Graduate Courses Offered

This course covers the development of mathematical models to describe biological systems. It emphasizes the use of analogic techniques for development and numerical methods for solution. Systems considered include biotransport, population biology, and cellular engineering.

Credit(s): 3

Living organisms are composed of multiple cellular components that work in an integrated fashion to support life processes. This course introduces students to network concepts and mathematical approaches used to model a cell as an integrated system. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course covers the purification of proteins and other soluble/insoluble products from biochemical and/or chemical process streams. It emphasizes physical-chemical separation processes based on density, size, solubility, molecular interactions, etc. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course covers the standardization and compounding of biomaterials and food products, as well as preservation processing using heat, refrigeration, concentration, and dehydration. It also covers basic unit operations in the bioprocessing industry. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course presents fundamental knowledge of cellular metabolic pathways, basic principles of metabolic engineering, metabolic flux analysis, regulation of metabolic pathways, metabolic engineering applications, and biosynthesis of primary/secondary metabolites. Students conduct experiments, participate in hands-on gene cloning and work with genetic engineering techniques. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Covers aspects of synthetic biological engineering, including overview of molecular biology and molecular cloning techniques, including PCR and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins. Introduces bioinformatics and practical use of these programs for biological design. Emphasizes principles of genetic engineering and use of standard biological parts and cellular engineering applications.

Credit(s): 3

Biofuel potential as energy source, emphasis on biofuel impacts on the global environment and economy, and the role of biofuel towards sustainability. Evaluate factors driving biofuel policies and research. General discussion about fossil fuel, renewable energy forms, and availability of biomass feed stocks and their forms. Evaluate biofuel production from solid waste and wastewater systems.

Credit(s): 3

Familiarizes students with various methods used for analysis of chemical parameters in environmental samples (water, soil, and air). Provides students with skills enabling them to make proper selection/evaluation of analytical procedure and evaluate data generated.

Credit(s): 3

Engineering management of wastes present in the vadose zone, including extraction, containment, and biological, chemical, and physical destruction technologies for sustainable agriculture and environmental quality. Aspects include engineering characterization, problem definition, treatment, and monitoring. Analysis and design emphasized through problems, examinations, and report writing.

Credit(s): 2

This course covers materials, wet chemical cleaning and etch, photolithography, metal deposition, doping, carrier density and conductivity, microfluidics, and micro-electronic-mechanical-systems.

Credit(s): 3

Students are trained to use all necessary tools at the Nanoscale Device Laboratory to perform fabrication of micro/nanostructures for their research needs, including undergraduate and graduate research projects.

Credit(s): 3

Protein biosynthesis, modification, folding, structure, and stability, protein purification and protein analysis are discussed. Students develop an original research proposal through oral and written presentations. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course covers fundamentals of bioreactor design and bioengineering to produce biological commodities. It emphasizes mathematical models of microbial and enzymatic processes in environmental and industrial biotechnology. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Focuses on production, management, and disposal of biosolids and wastewater generated in food processing and wastewater treatment. Emphasizes beneficial use of biosolids and wastewater for agricultural production, forest enhancement, and land reclamation.

Credit(s): 3

Applications of light and tissues optical properties for the detection and diagnosis of protein, cell and tissues properties and pathologies. Scientific and engineering principles for developing techniques and devices that use light to probe cells and tissues. Optical and thermal aspects of the interactions between laser light and biological samples needed for microscopy, disease detection and surgical guidance. Overview of current topics and research.

Credit(s): 3

Students explore the identification and modification of properties of natural and artificial biomaterials. Students learn design of applications for by-product recovery and recycling, environmental, food processing, and biomedical industries. Topics include commercialization of biomaterial feed stocks, biotechnology output, and bioprocessing by-products into traditional and alternative products. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Students learn to use principles of engineering, biophysics, and molecular and cellular biology to reverse engineer molecular and cell components in order to engineer and use corresponding tools to detect, diagnose, treat and prevent diseases such as cancer, gene disorders, and infection. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This fundamental course for advanced undergraduate or entry-level graduate students in engineering or other interdisciplinary programs introduces micro-engineering concepts, techniques, and principles. It includes an overview of bio-microfluidics, tissue micro-engineering, biomedical microdevices, etc., through labs, simulations, and proposal development. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 0–3

This course introduces fundamentals of tissue engineering. It investigates engineering design strategies for artificial organs and treatments for disease disorders of nerves, blood vessels, bones, cartilage, skin, and the liver. It also explores of the use of stem cell gene therapy in tissue engineering.

Credit(s): 0–3

This course covers scientific principles of biologically-based sensing elements, interfacing techniques, and the engineering perspectives of sensing and transducer devices. Biophotonic detection of molecular and cellular components and the applications of biosensors in the field of human health, agriculture, and bioenergy are also covered. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 0–3

Independent or group study of biological and irrigation engineering subjects not covered in regular course offerings.

Credit(s): 1–4

Living organisms are composed of multiple cellular components that work in an integrated fashion to support life processes. This course introduces students to network concepts and mathematical approaches used to model a cell as an integrated system. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Introduces graduate students to the current biological engineering research and applications in academia and industry.

Credit(s): 1

This course covers the purification of proteins and other soluble/insoluble products from biochemical and/or chemical process streams. It emphasizes physical-chemical separation processes based on density, size, solubility, molecular interactions, etc. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course covers the standardization and compounding of biomaterials and food products, as well as preservation processing using heat, refrigeration, concentration, and dehydration. It also covers basic unit operations in the bioprocessing industry. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course presents fundamental knowledge of cellular metabolic pathways, basic principles of metabolic engineering, metabolic flux analysis, regulation of metabolic pathways, metabolic engineering applications, and biosynthesis of primary/secondary metabolites. Students conduct experiments, participate in hands-on gene cloning and work with genetic engineering techniques. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Covers aspects of synthetic biological engineering, including overview of molecular biology and molecular cloning techniques, including PCR and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins. Introduces bioinformatics and practical use of these programs for biological design. Emphasizes principles of genetic engineering and use of standard biological parts and cellular engineering applications.

Credit(s): 3

Biofuel potential as energy source, emphasis on biofuel impacts on the global environment and economy, and the role of biofuel towards sustainability. Evaluate factors driving biofuel policies and research. General discussion about fossil fuel, renewable energy forms, and availability of biomass feed stocks and their forms. Evaluate biofuel production from solid waste and wastewater systems.

Credit(s): 3

Familiarizes students with various methods used for analysis of chemical parameters in environmental samples (water, soil, and air). Provides students with skills enabling them to make proper selection/evaluation of analytical procedure and evaluate data generated.

Credit(s): 3

Engineering management of wastes present in the vadose zone, including extraction, containment, and biological, chemical, and physical destruction technologies for sustainable agriculture and environmental quality. Aspects include engineering characterization, problem definition, treatment, and monitoring. Analysis and design emphasized through problems, examinations, and report writing.

Credit(s): 2

Protein biosynthesis, modification, folding, structure, and stability, protein purification and protein analysis are discussed. Students develop an original research proposal through oral and written presentations. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course covers fundamentals of bioreactor design and bioengineering to produce biological commodities. It emphasizes mathematical models of microbial and enzymatic processes in environmental and industrial biotechnology. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Focuses on production, management, and disposal of biosolids and wastewater generated in food processing and wastewater treatment. Emphasizes beneficial use of biosolids and wastewater for agricultural production, forest enhancement, and land reclamation.

Credit(s): 3

Applications of light and tissues optical properties for the detection and diagnosis of protein, cell and tissues properties and pathologies. Scientific and engineering principles for developing techniques and devices that use light to probe cells and tissues. Optical and thermal aspects of the interactions between laser light and biological samples needed for microscopy, disease detection and surgical guidance. Overview of current topics and research.

Credit(s): 3

Students explore the identification and modification of properties of natural and artificial biomaterials. Students learn design of applications for by-product recovery and recycling, environmental, food processing, and biomedical industries. Topics include commercialization of biomaterial feed stocks, biotechnology output, and bioprocessing by-products into traditional and alternative products. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

Promotes familiarization with departmental and graduate school rules, procedures, and research. Tools and techniques for writing research proposals and giving presentations.

Credit(s): 2

Students learn to use principles of engineering, biophysics, and molecular and cellular biology to reverse engineer molecular and cell components in order to engineer and use corresponding tools to detect, diagnose, treat and prevent diseases such as cancer, gene disorders, and infection. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This fundamental course for advanced undergraduate or entry-level graduate students in engineering or other interdisciplinary programs introduces micro-engineering concepts, techniques, and principles. It includes an overview of bio-microfluidics, tissue micro-engineering, biomedical microdevices, etc., through labs, simulations, and proposal development. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 3

This course introduces fundamentals of tissue engineering. It investigates engineering design strategies for artificial organs and treatments for disease disorders of nerves, blood vessels, bones, cartilage, skin, and the liver. It also explores of the use of stem cell gene therapy in tissue engineering.

Credit(s): 0–3

This course covers scientific principles of biologically-based sensing elements, interfacing techniques, and the engineering perspectives of sensing and transducer devices. Biophotonic detection of molecular and cellular components and the applications of biosensors in the field of human health, agriculture, and bioenergy are also covered. Additional coursework is required for those enrolled in the graduate-level course.

Credit(s): 0–3

Independent study of problems in biological and agricultural engineering.

Credit(s): 1–4

Credit for MS research and report requirements.

Credit(s): 1–10

This course provides graduate students with continued support and advisement. It is usually taken following completion of all coursework required for the degree.

Credit(s): 1–9

Introduces biofilm research and development of quantitative descriptions of microbial growth processes, diffusive and convective solute transport, and cell attachment and detachment. Application of these approaches to the analysis of biofilms in diverse industrial, medical and natural environments is discussed.

Credit(s): 3

Introduces graduate students to the current biological engineering research and applications in academia and industry.

Credit(s): 1

Study of advanced biological and engineering topics. Analysis of project scale water management issues, software development, crop modeling, advanced drainage systems, remote sensing, groundwater systems, and other topics taken from the research interests of the faculty.

Credit(s): 3

Promotes familiarization with departmental and graduate school rules, procedures, and research. Tools and techniques for writing research proposals and giving presentations.

Credit(s): 2

Faculty members mentor PhD students in teaching and in understanding principles of pedagogy, including: (1) planning/organizing lectures and other teaching activities, (2) conducting teaching/instruction activities, (3) involvement in grading student work, and (4) assessment of activities by faculty mentor.

Credit(s): 1–3

This course consists of individual work on research problems for students enrolled in doctoral programs.

Credit(s): 1–10

This course provides graduate students with continued support and advisement. It is usually taken following completion of all coursework required for the degree.

Credit(s): 1–9