Bio Engineering Laboratory (BEL)

Biochemical engineering is a broad-based branch of chemical engineering that is concerned with the design and construction of unit processes that harness biological systems to produce biotechnology products. Biochemical engineering is at the interface of medicine, the life sciences, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering.

It employs an integrative approach to solving biological, medical, and bioprocessing problems through systematic and quantitative methods. It encompasses the collection of ideas that capitalize on the manufacturing capabilities of cells to produce biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, to work for us.

Biochemical engineering is taught as an elective stream within the chemical engineering department due to the similarities in both the background subject structure and process techniques used by both professions. It has applications to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, agricultural, water treatment and food industries.

Chemical Engineering in conjunction with the Engineering Faculty and Mechanical Engineering has invested $0.75 million in a new bio-suite. Funding for equipment was also supported by the Victorian Endowment for Science Knowledge and Innovation (VESKI). BEL houses a pilot-scale biomolecule production facility for process research and development into biomolecules such as proteins, vaccines, and DNA. BEL is currently Australia’s only university owned and operated large-scale PC2 facility.

BEL works on cutting-edge research at the interface of engineering, biotechnology and medicine, enabling collaborations with other research institutes and industry within the exciting biotechnology environment of Melbourne.

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