Biochemical engineering

Quantitative and analytical skills required for biochemical and bioprocess engineering will be covered. The relationships between chemical engineering principles and approaches and biology will be explored. Knowledge about the operational considerations for suspended cultures, immobilised cultures, bioreactors, scaling, process selection, and operation of bioprocess unit operations will be discussed and worked on through calculations.

Active learning - Weekly discussions will be held during workshop sessions to reinforce the understanding of lecture content. Prior to the workshop/practical sessions, you are required to complete the self-learning activities by watching the pre-recorded lectures and attempting the practical questions. The lecturer will also prepare in-class activities or set problems to engage students individually or in group mode.

Problem-based learning - Open-ended assignments related to the biochemical engineering field will be done in group mode via report writing and presentation. Hands-on sessions will be held in the laboratory to solve the open-ended complex problems using biochemical engineering skills. The lab activities will further strengthen your understanding of the theory learnt from lecturers.

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.