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Expecting the unexpected
BIOCHEMICAL engineering is an interdisciplinary field, which has, as its primary focus, the fundamental issues that emphasize the translation of biological discoveries into practical outcomes. The profession concerns the engineering and translation of discoveries into commercial processes for new biological entities such as medicines and therapeutics.
Typically, in a four-year engineering program, the first two years are dedicated to foundation courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics whereas, in the last two years, students take advanced courses in specific topics in biochemical and chemical engineering.
Recently, several of the world’s largest chemical companies have announced new enterprises based on life sciences instead of traditional petrochemical processing and the recent mapping of the human genome is anticipated to open new opportunities. While biochemists and scientists are important to the industry, biochemical engineers have been taught skills in process development and modeling of chemical reactions. Often, biochemists and microbiologists are not taught mathematical techniques that allow them to model bioprocesses and design controllers that operate them. Therefore, biotechnology companies often seek to hire engineering graduates with a background in biochemical engineering.
Biochemical engineering acquires special skills and knowledge that cannot be found in traditional chemical engineering. Simply offering biotechnological problems in traditional chemical engineering courses has not provided sufficient depth for training in this area. For example, a typical reaction-engineering course deals with specific molecules reacting under relatively constant conditions. Applying such concepts to bioprocesses requires the engineer to model cell growth and changes in cells that occur within the bioreactor.
Also, while bioprocesses can generally be modeled with a simple reaction scheme, the underlying complexity of processes in the cell that lead to the end product must also be understood. Even if the bioprocess deals with an isolated protein being used to catalyze a reaction, proteins behave much differently than inorganic catalysts.
Biochemical engineers are ideally prepared to enter emerging industries in related fields. Students learn how to grow both natural and genetically modified organisms in cell culture bioreactors and how to separate and purify the active products from those cell cultures.
They also learn how to operate processes in compliance with appropriate manufacturing practices required by regulatory agencies. The products they produce promise to cure many serious health problems. Graduates are also well prepared to contribute to food processing and environmental remediation.
The future of biochemical engineers appears to be promising, as not only are there opportunities in pharmaceutical, therapeutics and biotechnology companies, but also in biochemical engineering consultancy companies who analyze the feasibility and commissioning of new biochemical developments. Applications include food production through alcoholic or lactic acid fermentation — beer, wine, yogurt. Previously, groundbreaking discoveries were made in biochemistry and molecular biology, which led to the development of new products. Some of these results include new pharmaceuticals, diagnostic routines and therapies, in which highly specific proteins, for example, in the form of monoclonal antibodies and biochips are applied. However, the production process for such products is quite a problem.
Today, cutting-edge chemical and biochemical engineers are working on a range of processes to make our lives better. Some examples include producing “magic bullets” that locate and kill cancerous tumors and developing drugs that will reduce heart disease.
The pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan consists of national and multinational companies. Currently, there are about 316 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies including 30 multinationals, meeting around 80 per cent of the country’s requirement.
Almost 95 per cent of the basic raw materials used for manufacturing of medicines are imported from various countries like China, India, Japan, UK, Germany and Netherlands because Pakistan does not have basic manufacturing facilities. A few firms are now producing some raw material locally.
Biochemical engineering is expected to occupy an important place in fields. Research in the health sector in collaboration with medical science and chemical engineering is also likely to yield positive results in the country.
The writer is an assistant professor at the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology and can be contacted at abdulwaheedbhutto@yahoo.com
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