Bioengineering | Synthetic Biology, Biomaterials & Biomedical Devices

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> <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/technology/bioengineering">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref64698"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/technology/bioengineering#ref64698">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref64699"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/technology/bioengineering#ref64699">Branches of bioengineering</a></div><div 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transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="186281">Know about the development of titanium 3D-printed prosthetic jaw</span><span>Learn about a titanium 3D-printed prosthetic jaw.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/bioengineering/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref66442"></span>bioengineering</strong>, the application of engineering knowledge to the fields of <span id="ref66443"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/history-of-medicine" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">medicine</a> and <span id="ref66444"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">biology</a>. The bioengineer must be well grounded in biology and have engineering knowledge that is broad, drawing upon electrical, chemical, mechanical, and other engineering <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="disciplines" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disciplines" data-type="MW">disciplines</a>. The bioengineer may work in any of a large range of areas. One of these is the provision of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">artificial</a> means to assist defective body functions—such as hearing aids, artificial limbs, and supportive or substitute organs. In another direction, the bioengineer may use engineering methods to achieve biosynthesis of animal or plant products—such as for fermentation processes.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nonbiological-Man-Hes-Closer-Than-You-Think-2118807" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Ray Kurzweil’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonbiological Man.”)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref64698"> <h2 class="h1">History</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Before <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a> the field of bioengineering was essentially unknown, and little communication or interaction existed between the engineer and the life scientist. A few exceptions, however, should be noted. The agricultural engineer and the chemical engineer, involved in fermentation processes, have always been bioengineers in the broadest sense of the definition since they deal with biological systems and work with biologists. The civil engineer, specializing in sanitation, has applied biological principles in the work. Mechanical engineers have worked with the medical profession for many years in the development of artificial limbs. Another area of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/mechanical-engineering" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mechanical engineering</a> that falls in the field of bioengineering is the air-conditioning field. In the early 1920s engineers and physiologists were employed by the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers to study the effects of temperature and humidity on humans and to provide design <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="criteria" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criteria" data-type="MW">criteria</a> for heating and air-conditioning systems.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/biology-bonanza" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/167112-131-ABF5C65B/greylag-Flock-Greylag-geese-winter-migration-goose.jpg" alt="greylag. Flock of Greylag geese during their winter migration at Bosque del Apache National Refugee, New Mexico. greylag goose (Anser anser)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Biology Bonanza</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Our-Nonconscious-Future-2119857" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Yuval Noah Harari’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonconscious Man.”)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Today there are many more examples of interaction between biology and engineering, particularly in the medical and life-support fields. In addition to an increased awareness of the need for communication between the engineer and the associate in the life sciences, there is an increasing recognition of the role the engineer can play in several of the biological fields, including human medicine, and, likewise, an awareness of the contributions biological <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/science" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">science</a> can make toward the solution of engineering problems.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Much of the increase in bioengineering activity can be credited to electrical engineers. In the 1950s bioengineering meetings were dominated by sessions devoted to medical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/electronics" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">electronics</a>. Medical instrumentation and medical electronics continue to be major areas of interest, but biological modeling, blood-flow <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynamics" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynamics" data-type="MW">dynamics</a>, prosthetics, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biomechanics-science" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">biomechanics</a> (dynamics of body motion and strength of materials), biological <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/heat-transfer" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">heat transfer</a>, biomaterials, and other areas are now included in conference programs.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Bioengineering developed out of specific desires or needs: the desire of surgeons to bypass the heart, the need for replacement organs, the requirement for life support in space, and many more. In most cases the early interaction and education were a result of personal contacts between physician, or physiologist, and engineer. Communication between the engineer and the life scientist was immediately recognized as a problem. Most engineers who wandered into the field in its early days probably had an exposure to biology through a high-school course and no further work. To overcome this problem, engineers began to study not only the subject matter but also the methods and techniques of their counterparts in medicine, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/physiology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">physiology</a>, psychology, and biology. Much of the information was self-taught or obtained through personal association and discussions. Finally, recognizing a need to assist in overcoming the communication barrier as well as to prepare engineers for the future, engineering schools developed courses and curricula in bioengineering.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref64699"> <h2 class="h1">Branches of bioengineering</h2> <ul class="list-none image-list"><li><div><em><span id="ref66445"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/medical-engineering" class="md-crosslink ">Medical engineering</a>.</em> Medical engineering concerns the application of engineering principles to medical problems, including the replacement of damaged organs, instrumentation, and the systems of health care, including diagnostic applications of computers.</div></li><li><div><em><span id="ref66446"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/agricultural-engineering" class="md-crosslink ">Agricultural engineering</a>.</em> This includes the application of engineering principles to the problems of biological production and to the external operations and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="environment" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/environment" data-type="MW">environment</a> that influence this production.</div></li><li><div><em><span id="ref66447"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/bionics" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bionics</a>.</em> Bionics is the study of living systems so that the knowledge gained can be applied to the design of physical systems.</div></li><li><div><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="208089" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="188823"><a data-id="188823" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/alternatives-livestock-meat-lab/-208089"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/188823-138-5E1B8F5A/alternatives-livestock-meat-lab.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="The science behind fake meats" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/NZTCiQFk.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/23/188823-138-5E1B8F5A/alternatives-livestock-meat-lab.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/obPGhkQf", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/0ispx16T.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="188823">The science behind fake meats</span><span>Developing alternatives to livestock meat, including growing meat in the lab.</span></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/bioengineering/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div><em><span id="ref66448"></span>Biochemical engineering.</em> Biochemical engineering includes fermentation engineering, application of engineering principles to microscopic biological systems that are used to create new products by synthesis, including the production of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/protein" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">protein</a> from suitable raw materials.</div></li><li><div><em><span id="ref66449"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-factors-engineering" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Human-factors engineering</a>.</em> This concerns the application of engineering, physiology, and psychology to the optimization of the human–machine relationship.</div></li><li><div><em><span id="ref66450"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/environmental-engineering" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Environmental health engineering</a>.</em> Also called bioenvironmental engineering, this field concerns the application of engineering principles to the control of the environment for the health, comfort, and safety of human beings. It includes the field of life-support systems for the exploration of outer space and the ocean.</div></li><li><div><em><span id="ref991734"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/genetic-engineering" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Genetic engineering</a>.</em> Genetic engineering is concerned with the artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/DNA" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">deoxyribonucleic acid</a> (DNA) or other <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nucleic-acid" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">nucleic acid</a> molecules in order to modify an organism. The techniques employed in this field have led to the production of medically important products, including human insulin, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/growth-hormone" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">human growth hormone</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hepatitis-B" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">hepatitis B</a> vaccine.</div></li></ul> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Robert-Lewis/3520625">Robert Lewis</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":65846,"pageLength":567,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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