KINGSTON, R.I. — June 16, 2005 — In response to the significant growth of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in recent years and advances in molecular biology, the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Department of Chemical Engineering has expanded its curriculum to include a 鈥渂iology track鈥� for its students.
鈥淲hile chemists are usually the ones who synthesize drugs, it鈥檚 chemical engineers who process and mass produce the drugs,鈥� explained Arijit Bose, 溏心vlog免费B站 professor of chemical engineering and chair of the department. 鈥淏y giving our students a background in biology, we鈥檒l be producing students with a competitive advantage for these high-paying and important jobs.鈥�
According to the department鈥檚 website, 鈥渢he application of the chemical engineering paradigm to biology will enable graduates to develop new molecular biology tools; drug delivery systems; artificial skin, organs and tissues; sensors and alternative fuels; and integrate new bio-products into existing materials.鈥� In addition, students who graduate from the program will be well prepared to enter medical school.
鈥淥ther universities who have tried this saw a massive increase in their enrollment,鈥� Bose said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already heard from several of our current students who are interested in it.鈥�
The new curriculum was approved by 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Faculty Senate last spring. It will require students enrolled in the program to take a sequence of five biochemistry and molecular biology courses in addition to their engineering coursework. The department expects to enroll a minimum of 10 students per year in the program by attracting students interested in chemistry, engineering and pharmacy.
Thanks to available funds from the pharmaceutical industry and the National Institutes of Health, Bose said there are a great many opportunities for research in the field. NIH, in particular, offers biotechnology grants that require collaboration between engineering and biology researchers. The 溏心vlog免费B站 program has a faculty position available that it hopes to fill with an engineer who has a biology orientation.
鈥淭he interface between biology and engineering is a growth area that we鈥檙e hoping to take advantage of,鈥� said Bose.
Pictured above, Chemical Engineering Professor Mercedes Rivero-Hudec in an engineering lab.