Biological Engineering

(Discipline Code: 0836)

I. Discipline Overview

Bioengineering is a discipline that is oriented to human demands for biological products, integrates the theories and methods of biology, chemistry, physics and engineering, systematically designs, optimizes and modifies biological systems and functions, focuses on solving technical and engineering problems faced by the industrialization of life science research results, and promotes the healthy development of biological industries. Its mission is to translate the research discoveries of life science into actual products or scaled-up processes or systems that meet social needs. Bioengineering is widely used in such fields as medicine, food, chemical engineering, energy, light industry, material and environmental protection.

Based on the College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering for the first-level discipline of bioengineering, Nanjing Tech University is one of the most influential and competitive higher education bases in the field of biomanufacturing in China, and is the supporting unit of national research institutions such as the National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology, the State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, and the Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials. Its Biology & Biochemistry is ranked in the top 1% of ESI worldwide. This discipline has gathered young and middle-aged scholars with profound academic attainments and outstanding scientific achievements, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and national high-level talents. This discipline has long insisted on cultivating people with moral character, innovating and developing basic and applied research in the fields of synthetic biology and systems biology, cell culture and metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and pharmaceutical processes, biomaterials and process engineering, and bioenergy and resources and environmental engineering, as well as cultivating high quality talents with innovative spirit. Aiming at international academic frontiers and the strategic goals of national and regional economic development, this discipline is geared to social and market demands, insists on the combination of industry, academia, research and application, and follows the road of advantage and characteristic development. It has formed a complete innovation chain of "basic research - common technology development- achievement industrialization", made positive contributions to the long-term growth of biological manufacturing, pharmaceutical industry and national economy in China, and become a common technology research & development base for biological industry with significant influences at home and abroad, and a leading position for regional innovation and development.

II. Cultivation Goals

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the discipline comprehensively implements the CPC's education policy, takes establishing moral values and educating people as the fundamental, and the all-round moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic development as the main line, and cultivates high-level talents with firm political stance, noble ideological character, rigorous academic attitude and innovative spirit.

Knowledge structure: Expertly master the basic theory and expertise of synthetic biology and systems biology, cell culture and metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and pharmaceutical processes, biomaterials and process engineering, and bioenergy and resource and environmental engineering.

Ability structure: Master the current situation and development trend of bioengineering discipline and related discipline fields such as modern life science, have strong innovation ability and team spirit, the ability of independent scientific research in biotechnology and bioengineering, and the ability to solve practical process and engineering technology problems, and have in-depth research in a direction in this discipline. Degree holders are high-end research talents who can undertake teaching, scientific research and industrial technology development and management in higher education institutions, research institutes, enterprises and related fields.

Quality structure: Have a correct outlook on life and values, systematically scientific and cultural knowledge and skills, robust physique and strong willpower, noble sentiments and correct aesthetics, correct labor concepts and good labor habits.

III. Cultivation Direction

1. Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology: Carry out systematic research for synthetic biology and microbial cell factory construction. Establish bioregulatory strategies for coupling metabolic modules and construct microbial cell factories with important application value; analyze the regulatory functions of functional genes and explore a series of regulatory components to provide theoretical guidance for the transformation of strains and optimization of biological processes.

2. Cell culture and metabolic engineering: Conduct research on biomanufacturing of microbial cell culture and metabolic engineering modification for the preparation of high value-added products in response to the strategic needs of the development of efficient green manufacturing of bulk chemicals and fine chemicals in China. Innovate new strains, genes and enzyme preparations with important application value by screening special biological resources based on high-throughput screening and gene modification technology to develop a series of medicinal and edible high value-added biological products.

3. Biocatalysis and pharmaceutical processes: Carry out discovery and modification of biocatalysts, and research and development of efficient bioconversion technologies, equipment and integrated systems for waste biomass resources, and carry out research on biomanufacturing of drug intermediates and other high value-added products. Be committed to solving the problems of atomic economy and spatio-temporal efficiency of the biomanufacturing process, strengthening the development of integrated bioprocess technologies and equipment, and realizing green and clean production. Have improved the theoretical system of fitness regulation of substance metabolism and cofactor metabolism, and innovatively developed a new technology of biotransformation based on cell clustering effects.

4. Biomaterials and process engineering: Conduct research on the synthesis of bio-based polymeric material monomers and polymers, material processing and their applications. Develop new varieties of bio-based material additives such as bio-based polyurethane, polyester, polyamide and their core monomers, bio-based non-toxic plasticizers, etc. Construct new methods for the preparation of bio-based materials and monomers and additives such as microfluidic reaction technology and its exclusive equipment, bionic catalysis technology, etc.

5. Bio-energy and resource environment engineering: Carry out research and development of technology, equipment and integrated system for resource-oriented transformation of wastes with waste biomass resources such as straw, livestock manure and high concentration organic wastewater as the object. Research the production of bio-based chemicals; develop the technology, equipment and system integration for efficient anaerobic conversion industrialization of livestock manure, high concentration organic wastewater, and etc.

IV. Length of Schooling and Credit

1. The study period of full-time doctoral students is generally 4 years. If an extension is necessary, one must file an application, which should be agreed by the supervisor or supervisory group, reviewed by the college, and then reported to the Graduate School for approval. The maximum study period should be implemented in accordance with the Regulations on the Management of Academic Registration of Graduate Studies of Nanjing Tech University, and within the extended period, doctoral students should no longer enjoy relevant financial support from the state and the university.

2. The study period for students in the full-time combined master and doctor degree program is generally 6-7 years (including the master's stage).

The minimum total credits required for doctoral students is 12 credits, including 6 credits for courses and 6 credits for compulsory links.

V. Curriculum Setting

VI. Compulsory Links Management

1. Academic report training (2 credits)

Doctoral students must make special reports at academic seminars as required. During the academic period, each doctoral student must make no less than 4 reports, and meet the needs of at least 4 reports in total to obtain 2 credits for academic report training.

2. Academic lectures/reports (2 credits)

Doctoral students must attend at least fifteen academic seminars on and off campus (at least two lectures of humanities and aesthetics quality) during their study period, at least five of which are arranged by the Graduate School, and also participate in activities such as sunshine run on campus, sports meeting, voluntary work and public welfare activities in order to obtain 2 credits.

Students in the full-time combined master and doctor degree program must attend no less than twenty academic seminars (at least two lectures of humanities and aesthetics quality), at least seven of which are academic seminars arranged by the Graduate School, and also, they must also participate in the sunshine run on campus, sports meeting, voluntary work and public welfare activities, etc. in order to obtain 2 credits.

3. Attending international academic conferences or overseas exchange visits (2 credits)

Doctoral students must attend one important international academic conference with high academic influence organized by authoritative academic institutions or overseas exchange visits for more than 3 months during their study period in order to obtain 2 credits for the session.

VII. Thesis

1. Basic requirements for thesis

The doctoral thesis is a centralized reflection of the quality and academic level of doctoral students cultivated, and should be completed independently by doctoral students under the guidance of their supervisors. The doctoral thesis should be a systematic and complete academic thesis, which should make creative academic achievements in science or special technology, and should reflect that doctoral students have mastered solid and broad basic theories and systematic and in-depth expertise, and have the ability to independently engage in teaching or scientific research.

Doctoral students should have excellent academic style and research ethics. The thesis should reflect doctoral students' own research results, and doctoral students must not falsify, copy or plagiarize the results of others.

The basic requirements for doctoral thesis are detailed in the Basic Requirements for Doctoral and Master's Degrees in First-Level Disciplines (published by Higher Education Press, edited by the Sixth Discipline Review Group of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council). The requirements for thesis defense, review and degree application are detailed in the Detailed Rules for the Doctoral Thesis Defense and Review and Degree Application of Nanjing Tech University.

2. Thesis proposal

After admission, doctoral students should review literature, conduct in-depth research, identify specific topics and complete the proposal as early as possible under the guidance of their supervisors.

The proposal should be conducted in a relatively centralized and open manner within the first-level discipline, and reviewed by an assessment team composed of experts from the discipline or related disciplines. The proposal meeting should be attended by relevant teachers and graduate students. For the selection of topics for interdisciplinary theses, supervisors of relevant disciplines should be invited to attend the meeting. For any significant changes in the thesis topic, the proposal should be reorganized to ensure the frontier and innovation of the topic. The proposal should be completed before the end of the third semester in principle.

The requirements on the topic selection and proposal of the thesis for doctoral students are detailed in the Requirements for the Proposal of Graduate Students of Nanjing Tech University.

3. Mid-term assessment

The mid-term assessment of doctoral students is carried out in accordance with the "Measures for Implementation of Mid-term Assessment of Doctoral Students of Nanjing Tech University (Trial)".

4. Pre-defense (pre-review)

A pre-defense (pre-review) session must be scheduled for the academic thesis of doctoral students. Doctoral students should apply for the pre-defense (pre-review) of the thesis at the time point specified by the college or the discipline. The pre-defense (pre-review) should be conducted publicly within the scope of the discipline, and the thesis is reviewed by an assessment panel composed of (at least three) experts in the discipline or other related disciplines. Doctoral students should send the first draft of the thesis to the pre-defense (pre-review) experts and post a pre-defense notice according to the time points and requirements stipulated by the college or discipline. Graduate students who have passed the pre-defense (pre-review) should submit the relevant materials of the pre-defense (pre-review) to the college for record. Those who fail to pass the pre-defense must apply for the pre-defense (pre-review) of the thesis again according to the time specified by the college or discipline after making substantial adjustments and improvements under the guidance of the supervisor (team) in response to the problems in the research work of the subject and the writing of the thesis in accordance with the comments made by the assessment team. The implementation rules of the pre-defense (pre-review) will be formulated by the College.

5. Thesis review and defense

Doctoral students can apply for defense after completing all the links and credits stipulated in the cultivation plan. The specific requirements for thesis review and defense are detailed in the Detailed Rules for the Doctoral Thesis Defense and Review and Degree Application of Nanjing Tech University.

6. Academic achievement requirements

The requirements for doctoral students' academic achievements are detailed in the Measures for Assessment of Scientific Research Achievements of Doctor's Degree Applicants of Nanjing Tech University.

VIII. Criteria for Graduation and Degree Awarding

The criteria for graduation and degree awarding shall conform with the relevant regulations of the university.