A synopsis of the latest international developments in ... Engineering - GREECE.pdf · Defining...

Dept. of Natural Resources & Agricultural Engineering, AUA, GreeceERABEE Network meeting, Vienna, April 16-17 2015

Network on Education & Research in Biosystems Engineering in Europe

D. BriassoulisDept. of Natural Resources & Agricultural EngineeringAgricultural University of Athens

A synopsis of the latest international developments in Biosystems Engineering

University programs of studies


Defining Biosystems Engineering

• The core concepts of Biosystems Engineering (BSEN) are variously understood by those within the discipline

• They have never been unequivocally defined due to the early stage of development of the discipline

• This makes communication and consistency in the use and interpretation of terminology and compatibility of the programs of studies difficult compared to other well-established engineering disciplines

A clear definition and recognition of the emerging discipline of Biosystems Engineering is needed at the European and the international level


Variable terms are used across North America:

– Biosystems Engineering or – Biological Systems Engineering– Biological Engineering– Bioresource Engineering

• Biosystems Engineering is synonymous with Biological Engineering in some institutions in USA

• In other US institutions, Biosystems Engineering is considered a broader term which includes Biological Engineering and Agricultural Engineering

• In other cases Biological Engineering includes Biomedical Engineering and/or Biotechnology and is broader than BSEN

• In many cases BSEN is combined with the term Agricultural Engineering and sometimes with Environmental or Food Engineering. These Departments offer different programs of studies for each discipline

• In a few cases Bio-resource Engineering is used for selected specializations of BSEN



• Variable terms are used across the US - Canada:


Auburn University Biosystems Engineering

Clemson University Biosystems Engineering

University of Manitoba Biosystems Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic University Biological Systems Engineering

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Biological Systems Engineering

University of Wisconsin Biological Systems Engineering

University of Kentucky Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Penn State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

South Dakota State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Iowa State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

North Dakota State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

University of Arizona Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Oklahoma State University Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Michigan State University Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

University of Minnesota Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering

University of Saskatchewan Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science

University of Tennessee Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science

CalPoly San Louis Obispo BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

McGill University Department of Bioresource Engineering


BioSystems Engineering:

• Biosystems Engineering is a field of engineering which integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental and agricultural sciences.

• Biosystems engineering integrates the expertise of fundamental engineering fields with expertise from non-engineering disciplines



Biological Systems Engineering:

• Biological Systems Engineering or Biosystems Engineering is a broad-based engineering discipline with particular emphasis on biology and chemistry.

• Subset of the broader notion of Biological Engineering, though not in the respects that pertain to Biomedical Engineering as BSEN tends to focus less on medicalapplications than on agriculture, ecosystems, and food science.

• Involves aspects of genetic engineering, particularly regarding the agricultural applications.

• Focuses broadly on environmentally sound and sustainable engineering solutions to meet societies’ ecologically-related needs.


The mission of the Biological Systems Engineering Department is to develop and disseminate engineering knowledge and practices that protect natural resources and improve sustainable production, processing, and utilization of biological materials*

(*) Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA


• Variable terms are used across the US - Canada:


Mississippi State University Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Purdue University Agricultural and Biological Engineering

University of Illinois Agricultural and Biological Engineering

University of Florida Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Texas A&M University Biological and Agricultural Engineering

University of Arkansas Biological and Agricultural Engineering

University of California, Davis Biological and Agricultural Engineering

University of Georgia Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Kansas State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Louisiana State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering

North Carolina State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering

University of Missouri Biological Engineering Bioengineering

Utah State University Biological Engineering

Cornell University Biological and Environmental Engineering

N. Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Chemical, Biological and Bioengineering Department

Ohio State University Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Oregon State University Biological and Ecological Engineering Department

Dalhousie University Department of Engineering (Agricultural Campus)


Biological Engineering:

• Biological Engineering or bioengineering: application of concepts and methods of biology (and secondarily of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science) to solve real-world problems related to the life sciences, using engineering's own analytical and synthetic methodologies and also its traditional sensitivity to the cost and practicality of the solution(s) arrived at.

• Biological engineering uses primarily the rapidly developing body of knowledge known as molecular biology to study and advance applications of living organisms.

– Analysis and cost-effective solution of problems related to human health, but the field is much more general than that.

– Biomimetics is a branch of biological engineering which strives to find ways in which the structures and functions of living organisms can be used as models for the design and engineering of materials and machines.

– Systems biology seeks to utilize the engineer's familiarity with complex artificial systems, and perhaps the concepts used in "reverse engineering", to facilitate the difficult process of recognition of the structure, function, and precise method of operation of complex biological systems.



Biological Engineering:

• The differentiation between biological engineering and biomedical engineering can be unclear, as many universities loosely use the terms "bioengineering" and "biomedical engineering" interchangeably 1

• Biomedical engineers are specifically focused on applying biological and other sciences toward medical innovations, whereas biological engineers are focused principally on applying engineering principles to biology - but not necessarily for medical uses.

• Hence neither "biological" engineering nor "biomedical" engineering is wholly contained within the other, as there can be "non-biological" products for medical needs as well as "biological" products for non-medical needs (the latter including notably biosystems engineering).


1. NIH working definition of bioengineering http://www.becon.nih.gov/bioengineering_definition.htm accessed, 1/1/2007

Bioengineering is a science-based engineering discipline that integrates engineering and biological sciences in one curriculum. Biological engineers develop products and design systems or processes for improved human health, use of bio-resources, and protection of the environment. The three career emphasis areas include: Biomedical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Bioenvironmental Engineering *

(*) Department of Bioengineering , University of Missouri. , USA

Biological Engineering

We emphasize design, building, and testing of new specialized bioreactors, biomedical biomaterials, bioplastics, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, biosensors, and bioinstrumentation.

We develop engineered systems that protect public health from water, air, and soil contamination.

We prepare students for entry into professional schools, including medicine, law, and public health.

We offer specific courses in biochemical engineering, synthetic biological engineering, metabolic engineering, biophotonics, biofuels, tissue engineering, biomaterials engineering, and biosensors that provide students with new skills required by employers in industry, government national laboratories, medical and other research institutes, and universities.(*) Department of Biological Engineering , Utah State University , USA

http://www.becon.nih.gov/bioengineering_definition.htm


Bioresource Engineering:• Bioresource engineering is similar to biological engineering, except that it is based

on biological and/or agricultural feedstocks.

• Bioresource engineering is more general and encompasses a wider range of technologies and various elements such as biomass, biological waste treatment, bioenergy, biotransformations and bioresource systems analysis, and technologies associated with Thermochemical conversion technologies such as combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, catalysis, etc.

• Bioresource engineering also contains biochemical conversion technologies such as aerobic methods, anaerobic digestion, microbial growth processes, enzymatic methods, and composting.

• Products include fibre, fuels, feedstocks, fertilisers, building materials, polymers and other industrial products, and management products e.g. modelling, systems analysis, decisions, and support systems.



Biosystems Engineering in Europe:

• In the framework of recent European and international projects, BiosystemsEngineeirng is considered a common descriptor of the relevant programs of studies in Europe, the U.S. and internationally

• The overarching mission of Biosystems Engineering (encompassing Agricultural and Biological Engineering) is to “integrate life and engineering for enhancement of complex living systems”

• It represents an evolution of the Agricultural Engineering discipline applied to all living organisms but generally not including biomedical applications

• The proposed definition of Biosystems Engineering excludes two already established relevant disciplines: Biomedical Engineering (with human biology background prerequisite; also referred to as Bioengineering) and Biotechnology (not an engineering discipline)


Biosystems Engineering is ‘the branch of engineering that applies engineering sciences to solve problems involving biological systems’*

(*) ERABEE Network


Biosystems Engineering core curriculum:

• The key element for the emerging Biosystems Engineering program of studies in Europe is to ensure that it offers essential minimum fundamental engineering knowledge and competences

• On this basis, a core curriculum for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering programs of studies in Europe was developed by the European Thematic Networks USAEE and ERABEE and was approved by FEANI. It is used as benchmark for both Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering studies in Europe

• The EU-US Atlantis project POMSEBES and the Erasmus Network ERABEE have worked towards defining the common basis of the core curriculum for the discipline across the European countries and United States

• To be taken further by defining the threads that link courses together

The Biosystems Engineering core curriculum

This would especially help in USA to clearly differentiate Biosystems Engineering programs of studies from others that are focused on traditional Agricultural Engineering (limited to agricultural applications) or Biomedical Engineering or Biotechnology (not an engineering discipline)


Biosystems Engineering core curriculum:

• The key element for the emerging Biosystems Engineering program of studies in Europe is to ensure that it offers essential minimum fundamental engineering knowledge and competences

• On this basis, a core curriculum for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering programs of studies in Europe was developed by the European Thematic Networks USAEE and ERABEE and was approved by FEANI. It is used as benchmark for both Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering studies in Europe

• The EU-US Atlantis project POMSEBES and the Erasmus Network ERABEE have worked towards defining the common basis of the core curriculum for the discipline across the European countries and United States

• To be taken further by defining the threads that link courses together

Defining BSEN competences

This would especially help in USA to clearly differentiate Biosystems Engineering programs of studies from others that are focused on traditional Agricultural Engineering (limited to agricultural applications) or Biological-Biomedical Engineering or Biotechnology (not an engineering discipline)


Biosystems Engineering comptences:

• The first structural step in developing compatible programs of BSEN in Europe and internationally is the definition of minimum desired core competences.

• Core competences regard:

a) the general competences (i.e. mostly related to math, informatics, physics, chemistry, etc.)

b) the generic competencies of the graduate (related to communication, cooperation, design ability, etc.)

c) the core competences referring to Engineering and Agricultural/Biological Sciences part of the BSEN program of studies

• The core BSEN curriculum of studies in Europe includes core competences, but does not include mid-level competences (specializations dependent competences) related to applied BSEN topics, which are defined by the individual programs of studies

• The mid-level learning outcomes and the associated competences and knowledge, as well as the advanced level knowledge and skills that define the threads of BSEN were defined in a structured way in the framework of the EU-US Atlantis project TABE.NET


TABE.NET - TransAtlantic Biosystems Engineering Curriculum and MobilityEU : University College Dublin, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Agricultural University of Athens, Università di BariUS: Virginia Polytechnic and State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


Biosystems Engineering comptences:

• The mid-level competences and the learning outcomes for each of six specializations of BSEN, selected for illustrative purposes among the BSEN specializations, are defined in a Transactions of ASABE publication while the domain-specific knowledge to be acquired for each outcome is also proposed.

• The six selected specializations of BSEN of interest to EU and USA programs of studies: – Bioprocess Engineering, – Bioenergy Systems,– Bio-based Materials, – Biosystems Informatics and Analysis, – Structural Systems, – Materials and Environment for Biological Systems, – Water Resources Engineering.

• This work is to be extended to include the remaining BSEN specializations, not included in this work due to space limitations (e.g. Mechanical Systems and Mechanisms and Waste Management) in a future publication.

• Once the proposed definitions are adopted, these threads will be available for global development of the BSEN.


D. Briassoulis, E. Gallego, A. M. Pantaleo, N. M. Holden, P. Owende, K. C. Ting, K. Mallikarjunan, The “Threads” of Biosystems Engineering, Transactions of the ASABE, Vol. 57(1): 1-23, © 2014 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers


Slovenian way from Agriculture Engineering to Biosystems Engineering:

• UNIVERSITY OF MARIBOR, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• New study program of Bios. Eng. according to USAEE-TN guidelines:

– somewhere between “evolution” and “revolution”

– a compromise between history, staff potential and area specific conditions,

– the structure of Students is today much better than in old Study Programme

Highlights for BSEN programs of studies

Prof. dr. Miran Lakota, Head of Biosystems Engineering DepartmentLjubljana, 10.7.2010 – ERABEE day on BEST event


Slovenian way from Agriculture Engineering to Biosystems Engineering:


Prof. dr. Miran Lakota, Head of Biosystems Engineering DepartmentLjubljana, 10.7.2010 – ERABEE day on BEST event

The main working topics of Department of Biosystems Engineering:

Automation and Emerging Technologies,

Precision Agriculture,

Agricultural Engineering,

Plant Protection Application Techniques,

Information Technology and Human Interface,

Irrigation systems,

Structures and Environment


Alexandria University, Egypt:


http://www.portal.alexu.edu.eg/index.php/en/faculties/2-pages/54-faculty-of-agriculture

Faculty of Agriculture :

Agricultural Extension EducationWood technologyEconomics and AgribusinessHome EconomicsAgricultural and Biosystems EngineeringDairy Science and TechnologyPlant PathologyAnimal and Fish ProductionPoultry ProductionApplied EntomologyVegetable CropsFloriculture, Ornamental Horticulture, and Landscape GardeningSoil and Water SciencesFood Science and TechnologyPomologyPesticide Chemistry and TechnologyRural DevelopmentCrop ScienceGenetics


Zhejiang University:


http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/redir.php?catalog_id=45640

Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environment:

Life Sciences, College of- Biological Science- Biotechnology

Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, School of - Biosystems Engineering - Food and Nutrition Science

Environmental and Resource Sciences, College of - Environmental Science- Environmental Engineering- Resource Sciences

Agriculture and Biotechnology, College of - Agronomy (Chinese)- Plant Protection- Horticulture- Tea Science- Applied Biosciences (Chinese)

Animal Sciences, College of- Sericulture,Aquaculture and Apiculture- Animal Science and Technology- Veterinary Medicine

http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/redir.php?catalog_id=45640


University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran:


http://en.uok.ac.ir/UOK/Faculties/FacultyofAgriculture/AgriculturalMachinery.aspx

Faculty of Agriculture:

Department of Animal Sciences

Department of Horticulture

Department of Plant Protection

Department of Agricultural Economy

Department of Biosystems Engineering

Department of Water Engineering

Department of Agronomy &Plant Breeding

Department of Soil Sciences


Turkey:


http://biyosistem.uludag.edu.tr/en/?page=bologna

Transition to Biosystems Engineering:

• The Agricultural Engineering departments in:• Uludag University (Bursa), • Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University (Kahramanmaras) and • Gaziosmanpasa University (Tokat)

• established first Biosystems Engineering Departments in 2009 and they began admitting students in the academic year 2009-2010

• Following these universities:• Namik Kemal University (Tekirdag), • Yuzuncu Yil University (Van), • Bozok University (Yozgat), • Mustafa Kemal University (Hatay), • Erciyes University (Kayseri), • Bingol University (Bingol), • Adiyaman University (Adıyaman), • Nigde University (Nigde) and • Cyprus International University (Nicosia)

• have initiated the programme under Biosystems Engineering

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