Fossil fuels have been the primary energy source for society since the Industrial Revolution. They provide the raw material for the manufacture of many everyday products that we take for granted, including pharmaceuticals, food and drink, materials, plastics and personal care.
This course will cover the key enabling technologies that underpin biotechnology research including enzyme discovery and engineering, systems and synthetic biology and biochemical and process engineering. Much of this material will be delivered through lectures to ensure that you have a solid foundation in these key areas. We will also consider the wider issues involved in sustainable manufacturing including responsible research innovation and bioethics.
In the second part of the course we will look at how these technologies translate into real world applications which benefit society and impact our everyday lives. This will include input from our industry stakeholders and collaborators working in the pharmaceutical, chemicals and biofuels industries.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
1. Understand enzymatic function and catalysis.
2. Explain the technologies and methodologies underpinning systems and synthetic biology.
3. Explain the diversity of synthetic biology application and discuss the different ethical and regulatory/governance challenges involved in this research.
4. Understand the principles and role of bioprocessing and biochemical engineering in industrial biotechnology.
5. Have an informed discussion of the key enabling technologies underpinning research in industrial biotechnology
6. Give examples of industrial biotechnology products and processes and their application in healthcare, agriculture, fine chemicals, energy and the environment.