National Needs Graduate Fellowship in Bioprocess Engineering

To design and operate the bioprocessing facilities of the future, engineering professionals must be trained in all disciplines involved in bioprocessing" The proposed graduate fellowship program includes well-rounded coursework, challenging research, and relevant interactions with industry" Course work will encompass fundamental bioprocessing, industrially relevant, and additional engineering and science topics" An Advanced Bioprocessing Colloquium will enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of the diverse topics within bioprocess engineering. Some specific topics will be fermentation strategies, product recovery and purification, process control and automation, economics, and good manufacturing practices. In addition, laboratory experiences will provide hands-on experiencein bioprocessingand instrumentationon a pilot-plantscaJe. Dissertationbased research will focus on biomass conversion, bioseparations such as foam fractionation, and optical sensor design for use with fermenting systems. Students will interact with industrial contacts during monthly seminars and gain real-world experience through industrial bioprocessing internships.