Up until relatively recently, biology and engineering were thought to be two fields of study and practise that were mutually exclusive. The advances made in engineering and life sciences during the past 20 years have dispelled this myth. If you want to combine your love of engineering with the chance to design life-saving medical technologies, a career in biomedical engineering might be the right choice for you. One of the most in-demand professions in the nation, biomedical engineering saw an unanticipated boom during the epidemic due to ongoing technological breakthroughs.
What is Bioengineering?
In the field of bioengineering, biological systems and biomedical technology are designed and analysed using engineering design and analytical principles. A subcategory of "bioengineering" is the courses given under the headings "Biotechnology" or "Biomedical Engineering." The fundamentals of both biology and engineering, including computer science, materials science, biochemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, statistics, thermodynamics, mass, heat, and momentum transfer, as well as cell and molecular biology, are taught to students in this field. Students can specialise in their areas of interest thanks to its breadth. These specialised regions are known as "concentrations" in the academic field of bioengineering. The following areas of bioengineering are among those with such concentrations:
1. Bioprocess Engineering
2. Bioinformatics
3. Biomedical Instrumentation
4. Biomechanics
5. Genetic Engineering
Prospective future
Future Prospects of Bioengineering and Bioprocess engineering is concerned with using enzymes and microorganisms to manufacture of drug molecules, proteins, nutrients and fuels at an industrial scale. In the near future, by programming DNA and directing cellular machinery, we can obtain products that were unimaginable even 10 years ago. Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the understanding and effective use of biological and biomedical data. One of its applications can be relevantly seen in Agriculture where bioinformatics helps crop improvement, insect resistance, and improvement of nutritional quality as scientists succeeded when they transferred genes into rice that increases the vitamin A value, iron, and other micronutrients in the rice we consume. Biomedical Instrumentation consists of instruments, machines, software, materials, or other related articles that are designed for the safe and effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment of illness and disease for human beings. With sensor-enhanced smartphones that can measure heart rate and oxygen saturation, and the widespread availability of fitness apps, bioinstrumentation has become ingrained in many people's daily lives.
Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics is widely used to design orthopaedic implants for human joints, dental parts, external fixations and other medical purposes. In the world of sports, biomechanics has been applied greatly because of its ability to analyse sports movements in order to decrease the athlete’s risk of certain injuries and improve their overall performance. Genetic Engineering, sometimes called genetic modification, is a set of technologies aimed at altering the DNA in an organism’s genome so as to alter its characteristics benefitting humanity. Genetic engineering has been applied in numerous fields including medicine, industrial biotechnology and agriculture.
Shifting proportions of the course
Bioengineering is a fast-growing, multidisciplinary area that includes medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, nanotechnology, and computer science. Bioengineers are at the vanguard of scientific advancement, developing cutting-edge medical equipment, vaccines, disease management products, robotics, and algorithms that benefit the masses. In manufacturing, new generation drugs and fuels are increasingly manufactured using bio-catalytic routes. In medicine, new imaging techniques, nanotechnology-driven drug delivery methods, genome mapping, tissue- engineered organs, artificial limbs and implants, and robot-assisted surgeries have revolutionised diagnostics and treatment methods. With these radical changes new and challenging careers, founded on both biology and engineering together have emerged.
Bioengineers are also increasingly employed in sustainability research for manufacturing recyclable materials and biofuels. The sector is a key contributor to India’s vision of reaching a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024.