Engineering Life

The biotechnology/bioengineering minor is an interdisciplinary program designed for students interested in these fields for careers or graduate programs. This minor is particularly well suited to science and engineering majors. Rapid advances in biotechnology and bioengineering have led to increasing demands for graduates with a background in these areas, particularly in the pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, environmental, food, and waste fields.

Biotechnology is the commerical use of living organisms to improve animal and human health, agriculture, and the environment. Biotechnology has existed since ancient times, when strains of plants and animals were hybridized (cross-bred) to produce offspring with the greatest number of desirable traits. Repeated cycles of selective breeding produced many present-day food staples.

The modern era of biotechnology began in 1953 when the double-helix model of DNA was unveiled. Recombinant DNA technology, commonly called genetic engineering, began in 1973 when scientists successfully removed a specific gene from one bacterium and inserted it into another. Since then, the field of biotechnology has expanded at a rapid pace with applications in fields such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, environmental engineering, and waste management.

Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles and design to medical problems. Specialized fields of bioengineering have different applications in medicine. For instance, biomechanical engineering is the basis for developments such as artificial hearts, implants, limbs, and respirators. It is important for developing artificial knees, hip joint replacements, and cardiac pacemakers. One of the major applications of biochemical engineering is the scale-up of recombinant DNA processes to produce pharmaceutical products. Bioelectrical engineering has led to the development of the pacemaker to restore normal rhythm of the heart muscle, defibrillators to restore normal heart action in patients whose hearts have stopped, and electrocardiographs to monitor heart action.

Course of Study

The minor requires a total of five courses. No more than three courses required for (a) the student’s major or (b) the Common Course of Study may be counted toward a minor. Students selecting this minor are encouraged to take at least three courses from other departments and pursue a biology-oriented independent study or honors thesis. The minor program is not available to students who are pursuing two majors.

The Biotechnology/Bioengineering Minor Advisory Committee must approve the program of study selected by a student for the minor. Students may petition the advisory committee and the Academic Progress Committee for approval for appropriate deviations from the course selection prescribed below. Please check the course catalog on the Lafayette web site for specific course details and prerequisites. Some courses may not be offered every year.

All students enrolled in the minor must take General Biology I and two courses in natural sciences from the following:

Biology: Bacteriology and Mycology; Human Physiology; Molecular Biology; Molecular Medicine;

Chemistry: Biochemistry; Experimental Biochemistry; Analytical Chemistry I; Analytical Chemistry II; Topics in Advanced Biochemistry;

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence;

Interim Session: Tissue Culture and Virology (biology);

Physics: Medical and Biological Physics.

Two courses in engineering are required from the following:

Chemical Engineering: Transport Phenomena; Biochemical Engineering; Special Topics: Seminars on Biotechnology-Bioengineering;

Mechanical Engineering: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering; Special Topics: Biomechanics;

Electrical Engineering: Biomedical Signal Analysis.

Students electing the minor are strongly advised to take one or more of the following courses for their Values and Science/Technology Seminar or humanities requirements:

VAST: Evaluating Medical Technology; AIDS: A Modern Pandemic; Scientific Prospects and Societal Implications of Genetic Engineering; The Human Genome Project: Benefits and Costs; New Drug Development: Benefits and Costs; Patient-Practitioner Interaction: The Role of Medical Technology; Human Reproductive Technology; The 3 Cs: Conception, Contraception, and Carrying Capacity;

Engineering Science: Engineering Professionalism and Ethics;

Religion: Religion and Medicine;

Philosophy: Basic Social Questions; Ethics.

Undergraduate Research

Lafayette offers research opportunities that go far beyond those of most undergraduate schools. Faculty members involve students in their research programs, providing one of the most valuable learning experiences that a student can have. Students can do research with faculty through the EXCEL Scholars program, an independent study, or an honors thesis.

Facilities

Students in the minor program have access to the outstanding facilities in the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering in the Kunkel Hall, Hugel Science Center, and Acopian Engineering Center. Among the equipment are two electron microscopes, warm and cold animal rooms, two tissue culture suites, a controlled environment room, DNA sequencing equipment, spectrophotometers, PCR thermocyclers, and a Chemi-Imager for electrophoretic gel documentation of protein and DNA, bacterial colony counting, immunoassay microtiter, southern and western blots, and chemiluminescence. Also available are gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, a 400 MHz Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, visible, ultraviolet and luminescence spectrometers, laminar flow hood for cell culture work, one-liter Applikon bioreactor, glove box for air-sensitive chemistry, and equipment for bench-scale or pilot-scale laboratory experiments, including distillation and drying.

Faculty Advisory Committee

Laurie F. Caslake, Assistant Professor of Biology. Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University. Teaching areas: molecular biology, general biology. Research interests: molecular studies on bacterial responses to changes in their environment.

Yvonne M. Gindt, Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley. Teaching areas: introductory chemistry and physical chemistry. Research interests: biophysical chemistry, protein quaternary structure, and time-resolved spectroscopy.

Javad Tavakoli, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Program Chair. Ph.D., New Jersey Institute of Technology; P.E., Pennsylvania. Teaching areas: design analysis and synthesis, kinetics and reactor design, and environmental engineering. Research interests: industrial wastewater treatment, renewable energy sources, and hazardous waste treatment.

M. Erol Ulucakli, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Ph.D., University of Michigan. Teaching areas: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, engineering design, and introduction to biomedical engineering. Research interests: experimental and theoretical heat transfer; and fluid mechanics.

Javad Tavakoli
Head, Biotechnology/Bioengineering
(610) 330-5433
tavakoli@lafayette.edu

For general information:
Office of admissions
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 330-5100
FAX (610) 330-5355
admissions@lafayette.edu