Biotech Engineering

Biotechnology engineering is the study, research and development of bio-organism, micro-organism and cell functions in living beings. The course combines engineering with other subjects like chemistry, genetics, biochemistry and microbiology. Biotechnology covers different fields of work like agriculture, disease research, eco-conservation, fertilizers, vaccines, energy production and animal husbandry. The programme focuses on areas like Enzymology, GM products and drug designing among others. The integrated undergraduate and postgraduate programme in biotechnology engineering is offered in many technical institutes across the world.

Biotechnology means any technological application that uses biological systems or living organisms to make or modify products or processes for specific use. It refers to the use of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, or biological substances such as enzymes, to perform specific industrial or manufacturing processes. Applications include the production of certain drugs, synthetic hormones, and bulk foodstuffs as well as bioconversion of organic waste. Bio-Technology is concerned with a variety of subjects including Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Chemistry and Engineering. Biotechnology has wide areas of application in Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, development of Medicines and Vaccines, treatment of prolonged disease, pollution control and waste management and ecological conservation, energy production and conservation and many more.

SCOPE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING

 What does a Bio-Tech Engineer do?

•   Bio-Tech Engineers involve in medical processes such as getting organisms to produce new drugs, or using stem cells to regenerate damaged human tissues and re-grow entire organs.
•    Biotechnologist involves industrial processes such as the production of new chemicals or the development of new preservative that can be used for food storage.
•    Bio-Tech Engineers deal with medical devices, instruments used in hospitals & medical labs.
•    Bio-Tech Engineers also deal with bioinformatics which involves the use of applied mathematics, informatics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and biochemistry
•    Biotechnology experts develop hybrid plants and involve such processes as the development of pest-resistant grains or the accelerated evolution of disease-resistant animals.

Career Prospects

Like the IT sector, Biotechnology in India is also throwing up tremendous scope for growth and is contributing to the total biotech market worth US$100 billion. The country has a global market worth US$91 billion and there is scope for cheap R&D through bio-partnering and co-developing technologies mainly with Chinese and American companies. More and more global pharmaceutical companies are seeking India to set their research and development centres here. 

A biotechnologist may find jobs in various quarters. In India, students can mainly explore job options in the following fields:

•    Drug and pharmaceutical research
•    Public funded laboratories
•    Chemicals Environment control 
•    Waste management  
•    Energy
•    Food processing industries Bio-processing industries