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Bioengineering (BE)

BE 110 Introduction to Sustainable Engineering (3)

Sustainability and its social and technical significance; global population growth; resource management and quantification; designs for sustainable society; challenges interfacing technology and culture/religion; green and ecological engineering; life cycle analyses; engineering ethics; selected case studies. A-F only. (Fall only)

BE 120 Introduction to Quantitative Biology (3)

Quantitative approach to applied topics in biology including synthesis and metabolism, kinetics, physiological systems, cellular processes and signaling, informatics, and emerging technologies for health, biological production/processing, and discovery. Pre: MATH 241 (or concurrent) and CHEM 162 (or concurrent), or consent. (Once a year)

BE 150 Introduction to Biological Engineering (2)

Discussion and experimental investigation of physical and chemical principles underlying representative biological processes and systems. Bioproduction, energy conversion processes, physiological systems, biological treatment, biosensors, biomechanics, and related natural and engineered systems. A-F only. Pre: MATH 140X or consent. (Once a year)

BE 191 Introduction to Applications in Biological Engineering (V)

Discussion and investigation of special topics, problems and applications of biological engineering. Pre: consent.

BE 260 Mass and Energy Balances (3)

Introduction of the principles of mass and energy conservation; development of systematic approaches to apply these principles in calculations for design and analysis of biochemical, chemical, and physical processes. Pre: (BIOL 171, CHEM 162 or 171 or 181A, PHYS 170, and MATH 242 or 252A) with a minimum grade of C-; or consent.

BE 350 Dynamic Systems Modeling (3)

 Introduction to analytical and numerical solutions for systems of differential equations. Modeling and computer simulation of representative dynamic systems encountered in biological engineering. A-F only. Pre: (260, ECE 110 or 160, MATH 243 or 253A, CEE 270) with a minimum grade of C-; or consent. Co-requisite: BE 350L.

BE 350L Dynamic Systems Modeling Laboratory (1)

Industry field trips and lab experiences to illustrate behavior of representative dynamic systems in biological engineering. Data acquisition and model validation. A-F only. Co-requisite: 350.

BE 373 Transport Phenomena (3)

Fundamental principles and applications relating to mass, momentum, and energy transfers in biosystems and other systems for engineers and scientists. Pre: 260, CEE 270, MATH 243 or 253A, ME 311 (or concurrent).

BE 405 Engineering Economics (3)

Economic analysis in engineering and management decision-making, interest, depreciation, income tax, cost classification, break-even analysis, economic comparisons of alternatives, benefit-cost analysis. BENG, CE, CEM, CNST, ECE, and ME majors only. A-F only. Pre: ECON 120 (with a minimum grade of C-) or 130 (with a minimum grade of C-), and senior standing. (Cross-listed as CEE 405)

BE 410 Biomass Conversion to Biofuels and Bioenergy (3)

Overview of biofuel/bioenergy production; fundamental concepts in biofuel/ bioenergy production; renewable feedstocks; thermochemical and biochemical conversions of biomass to biofuel/bioenergy; biodiesel production; environmental impacts, economics and life-cycle analysis; value-added processing of biofuel residues; selected case studies. A-F only. Pre: 373 (with a minimum grade of C-) or consent. (Once a year)

BE 411 Food Engineering (3)

Principles and applications of thermodynamics, electricity, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, psychrometry, and material and energy balances of food processing and preservation. Pre: (BIOL 171, CHEM 162 or CHEM 171 or CHEM 181A, MATH 243 or MATH 253A, PHYS 151 or PHYS 170) with a minimum grade of C; or consent. (Once a year) (Cross-listed as FSHN 411 and MBBE 411)

BE 420 Sensors and Instrumentation for Biological Systems (3)

Design course focused on fundamentals of electronic interfacing, control and automation, including biological processes. Topics include sensor physics, basic instrumentation, digital communication, and programming of microcontrollers and other portable computer systems. Pre: (ECE 160, ECE 211, and BE 350 or MATH 302 or MATH 307 or ECE 326) with a minimum grade of C; or consent. (Cross-listed as ECE 422 and MBBE 422)

BE 431 Environmental Biotechnology (3)

Environmental impact and control; the microorganism and its nutrition and growth conditions; microbial growth and substrate removal kinetics; bioreactors; biological treatment systems; biodegredation of xenobiotic organic chemicals; case studies. A-F only. Pre: 373 or consent. (Spring only)

BE 437 Biosystems Unit Operations (3)

Introduction to unit operations in biological, environmental, food, and manufacturing processes. Integration of biology and chemistry into engineering using basic concepts in mass and energy conservation and transport in reacting and non-reacting systems. A-F only. Pre: (373; and either CEE 320 or ME 322) with a minimum grade of C-; or consent.

BE 440 Bioremediation: Principles and Practices (3)

(2 Lec, 1 3-hr Lab) Soil environment, fate and transport of contaminants; microbial ecology, metabolism, and energy production; biodegradation of selected compounds. In situ treatment, solid-phase bioremediation, slurry-phase bioremediation, and vapor-phase biological treatment. Open to nonmajors. Repeatable one time. Pre: 260, CHEM 161, PHYS 170; or consent.

BE 460 Bioreactor Design and Analysis (3)

Application of mass/energy balances and reaction kinetics for the design and analysis of bioreactors for microbial, plant, and animal cell cultures. Pre: 373 or CEE 320 or ME 322; or consent. (Cross-listed as MBBE 460)

BE 470 Bioprocess Design and Analysis (3)

Combined lecture/computer lab on theory and practice of bioprocess design and analysis, involving biological basics and engineering principles of bioprocessing, computer-aided unit operations, process integration, and economic evaluation. A-F only. Pre: 373, or 437 (or concurrent) or 460 (or concurrent); or consent. (Alt. years)

BE 481 Senior Engineering Design I (3)

(1 1-hr Lec, 2 3-hr Lab) First course in a two-semester major open-ended design experience for senior students in biological engineering, with heavy emphasis on teaching written/oral engineering communication. Design process; project management; methodology; modeling; optimization; engineering economics. A-F only. Pre: (350/350L, 373, CEE 320 (or concurrent) or ME 322 (or concurrent), ME 311, ECE 211) with a minimum grade of C-; or consent.

BE 482 Senior Engineering Design II (3)

(1 1-hr Lec, 2 3-hr Lab) Continuation of 481 with emphasis on written/oral communication and engineering ethics. Properties of biological materials; risk and reliability; guest lectures on design by engineers; project completion with submission of a final design report. A-F only. Pre: 481 (with a minimum grade of C-) or consent.

BE 491 Biological Engineering Topics (V)

Study and discussion of significant topics and problems. Offered by visiting faculty and/or for extension programs. Repeatable nine times.

BE 492 Internship (4)

Integration and application of academic knowledge and critical skills emphasizing professional development. Placement with an approved cooperating supervisor/employer. A-F only. Pre: consent.

BE 499 Directed Research (V)

Research in the area of biosystems engineering. Pre: consent.

BE 606 Instrumentation and Measurement (3)

Measurement concepts and operating principles applied to the selection and use of instruments important to scientists and engineers dealing with biological systems, including automatic data acquisition and processing. Pre: CHEM 151, MATH 241, and ME 311; or consent.

BE 610 Biofuel and Bioenergy (3)

Overview of biofuel/bioenergy production, biorefinery concept; renewable feedstocks; thermochemical and biochemical conversions of biomass to biofuel; biodiesel production; algal-biofuel; environmental impacts, life-cycle analysis; value-added processing of biofuel residues; selected case studies; term paper and presentation. A-F only. Pre: consent. (Once a year)

BE 622 Experimental Methods in Cause-Effect Modeling (3)

Factorial designs and fractional factorial designs for screening variable and response optimization. Response surface methodology. Experimental designs appropriate to building and testing multi-variable behavior relationships. Sequential experimental designs.

BE 625 Biological Instrumentation (3)

System integration for computer-based control, automation, and study of biological systems. Topics include physical, chemical, and biological sensors, actuators, digital interfacing/communication, image analysis, and structured code for microcontrollers and other portable computers. Pre: consent. (Cross-listed as MBBE 625)

BE 634 Biological Treatment (3)

Fundamentals of applied microbiology and biochemical reactor engineering, quantitative description of microbial growth, operational theory and design basis of aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic treatment processes. Applications for water, wastewater, air, solid wastes, and soil. A-F only. Pre: consent. (Alt. years: spring) (Cross-listed as CEE 634)

BE 638 Biosystems Modeling (3)

Introduction to system thinking, procedures for developing system models, characteristics of important agricultural system models, computer approach to evaluation and optimization of system models. Pre: one of MATH 215, MATH 241, MATH 251A; or consent. (Crosslisted as AREC 610)

BE 664 Hydrologic Processes in Soils (3)

(2 Lec, 1 3-hr Lab) Hydrologic properties in soils and the processes involved in water infiltration drainage and solute transport. Emphasis on key parameters required for modeling. Recommended: CEE 424 or consent. (Fall only) (Cross-listed as CEE 625 and NREM 660)

BE 699 Directed Research (V)

Repeatable unlimited times.

BE 750 Seminar (1)

Use of computer and video technology in technical presentation, review of current biosystems engineering research. Pre: consent.