ENCH281-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Principles Of Biology For Engineers

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

An introduction to biology, bioprocessing and biotechnology for engineers.

The aim of this course is to introduce engineers to biology in a general way by providing a framework for understanding life at the cellular and molecular levels, and to introduce you to microorganisms and their central role in chemical and process engineering.  The course is especially designed for Engineers. An understanding of basic chemistry is assumed, but if at any stage you feel that you do not understand the basics of biology and chemistry, then seek help from the course lecturers as soon as possible.

Learning Outcomes

  • As a student in this course, I will:
  • Appreciate that a cell is a basic unit of life and that the structure and function of the cell impacts on all other levels of life including organisms, ecosystems, industrial bioprocesses (assessment item: final exam).
  • Understand the importance and capabilities of microorganisms in industrial processes (assessment items: lab quizzes and final exam).
  • Understand that if I (as an engineer) want to manipulate biological processes, then it is crucial that an understanding of the molecular composition, metabolism and/or organismal limitations/capabilities of the process is understood (assessment items: test and final exam).
  • Understand how chemical engineering principles apply to biological systems and how this interface is critical to a variety of industry bioprocesses  (assessment items: lab quizzes and final exam).
  • Analyse and interpret experimental data, as well as accessing and utilising literature on the molecular structure and biochemical interactions between the molecules of life, and between microorganisms and the environment (assessment items: lab quizzes and write-ups).
    Transferable Skills Register
    As a student in this course, I will develop the following skills:
    1. Completing tasks in a laboratory. Important in many science- and engineering-related courses and jobs. A laboratory manual with instructions on what is required in each lab session will be provided.
    2. Providing required information in a written form of acceptable standard. This is necessary in most science- and engineering-related courses and jobs. We will have previous ENCH281 mid-term tests and end-of-term exam questions available on Learn, and will provide feedbacks on any submitted answers to these questions.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Dean of Engineering and Forestry.

Restrictions

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 13:00 Jack Erskine 031 Lecture Theatre
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 F3 Lecture Theatre
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 09:00 - 10:00 Jack Erskine 031 Lecture Theatre
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 13:00 - 16:00 Rata 342 CAD Lab
6 Oct - 12 Oct
Field Trip A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Saturday 09:00 - 14:00 - 29 Sep - 5 Oct
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 13:00 - 16:00 West 436
8 Sep - 5 Oct
Lab B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 12:00 - 15:00 West 436
8 Sep - 21 Sep

Timetable Note

Workload
Lectures: Three times a week. Please consult CIS for lecture times and venues

Students should note that the average student is responsible for approximately 3 hours of additional study for each hour of lecture at the 200 Level.
Laboratories & Field Trips
There are two laboratories (3 hours each): one microbiology lab (organised by BIOL staff) and one computer lab (organised by CAPE staff). In addition, there is one field trip (4 hours) scheduled in the 4th Term of the second semester.

Course Coordinator

Carlo Carere

Lecturers

Matthew Stott and Grant Pearce

Textbooks / Resources

There are no required textbooks. However, Campbell and Reece (2008) Biology (8th edition or higher) and Brock - Biology of Microorganisms (v15) are both widely used and several copies of each are available on three-hour restricted loan at the central library and a few copies will be available during laboratories.
Resources used or referred to in lectures will be available online on the course link in Learn.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,122.00

International fee $6,238.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Chemical and Process Engineering .

All ENCH281 Occurrences

  • ENCH281-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025