Welcome to the Institute of Biological Engineering
The Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) was established to encourage inquiry and interest in biological engineering.
The 21st century presents global challenges in the environment, resources, energy, health, and sustainability. The Institute of Biological Engineering supports the community of scientists and engineers that are addressing these problems through biological systems analysis and design. We do this through enhancing and promoting biological engineering in the broadest manner through research, education, and professional development.
The emerging discipline of biological engineering lies at the interfaces of biological sciences, engineering sciences, mathematics and computational sciences. It applies biological systems to enhance of the quality and diversity of life.
Refuge Plots
By Arthur T. Johnson, PhD, PE
One mistake that is easy for a Biological Engineer to make is to aim for perfection in his or her designs. This includes perfect elimination of unwanted organisms. However, management and control, not total elimination, is the key to a successful biological strategy. Biocontrol can be achieved through the application of one or more living natural enemies, parasites or predators, or through the recruitment of natural tendencies, none of which are absolutely effective. Working in harmony with nature beats working against nature in the long run.
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KSBB holds 15th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition
The Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (KSBB) is hosting the 15th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition September 16-21, 2012 at the EXCO in Daegu, Republic of Korea.
For more information visit: www.ibs2012.org.
IBE 2012 Annual Conference
March 1-3, 2012
The Westin Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Is It Name or Content that Counts?
By Arthur T. Johnson, PhD, PE
It just goes to show that not everyone knows what Biological Engineering is. The working definition that some of us use is that Biological Engineering is the discipline of engineering based on the science of biology, similar to Chemical Engineering and chemistry, Electrical Engineering and electricity, and Mechanical Engineering and mechanics, without any particular application in mind. But that’s not the way the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) sees it. Let me tell you how I know this.
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What Is Life, Really?
By Arthur T. Johnson, PhD, PE
An interesting convergence is taking shape these days. On one side, we have the successful biotechnological efforts to insert a completely synthetic genome into a living cell to produce a living, respiring, and reproducing new life form, an organism that has never existed before and did not evolve in the natural way. By anyone’s definition of life, these scientists have created new life. The reason, the scientists give, is to transform common bacterial cells, such as E. coli, into efficient biofuel factories capable of producing in a bioreactor all the fuel we could want or use.
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IBE Announces Election Results for 2012 Council
IBE is pleased to announce the results of the 2012 Council Elections:
President-Elect
Czarena Crofcheck, University of Kentucky
Treasurer
Melanie Correll, University of Florida
Councilors-at-Large
Karmella Haynes, Arizona State University
J. Christopher Anderson, UC Berkeley
Liju Yang, North Carolina Central University
Alyssa Henning, Ginko BioWorks
Undergraduate Councilor
Max Song, Brown University
Graduate councilor
Jessica Calkins, University of Georgia
These newly elected officers and councilors will join those currently serving terms:
President
Ron Sims, Utah State University
Immediate Past President
Bill Batchelor, Auburn University
Secretary
Sabrina Jedlicka, Lehigh University
Councilors-at-Large
Eric McLamore, University of Florida
Mark Haidekker, University of Georgia
Lisa Wilken, Texas A&M University
Praveen Kolar, North Carolina State University
Soonjo Kwon, Utah State University
The term of the 2012 IBE Council is January 1 – December 31, 2012.