Course description
Graduate Opportunities and Professional Recognition
There is currently a strong demand and future need for suitably qualified scientists and engineers with bioprocessing skills and expertise. This demand has been highlighted in reports such as the DTI / BIA Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team Report on strategic life science development ("Bioscience 2015"), Scottish Enterprise Life Science Strategy and the IChemE's new Technical Strategy Roadmap. People with a background in this area can be expected to find satisfying careers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, water and other industries.
Course Structure and Content
Due to the complex nature of bioprocessing, interdisciplinary training is essential. This course therefore utilises input from several sources such as life sciences, mathematics, the physical sciences and chemical engineering to ensure students gain a highly interdisciplinary yet rounded education.
The main objectives of the course are to enable students to:
* Develop detailed knowledge and skills to deal with diverse and complex processes and products that exist in bio-manufacturing and an essential understanding of the range of technology and techniques available to support this activity.
* Develop a critical understanding of the relationships and interactions between the various components in a bioprocess system to achieve the overall goal of successful bio-manufacturing.
* Develop and use a significant range of science and engineering skills, techniques and practices in bio-manufacturing.
* Critically review existing practice and develop original and creative solutions to problems within the sector.
* Communicate and work effectively with peers and academic staff in a variety of tasks, demonstrating appropriate levels of autonomy and responsibility.
* Plan and execute a significant project of research, investigation or development in a specialist area, demonstrating extensive, detailed and critical understanding of that focus.
All students take 8 taught modules, which include a module on Research Methods and Critical Analysis. Of these modules, one can be chosen from a list of electives. Masters students complete the course by undertaking a summer Masters Project lasting approximately 3 months.
The course comprises of the following modules:
Core Modules
* Biology for Engineers
* Process Engineering 1
* Upstream Bioprocessing
* Production Management
* Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering
* Downstream Processing
* Critical Analysis and Research Preparation
* Masters Dissertation Project
Electives
One module can be chosen from a list of electives; the electives that will actually be offered will depend on the background of the student, but will normally include modules in:
* Environmental Impact Assessment
* Principles of Drug Discovery and Development
* Nanochemistry
* Applied Bioinformatics
* Ontologies and Algorithms for Bioinformatics
* Biologically Inspired Computing
Facilities and Research Environment
Staff in the School have over 20 years experience in Bioprocessing and related areas and extensive industrial experience. The School has recently made significant investigations in the facilities for this research-area and now boasts state-of-the-art laboratories for microbiological and cell culture work up to GM(II).
