In this blog post, we explore how chemical and biological engineering—an interdisciplinary field combining chemistry and biology—contributes to changes in daily life and the creation of social value.
Chemical and biological engineering is a discipline that combines chemistry and biology, playing a vital role in various industries. However, the predecessors of today’s chemical and biological engineering departments were all chemistry-related departments. It has been less than 10 years since biology began to be integrated into engineering schools. Initially, there were skeptical views that biology would be difficult to fuse with engineering fields, but as time passed and life science technologies advanced, the recognition that this convergence was, in fact, essential began to spread. Perhaps for this reason, the curriculum for the major consists of only 50% chemistry, 40% physics, and 10% biology. While this reflects academic tradition and current emphasis, considering modern trends, the proportion of biology is expected to gradually increase in the future. As biotechnology gains prominence in industry and society, its share within Chemical and Biological Engineering is also growing, and it is anticipated that the field will soon meet these expectations.
The courses studied in chemical and biological engineering are broadly divided into chemical engineering and biological engineering subjects. However, these are by no means separate disciplines; they are intrinsically interconnected. This can be considered a prime example of two distinct fields converging to create synergy. Regardless of the specific focus, undergraduate studies cover only the fundamentals, and the scope of practical work we can undertake based on this foundation is very limited. However, without this foundational knowledge, application and advancement are impossible; it is a crucial process, much like how a solid foundation is necessary when constructing a building. Since it is foundational, it is also true that nothing can begin without it.
Chemical engineering is broadly divided into two areas: the development of materials and substances, and processes. These can be viewed as the “products” being produced and the “processes” involved. Advances in chemical engineering are directly linked to improvements in the quality of various products used in daily life, which has a significant impact across all industries. However, we do not learn about development directly; instead, we study the properties of various substances and reaction processes to lay the groundwork for development. Regarding processes, we move to a slightly larger scale and learn about the design of reactors used to actually produce products in factories. Of course, at the undergraduate level, we study idealized reactions based on various assumptions rather than real-world conditions. This primarily involves finding the optimal conditions for producing a product, determining how to achieve those conditions, methods for recycling reactants that remain after the reaction is incomplete, and methods for disposing of waste after production. Such academic research ultimately contributes to finding ways to protect the environment and use resources efficiently.
Biotechnology courses are closer to biology than to engineering. They involve studying the various reactions within living organisms and researching how these can be utilized from an engineering perspective. While the explanation is simple, there are countless reactions within living organisms, and the ways in which these reactions interact are highly complex. Understanding biological reactions is central to biotechnological applications, which can be applied in various fields such as new drug development, biofuel production, and agricultural innovation. Thus, research in biotechnology goes beyond mere theoretical knowledge and focuses on developing practical technologies that can be applied to our daily lives.
Based on this foundation, graduate research programs primarily focus on process development, inorganic nanomaterials and catalytic processes, semiconductors and electrochemistry, biology and the environment, and organic polymer materials. While each research field addresses different challenges, the ultimate goal is to contribute to building a better society. Process development, as the term implies, involves the engineering of processes to synthesize and produce chemical substances—specifically, the design of factories that operate economically and generate profit. Research on inorganic nanomaterials and catalytic processes focuses on chemical reactions occurring at material surfaces, playing a crucial role in the development of new catalysts and the advancement of nanotechnology.
Semiconductor and electrochemistry utilize the electrical properties and reactions of chemical substances, which can contribute to next-generation energy technologies and improving the efficiency of electronic devices. In our biology-related laboratories, we study the properties of biomaterials at the molecular and cellular levels and explore ways to apply them in engineering. Environmental engineering encompasses various fields, but our department specifically focuses on wastewater and drinking water treatment. This is a critical topic related to sustainable environmental management. Finally, organic polymer materials represent the most chemistry-centric research area, where we study the properties and synthesis of organic substances and explore ways to utilize them effectively. Through these diverse research topics, students develop their own expertise and acquire the ability to create social value.
Even when studying the same textbook for foundational courses common to most engineering departments, the way these subjects are taught varies slightly depending on the field to which they are applied. This means that a single subject is viewed from different perspectives. These differences break down the boundaries between disciplines and foster the ability to solve problems through diverse academic viewpoints. For example, chemical engineering courses overlap significantly with materials engineering courses; while they focus on materials, we concentrate on the production and processing of chemical substances and products. That is why, even when studying the same fluid mechanics, the course title in our major is “Process and Fluid Mechanics.” In this way, interdisciplinary interaction is essential for solving complex problems, and it fosters integrated thinking in students.
As you study in this way, you tend to gradually develop a perspective that is focused solely on that field. And then, at some point, you suddenly realize it. Morning comes, you wake up, eat breakfast, wash up, and go to school; you get sick and take medicine; flowers bloom, the wind blows, and rain falls; you turn on the heater and the lights in your room—the “chemistry,” or “change,” behind all of these things begins to catch your eye. When viewed at the molecular level, nothing in the world remains unchanged. And whether that change is good or bad, intentional or unintentional, it affects our lives in ways both big and small. Through this realization, we go beyond simply acquiring knowledge to gain a deep understanding of how the disciplines we study are manifested in the real world.
After I started thinking about these things, I once discussed this idea with a friend. My friend told me that her older sister, who is majoring in Consumer and Child Studies and Library and Information Science, said that nothing in this world is possible without “communication.” She added that “university studies” seem to teach us how to view objects and phenomena. I wholeheartedly agree with this, and it made me realize once again that the Chemical and Biological Engineering I am studying is one such perspective.
So, among the various perspectives on the world, if you want to understand chemical and biological changes, I recommend studying chemical and biological engineering. In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, this field cultivates the ability to understand the essence of those changes and apply that understanding to contribute to human welfare and progress. In reality, your ideas about what you want to do can change countless times over the course of four years of college. This is not determined by your major, but by your own exploration and experiences. Rather than limiting your future prospects and deciding on a major, I believe it is better to keep your options open and study what you are interested in right now.
