Biomedical chemical engineering

Article By:

McIntire, Larry V. Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas.

Mikos, Antonios G. John W. Cox Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas.

Last reviewed:July 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.412725

The application of chemical engineering principles to the solution of medical problems due to physiological impairment. Knowledge of organic chemistry is required of all chemical engineers, and many study biochemistry and molecular biology. This training at the molecular level gives chemical engineers a unique advantage over other engineering disciplines in communication with life scientists and clinicians in medicine, since the technical language of modern medicine is based in biochemistry and molecular biology. Practical applications include the development of tissue culture systems, the construction of three-dimensional scaffolds of biodegradable polymers for cell growth in the laboratory, and the design of artificial organs. See also: Biochemistry; Molecular biology

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