This dual degree in Biological Engineering (B.Tech. & M.Tech.), offered by IIT Madras, brings together engineering principles and molecular life sciences to develop and operate biology-based technologies in diversified fields such as energy, environment, bioprocesses, biomaterials, diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals and food processing. The programme will impart knowledge on different areas of the biology-engineering interface and hence, is designed to be a broad-based one. It will emphasize core courses in basic sciences, biological sciences and provide a solid foundation in application of engineering principles to biological systems, through courses in different areas such as bioprocess engineering, biomedical engineering, biomolecular engineering and computational biology.
This will enable the students to have a wider appreciation of the biology-engineering interface and allow them to evolve interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving, research and technology development. In addition to core theory and practical courses, a basket of elective courses will be offered in bioprocess engineering, biomedical engineering and computational biology for specialization. The programme is designed to allow the students sufficient time and courses to familiarize themselves with different areas of the biology-engineering interface before embarking on a specialization. The curriculum also aims to impart a more research-based training than what is available in traditional M.Tech.
Biotechnology programmes. Each student will undertake an extensive research project spread over the last three semesters of the curriculum. The students graduating from this dual degree programme will be well-positioned to take up academic research in leading international universities or employed as process engineers and R&D scientists in Indian Biotechnology industries. In addition to strong expertise on various applications of engineering principles in biology, the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras also possesses inherent strengths in basic biology, thus uniquely positioned to offer this strong interdisciplinary programme in biological engineering. Biology at school level is not a prerequisite for admission to this programme.
This dual degree in Biological Sciences (B.S. & M.S.), offered by IIT Madras, provides a strong foundation in biological sciences. It encompass the study of living organisms and life processes at all levels, including individual organisms, tissues, cells, subcellular structures, and molecules. The application of biological sciences to improve health, agriculture and environment is unlimited and currently there is a dearth of well-trained manpower in this area.
Apart from the fundamental courses in biological sciences, the curriculum will emphasize on other areas – chemical biology and computational biology. In addition to a few core theory and laboratory courses, a basket of elective courses will be offered in each of these areas. Each student will undertake an extensive research project, spread over the last 4 semesters of the curriculum. Therefore, this programme provides intense research-based training, which is lacking in traditional M.Sc. Biology programmes.
The curriculum imparts specific skills on interfacing cellular, molecular and computational biology, trains students to undertake academic research in frontier areas in world class universities and also equips students with skills to be employed in R&D laboratories of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in India and abroad. The Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, with its large faculty body and diverse expertise in various disciplines of biology, such as cellular & molecular biology, structural biology, chemical biology and computational biology, is uniquely positioned to offer a research-oriented programme in biological sciences. Biology at school level is not a prerequisite for admission to this programme.