CU Science Discovery
School and Teacher Programs
Bioengineering:
Engineering Applications For The Real World
Bioengineering is:
the biological and medical applications
of engineering principles, practices,
tools and technologies
Bioengineering at CU
Bioastronautics
Chemical and Biological
Environmental Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
75 Minutes of Activities
Three Activities:
Design a Custom Bacteria
Protect That Pill
Alginate Encapsulation
Bioengineering
Practice using engineering
design process models in
bioscience applications
from the real world
Design Process Models
Engineering is Elementary Design Process Model
Bacteria Taxonomy
Bacteria Raw Materials
Bacteria Name: Escherichia coli
Pronunciation: esh-er-i-kia coal-i
Abbreviation: E. Coli
E. coli
Mobile with
Flagella or tails
E. coli
Capsule has pila
that allow it to form
bio-films
E. coli
Membrane is
sensitive to salts,
metals & chemicals
E. coli
Genetic option to
create nonreproducing strains
E. coli
Energy from
organic
compounds
E. coli
Reproduction is
rapid with option
for sterile strains
E. coli
Has Pathology,
some can cause
diseases in people
Environments: Warm fresh
water with temperature limited to
10 to 40 C (50-104 F)
Applications: Sewage,
Biological Waste and Simple
Organic Compounds
Bacteria Raw Materials
Bacteria Name: Dechloromonas aromatica
Pronunciation: De-cloro-moan-us aro-mat-ica
Abbreviation: D. aromatic
D. aromatica
Limited Mobility
with Flagella/Tails
D. aromatica
Capsule cannot
tolerate any oxygen
D. aromatica
Cell Membrane is
salt tolerant
D. aromatica
No special Genetic
features
D. aromatica
Energy from
benzene and
perchlorates
D. aromatica
Reproduction is very
slow and limited
D. aromatica
Has no Pathology,
not disease causing
Environments: Soils, deep
water and oxygen free
environments with average
temperatures of 1-32 C (33-90 F)
Applications: Perchlorates
(salts used in industry/rocket fuel)
and Benzene (a persistent
industrial pollutant)
Bacteria Raw Materials
Bacteria Name: Pseudomonas putida
Pronunciation: Su-doe-mon-as pu-tee-da
Abbreviation: P. putida
P. putida
Full Mobility with
Flagella or tails
P. putida
Cell Wall is rigid
and resistant to
high pressures
P. putida
Cell Membrane is
very salt and oil
tolerant-resistant
P. putida
No special Genetic
features
P. putida
Breaks down oil and
plastics for Energy
P. putida
Reproduction is
rapid in limited
environments
P. putida
Has Pathology, some
cause diseases in
people
Environments: Warm, very well
oxygenated salt or fresh water
from 20 to 35 C (68-95 F)
Applications: Oil, plastics and
oil-based pesticides (Atrazine)
Bacteria Raw Materials
Bacteria Name: Nitrosamonas europea
Pronunciation: Nitro-samon-as euro-pea
Abbreviation: N. europea
N. europea
No Mobility
N. europea
Cell Wall is nonrigid and sensitive
to high pressure
N. europea
Cell Membrane is
resistant to
nitrogen & organics
N. europea
Genetic option to
limit reproduction
to 5 life cycles
N. europea
Breaks down
ammonia for
Energy
N. europea
Reproduction is
very slow and can
be limited
N. europea
Has no Pathology,
not disease
causing
Environments: Soils, sewage
and fresh water but with very
limited temperature ranges of 2030 C (68-86 F)
Applications: Ammonia and
ammonia-based compounds
(fertilizers)
Bacteria Raw Materials
Bacteria Name: Deinococcus radiodurans
Pronunciation: Dee-no-coch-us radio-dur-ans
Abbreviation: D. radiodurans
D. radiodurans
No Mobility
D. radiodurans
Capsule resists heat,
cold, light, radiation,
but not salts
D. radiodurans
Cell Membrane
resists dehydration
& chemicals
D. radiodurans
No special Genetic
features
D. radiodurans
Energy from organic
and some inorganic
chemicals
D. radiodurans
Reproduction is
rapid and in extreme
environments
D. radiodurans
Has no Pathology,
not disease causing
Environments: Soils, fresh
water, extreme temperatures (2055 C), dry environments but not
salts or salt water
Applications: Radioactive
Waste, Heavy Metals and
Mercury
Design Challenge #1
Narrative:
We have a crisis that could make or break a small business
in rural Colorado. A small-scale processor of organic foods
has found pesticides, specifically Atrazine, in a shipment of
soybeans they have already started to process! Their
grinding equipment needs to be cleaned up fast so they can
get back to work but they cannot just wash the atrazine
down the drain. The grinders they used are in a very cold
warehouse and have a lot of ‘nooks and crannies” so they
need a mobile organism, but not one that can ‘get away’.
Most importantly, we have to guarantee that the organism
will not stick around after the treatment, cause diseases, or
get into the food system!
Design Challenge #1
Design Considerations and Environment:
Grinding equipment is contaminated with Atrazine (an oil-based pesticide)
They need limited mobility to get into the small spaces, but not one that can
get away!
The warehouse is very cold and has bright lights (high UV light)
The soybeans left behind organic chemicals and Nitrogen compounds
The organisms need to be able to get their energy from organic compounds
Organisms must NOT be able to survive, even for a day, after treatment
The organisms cannot cause diseases in people
3-E Engineering
Effective: Will the proposed solution
work well and does it meet ALL of the
proposed design specifications?
Economic: Is the proposed solution
done in a way that maximizes product
efficiency and return on investment?
Ethical: Can the proposed solution
cause any harm to people or systems
in the long and short term?
Design Process Models
Engineering is Elementary Design Process Model
Design Process Models
Engineering is Elementary Design Process Model
Insert Design Process Model Images from:
www.engr.ncsu.edu
3-E Engineering
Effective: Will the proposed solution
work well and does it meet ALL of the
proposed design specifications?
Economic: Is the proposed solution
done in a way that maximizes product
efficiency and return on investment?
Ethical: Can the proposed solution
cause any harm to people or systems
in the long and short term?
Component
# of Spoonfuls
Fraction
Water
1
1/5
Oil
1
1/5
Flour
3
3/5
Corn Starch
0
0/5
Salt
0
0/5
Sugar
0
0/5
Total
5
5/5ths
Alginate Encapsulation
Polymers are
chemical compounds
made from repeating
chains or networks of
smaller compounds
called monomers
Alginate Encapsulation
Insert Images From:
http://openwetware.org/wiki/IGEM:IMPERIAL/
2009/Encapsulation/Phase2/Alginate_Properti
es
Bioengineering is:
the biological and medical applications
of engineering principles, practices,
tools and technologies
Bioengineering at CU
Bioastronautics
Chemical and Biological
Environmental Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
CU Science Discovery
School and Teacher Programs
Bioengineering:
Engineering Applications From The Real World