Explore Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
Bioproducts and biosystems engineers apply knowledge of engineering, technology, chemistry, and biology to select the appropriate renewable resources—such as wood, agricultural residues, fiber crops, and other biomass—for producing a wide range of “green” materials, including plastics, building materials, and energy.
Bioproducts and biosystems engineers also develop energy-efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly processes, and equipment for manufacturing these products. They consider the ethical and safety issues surrounding bioproducts as well as their economic impact, and they design sustainable systems that protect the environment, humans, plants, and animals.
In addition to basic science and engineering, they may focus on bioresources, biological/biochemical processes, bio-based products, and biological systems.
- Bioproducts engineers design and develop engineering solutions for sustainable manufacturing and end-use applications of “green” products, including biofuels, bioenergy, biodegradable plastics, building materials, paper, and chemicals.
- Environmental and ecological engineers focus on engineering applications to land and water resources, air and soil quality, land-use management, ecosystem services, ecological restoration, and waste management.
- Food engineers design and develop systems for production, processing, distributing, and storing food and agricultural materials.
*Salary and Career Outcomes gathered from the 2018-2019 CSE Graduation Survey. Post-graduation outcomes reflect the percentage of students who were employed full-time in their field or were enrolled in a graduate program at 6 months post-graduation.
