Sunday, February 5, 2012

Biochemical Engineers

Introduction:
It would be hard to imagine a world without gasoline, paper, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, plastics, synthetic fibers, paint, film or any other biochemical products we use and demand in our daily lives. Whether it is bettering already existing products or creating new ones, we generally take these engineering inventions for granted because we have grown up with many of them and for that very reason, they seem like they have always been around. Yet the work and discoveries made by biochemical engineers have had an overwhelming impact on all of our lives.
Applying scientific and mathematical principles, biochemical engineers develop processes, design equipment, and provide technical and management services for plants and manufacturing companies that convert raw materials into a wide range of end products, like pharmaceuticals, food and fuels. They are concerned with the large-scale culture of living cells in fermentation processes.
Biochemical engineers are constantly putting their creativity to work, synthesizing new materials, transforming combinations of elements of matter and developing the processes to do it all safely, efficiently and on a large scale. Different areas of biological engineering include biotechnology, biomedical studies, food processing, agriculture and environmental studies. Biochemical engineers process and package many of the foods we eat, develop new medicines, help power our cars and heat our homes. For example, a biochemical engineer could work for a food manufacturer, making sure that the food processed is safe for human consumption (no e-coli or salmonella) or one could work in the health industry, making sure that medical waste is properly disposed of.
Biochemical engineers are like alchemists; they turn living or raw materials into valuable products. They usually work with a team of biologists and chemists because while scientists develop the products, the engineers create the processes required to produce them commercially.
Biochemical engineers extract existing data and design methods to design equipment and operating specifications for industrial plants. They take into account cost, safety and environmental concerns when conducting research and performing experiments. Biochemical engineers working in plants must ensure that the equipment is operating efficiently and safely and that the desired quantity and quality of product is produced. They often meet with manufacturers, lawyers and clients to make sure that design plans are safe and will withstand a number of conditional variables.
Biochemical engineers are required to constantly update their skills and knowledge in order to keep up with technological advancements in this quickly changing field.

Biochemical Engineering

Biochemical engineering is a branch of chemical engineering that is geared towards applying engineering skills to conceive, design and develop processes and systems with the aim of creating new products. Due to the similarities involved in the material and curriculum subjects, and considering that both require similar problem solving skills applied in chemical and biological engineering, biochemical engineering is taught as a supplementary option. However, there are some colleges that offer biochemical engineering on its own.
How to become an Biochemical Engineer?
You can become a biochemical engineer by studying towards earning grades that grant you an opening in this line, and most outstanding should be your performance in Mathematics and Chemistry as they are prerequisites when it comes to this course. This is where you ought to really stand out while in high school to have higher chances of qualifying for a course in a subject related to this career.
Types, Description, and Information
You must make sure that you are always sharpening your skills to best update yourself with the new technologies that are being developed daily due to the innovation coming from all quotas.
To work in this field, you need to have exceptional problem solving skills and be very analytical and innovative in thinking. You also must possess great people skills, since you are required to work in teams for the most part.
Qualifications: Courses, Training, Certification
You must possess at the very least a bachelor’s degree or higher in order to gain employment as a bio chemical engineer. You must also be registered as a professional engineer.
Job Opportunities, Salaries and Recruitment
Biochemical engineers can work in many fields, just as long as there is a biological or chemical process conversion involved, trust to find them there, for example, in waste management, textile manufacturers, construction companies, to name but a few. They work alongside Scientists, Mathematicians, technicians and administrators and mainly work in chemical process industries that include food and beverage, chemical, gasoline and oils etc
Biochemical engineer’s salaries vary depending on the company they are working for or plan to work for, the average salary however is 72,490 dollars with the lowest earning 48,450 and the highest according to statistics earning 107,520 dollars annually.