Biotechnology has been revolutionized by the techniques of genetic engineering which are used to design new proteins, produce drugs, and investigate disease mechanisms. Engineers use this technology to modify living cells of plants, bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells so that they produce important biomedical products such as human insulin and cancer drugs. In this course, students will learn some of the fundamentals of molecular biology and have the opportunity to carry out molecular cloning experiments in the lab. Students will also learn about some differences between pure science (chemistry and biology) and applied science (chemical engineering and biological engineering). A group research proposal on a current problem in biotechnology provides the students with an opportunity to investigate a particular research area in depth and to work with a Penn engineering PhD candidate as their project mentor. Students also attend a journal club to discuss recent journal articles and hear Penn faculty discuss current research in areas related to biotechnology.
Eligible students should have at least one year of coursework in Biology and Chemistry.
AP Biology experience is a plus – but not a pre-requisite.
Instructors: Dr. Zeenat Bashir
Biography
Dr. Sean Holleran
Sean P. Holleran received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2007 from the University of Michigan. His undergraduate degree (also in Chemical Engineering) was awarded by Cornell University in 1999. Dr. Holleran’s focus at Penn is on undergraduate engineering education – curriculum development, freshmen advising, outreach and enrichment activities. He has taught undergraduate courses in Material Balances, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Senior Operations Lab, and Senior Design. Dr. Holleran received the 2005 College of Engineering Distinguished Leadership Award from the University of Michigan, and several other teaching awards while at Michigan.
Dr. Robert Bucki Robert Bucki is a Senior Research Investigator at the Institute for Medicine and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania where he studies aspects of lipid biology and the effects of polyelectrolytes on antibacterial agents. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. in physiology from the Medical University of Białystok in Poland and did postdoctoral work at the University Paris-Sud in Orsay, France.
2025 Syllabus
Anonymous BIOT 25
Ryan L BIOT 25
