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. 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) and the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE), which generally encompasses BSE. Some program also participate in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

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 or for sequestration of carbon dioxide.

Specializations

Academic programs in agricultural and biological systems engineering

Below is a listing of known 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. accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ASABE defines accredited programs within the scope of .

North America

InstitutionProgramWeb site
Auburn UniversityBiosystems Engineering
CalPoly San Louis ObispoBioResource and Agricultural Engineering
California State University, BakersfieldBioResource and Agricultural Engineering
Clemson UniversityBiosystems Engineering
Colorado State UniversityChemical and Biological Engineering
Cornell UniversityBiological Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Dalhousie UniversityEngineering
Florida A&M UniversityBiological Systems Engineering
Illinois Institute of TechnologyChemical Engineering/Food Process Engineering
Iowa State UniversityAgricultural Engineering
Biological Systems Engineering
Kansas State UniversityBiological Systems Engineering
Laval UniversityAgri-Environmental Engineering
Food Engineering
Louisiana State UniversityBiological and Agricultural Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyChemical-Biological Engineering
McGill UniversityEnvironmental Engineering
Mercer University School of EngineeringBioresource Engineering
Michigan State UniversityBiosystems Engineering
Mississippi State UniversityBiological Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Montana State UniversityBiological Engineering
Civil Engineering
Environmental Engineering
North Carolina State UniversityBiological Engineering
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State UniversityBiological Engineering
North Dakota State UniversityAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Northern Kentucky UniversityBiosystems Engineering
Oklahoma State UniversityBiosystems Engineering
Oregon State UniversityEcological Engineering
Forest Engineering
Penn State UniversityBiological Engineering
Purdue UniversityAgricultural Engineering
Biological Engineering
Rutgers UniversityBioenvironmental Engineering
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestryBioprocess Engineering
Environmental Resources Engineering
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyBioprocess and Biochemical Engineering
South Dakota State UniversityChemical and Biological Engineering
Texas A&M UniversityBiological and Agricultural Engineering
Ohio State UniversityAgricultural Engineering
Food, Biological, and Ecological Engineering
University of AlabamaBiological Engineering
University of ArizonaAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of ArkansasBiological Engineering
University of California, DavisBiological and Agricultural Engineering
University of Colorado at BoulderChemical and Biological Engineering
University of FloridaAgricultural and Biological Engineering
University of GuelphBiological Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
University of GeorgiaAgricultural Engineering
Biological Engineering
University of Hawaii at ManoaBiological Engineering
University of IdahoBiological Engineering
Environmental Engineering
University of IllinoisAgricultural and Biological Engineering
University of KentuckyBiosystems Engineering
University of Nebraska–LincolnAgricultural Engineering
Biological Systems Engineering
Environmental Engineering
University of MaineBioengineering
University of ManitobaBiosystems Engineering
University of MarylandBioengineering
University of MinnesotaBioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
University of MissouriBiological Engineering
University of Puerto RicoAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of SaskatchewanBiological Engineering
Chemical Engineering
University of TennesseeBiosystems Engineering
University of WashingtonBioresource Science & Engineering
University of WisconsinBiological Systems Engineering
Utah State UniversityBiological Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic UniversityBiological Systems Engineering
Washington State UniversityBiological Systems Engineering

Central and South America

InstitutionDepartmentWeb site
Escuela Superior Politécnica del LitoralFood Industry Engineering
Federal Institute of São Paulo (Campus of Avaré), BrazilBiosystems Engineering
Federal University of Campina Grande, BrazilBiosystems Engineering
Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de MonterreyFood Industry Engineering
National University of ColombiaAgricultural Engineering
Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, MexicoIrrigation Department
Universidad Autonoma de San Luis PotosiFood Engineering
Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa RicaAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of Campinas, BrazilAgricultural Engineering
Universidad de CartagenaFood Engineering
Universidad de las Américas PueblaFood Industry Engineering
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo LeonFood Industry Engineering
University of São Paulo (Campus of Piracicaba), BrazilBiosystems Engineering
University of São Paulo (Campus of Pirassununga), BrazilBiosystems Engineering
São Paulo State University (Campus of Tupã), BrazilBiosystems Engineering

Europe

InstitutionDepartment
KU Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Biosystems
University of Liege, BelgiumBiosystem engineering
Aarhus University, DenmarkFaculty of Agricultural Sciences
Humboldt-Universität Berlin, GermanyBiosystems Engineering
Leibniz University Hannover, GermanyBiosystems and Horticultural Engineering,
University of Hohenheim, GermanyAgricultural Engineering
Technological Institute Of Larissa, GreeceBiosystems Engineering Mechanics, Agricultural, Food Science and Engineering, Biorobotics
University College Dublin, IrelandBiosystems Engineering
University of Maribor, SloveniaFaculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Technical University of Madrid, SpainAgricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering
UPC-BarcelonaTech, SpainAgri-Food and Biosystems Engineering
Wageningen University and Research Centre, The NetherlandsBiosystems Engineering
Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Aydın Adnan Menderes University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, TurkeyAgricultural Engineering
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Bingöl University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Bursa Uludağ University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Düzce University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Erciyes University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Iğdır University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Necmettin Erbakan University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering
Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, TurkeyBiosystems Engineering

Asia

InstitutionDepartment
Universitas Gadjah Mada, IndonesiaAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
China Agricultural UniversityAgricultural Engineering
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, ChinaAgricultural Soil and Water Engineering
Shanghai Jiatong University, ChinaBiological Engineering; Food Science and Engineering
Xi’an Jiaotong University, ChinaEnergy and Power Engineering
Yunnan Agricultural University, ChinaAgricultural Water-Soil Engineering
Zhejiang University, ChinaBiosystems Engineering and Food Science
National Taiwan UniversityBioenvironmental Systems Engineering
Bogor Agricultural UniversityMechanical dan Biosystem Engineering
Arak UniversityBiosystems Engineering
Tarbiat Modares University, Islamic Republic of IranBiosystems Engineering
University of Tehran, Islamic Republic of IranMechanical Engineering of Biosystems
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, IranMechanical Engineering of Biosystems
University of Tabriz, Islamic Republic of IranBiosystems Engineering
Uva Wellassa University of Sri LankaBiosystems Technology
Gorgan University of agricultural sciences and natural resources, Islamic Republic of IranBiosystems Engineering Department
Wayamba University of Sri LankaBiosystems Engineering Department
Institut Teknologi Sumatera, IndonesiaBiosystems Engineering
Kyungpook National University (), KoreaBio-Industrial Machinery Engineering
Chungnam National University (), KoreaBiosystems Machinery Engineering
Seoul National University (), KoreaBiosystems Engineering
Kangwon National University (), KoreaBiosystems Engineering
Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam UniversityAgricultural Biosystem and Mechanical Engineering
University of Sumatera Utara ()Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering
Holy Spirit University of KaslikAgricultural Engineering
Mapua UniversityBiological Engineering
Mapua Institute of TechnologyBiological Engineering
Tribhuvan University (), NepalAgricultural Engineering
Biological Systems Science and Engineering
Plaksha University (), IndiaBiological Systems Engineering

Africa

InstitutionDepartment
Hawassa University, EthiopiaBiosystems Engineering
Ambo University, EthiopiaAgricultural and Bioprocess Engineering
Haramaya University, EthiopiaAgricultural Engineering
Adama University, EthiopiaAgricultural Engineering
University of Nairobi, KenyaEnvironmental and Biosystems Engineering
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, KenyaAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Gulu University, UgandaBiosystems Engineering

See also

Related engineering fields Agricultural engineering Aquaculture engineering Biological engineering Biomedical engineering Civil engineering Chemical engineering Ecological engineering Environmental engineering Food engineering Hydraulic engineering Mechanical engineering Sanitary engineeringClosely related sciences Agriculture Animal Science Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology Chemistry Ecology Environmental science Forestry Horticulture Hydrology Plant Science Soil science

Further reading

  • 2003, Dennis R. Heldman (ed), Encyclopedia of agricultural, food, and biological engineering.
  • 2002, Teruyuki Nagamune, Tai Hyun Park & Mark R. Marten (ed), Biological Systems Engineering, Washington, D.C. : American Chemical Society, 320 pages.
  • 2012, Paige Brown Jarreau, What is Biological Engineering, 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine

External links