiuc.edu/research.

Prepare for medical school.

If your post-graduate goal is to apply to medical school, you can do so with an undergraduate major in any of the engineering programs of study. The University of Illinois Career Center, a campus-wide resource, can help you select courses and prepare for medical school.

For more information, see www.careercenter.uiuc.edu/health.

Prepare for graduate study in bioengineering.

Many students who are interested in bioengineering continue their education through postgraduate study--master's degree and/or PhD. Any of the majors in the College of Engineering can provide excellent preparation for further study.