Biological and Bioprocess Engineering MSc

Program Overview

The MSc Biological and Bioprocess Engineering program equips students with the skills needed for careers in bioindustry or advanced research in biotechnology. Taught by world-class researchers and industry professionals, the program offers a combination of core and optional modules covering biopharmaceutical engineering, bioresources, and applied technical skills. Graduates are highly sought after in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, and bioprocess organizations and have the opportunity to work on innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MSc Biological and Bioprocess Engineering is a one-year, full-time program designed to equip students with the essential skills for a career in bioindustry or for further advanced research in next-horizon biotechnologies. The program focuses on the emerging multi-discipline of bioscience, which is central to providing affordable and sustainable sources of energy, food, and medicine. The program's objectives include:

• Providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the processes and technologies that contribute to the production and design of complex biopharmaceutical products.
• Enabling science and engineering graduates to broaden their skill sets with complementary skills and build multidisciplinarity required in the industrial biotechnology sector.
The program is suitable for both bioscience and chemical engineering graduates. Students will learn from world-class researchers, including staff from Biomedical Science and Materials Science and Engineering. Graduates work in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, and bioprocess organizations.

Outline:

The program is structured around a combination of core and optional modules.

Core Modules:

• Biopharmaceutical Engineering: This module covers the processes and technologies involved in the production and design of complex biopharmaceutical products.
Students will design industry-relevant engineering processes for a range of biopharmaceutical products. (15 credits) It covers different types of bioresources, their characteristics, and how they affect their applications. Technologies used for processing bioresources, including chemical and biochemical methods, are explored. Production of bioenergy from bioresources is also discussed. (15 credits)
• Advanced Bioprocess Design Project: This module covers the design of whole biomanufacturing processes for the manufacture of biotherapeutic proteins.
It includes a taught component, where process design principles and practice are learned, and assistance during the design process, where students produce a process design and accompanying report. The course also covers part of modern quality by design, specifically the attainment of product critical quality attributes through the control of process parameters and its ramifications on process design. (15 credits) This includes fermentation, cell culture reactors, homogenisation, centrifugation, filtration, and chromatography. Unit operation-specific models are also applied to predict these operations' effectiveness. (15 credits)
• Applied Biological and Bioprocess Engineering: This is a practical module where students learn applied technical skills relevant to biological engineering in a biomanufacturing context.
(15 credits)
• Research Project: This module is the most important individual module in the course, assessing the student's ability to conduct research on an individual level.
Students select a research project that best fits their interests and conduct unique and original research in that area. Projects vary from industrially-based problem-solving to laboratory- or computational-based research and development of new processes or ideas. The research portfolio is a major part of the degree, and students are allocated an academic supervisor who provides advice and guidance throughout the period of study. Opportunities exist for research studies to be carried out in collaboration with other university research centers as well as industrial organizations. (60 credits)

Optional Modules (Examples):

• Stem Cell Biology: This lecture course provides a thorough grounding in the biology of stem cells and regenerative medicine, with special reference to the molecular and genetic control of cell fate specification and differentiation.
Students will also consider the clinical use of stem cells and their derivatives as well as the ethical issues that these raise. (15 credits) The emphasis is placed primarily on generic technologies of relevance to tissue engineering. (15 credits) It demonstrates the concepts of the engineering design paradigm applied to the exploitation of biology. (15 credits) It covers fermentation, extraction technologies, and purification operations. (15 credits)

Assessment:

Assessment is based on a combination of methods, including:

• Assignments for each module
• Formal examination of core modules
• Dissertation
• Oral presentation of the laboratory-based research project

Teaching:

The program utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Examples classes
• Coursework assignments

Careers:

Graduates of the MSc Biological and Bioprocess Engineering program are well-prepared for careers in a variety of industries, including:

• Biotechnology
• Biopharmaceutical
• Students will be involved with the Chemical Engineering at the Life Science Interface (ChELSI) Institute and the Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre.
These are centers with excellent capabilities, staffed by experts in bio-systems engineering and bioprocessing. Students will have access to the best minds with the best facilities in the UK.

Home (2024 annual fee) : £13,000 Overseas (2024 annual fee) : £29,700