What is Bioengineering?
Bioengineering is defined loosely as synergizing multiple academic fields skills to solve problems in biology or human health and medicine. For this reason, many bioengineers are also experts in different STEM fields, such as bioinformatics, biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics.
For this competition, we focus on the two subfields of bioengineering: biological engineering and medical engineering.
- Biological engineering is the application of concepts and methods in biology to solve problems related to the life sciences or the application thereof, using methodologies from engineering, such as analysis, design, and optimization of solutions. This discipline is engaged in the engineering of novel biochemical pathways in biological systems and, in some cases, the creation of new organisms. These new pathways and organisms are designed for the production of a variety of useful products, ranging from proteins to molecular precursors. Examples of biological engineering applications include bacteria engineered to produce chemicals, biofuels, drug synthesis, probiotics, alternative/plant-based meat, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
- Medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for health care and clinical purposes. This discipline seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, by combining the methodologies of engineering with the biomedical sciences in order to advance health care treatment via creating new techniques and technologies for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. Examples of medical engineering include heart stents, pacemakers, neural prosthetics, rapid diagnostic devices, and 3D printed tissues.
For more in-depth views on what bioengineering encompasses, visit our bioengineering blog or the BioEHS Twitter for summarized posts of key and recent bioengineering scientific research!
About the BioE Program
For students interested in attending UC Berkeley as a bioengineering student, below are some statistics about the bioengineering undergraduate program:
- With respect to ranking, Bioengineering at Berkeley is ranked fourth in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs.
- At UC Berkeley, the bioengineering major is one of the most competitive majors within the College of Engineering in terms of admissions.
- The number of applications to the BioE major at UC Berkeley rises constantly every year as a result of increasing interest in this new and interdisciplinary field!
According to bioengineering staff, rising applicant numbers were matched by higher applicant quality. If you are interested in applying to the program, you can email BioEHSC™ competition chairs for more information at bioehsc@gmail.com or visit the department website at http://bioeng.berkeley.edu/.