B.Tech in Biological Systems Engineering
Join a unique academic adventure where you'll mix biology with technology in a seamless way. Dive deep into how cells work and explore the latest advancements in biological engineering, including groundbreaking techniques like CRISPR, biosensors, biomaterials, and bioinformatics. Go beyond traditional subjects and look at nature from tiny to big scales. This exciting program prepares you to tackle complex biological problems and come up with new ideas that merge biology, technology, and engineering.
Instructor: Dr. Kanchi Gopinath
This course is aimed to provide students with an understanding of the role that computational thinking plays in problem solving. They will be exposed to programming concepts and how to use them to design solutions using C language, starting from simple problems to interesting ones using ideas such as recursion and backtracking. In addition to learning key computing concepts and skills, the course will focus on laying necessary foundations in computational thinking going forward. For example, paradigms such as 'divide and conquer' and dynamic programming will be introduced through examples.
Instructors: Dr. Deepan M., Dr. Manoj Kannan
Instructor: Prof. Amit Sheth
Instructors: Dr. Amrik Sen, Dr. Vivek Deulkar
Instructors: Dr. Prashanth Kumar, Dr. Monika Sharma, Dr. Navjot Kaur
What do we mean when we say Entangled Worlds? Entanglement as such implies a state of intertwining, of interpenetration, deep connectivity, interlocking and irreducible, fundamental interdependency and interrelationship. Although it would seem obvious that we live in a profoundly interconnected world in which both processes initiated by humans and non-human biological and non-biological entities continuously impact one another, our actions as organic, conscious and sentient beings do not reflect the obvious fact of interconnectedness.
Human beings by and large continue to operate as though their actions are isolated events that do not impact the rest of the world including other human beings, plant and animal species. Environmental degradation, climate change, species extinction, economic inequality, various forms of injustice, war and so on perhaps point towards a fundamental flaw in the way we think and act. In fact, we could claim the way we think and act is no longer commensurate with the kinds of immense global challenges we are facing. This seems to be the critical question of the Anthropocene.
How does one begin to return to a fundamental understanding of the embeddedness of all forms of life as well as so-called inorganic material in a web of interdependence, of inexorable entanglement? Is it even possible for us to engender a radical shift in the way we think about ourselves and planet Earth? Or have we already gone too far in our quest for creating a solely human-centric world?
In this course we will explore and reflect on the question of entanglements from a variety of transdisciplinary perspectives including those of art, music, imagination, biological systems, quantum mechanics, language, mathematics, design, thought, time, space, history, philosophy and technology. In particular, we will be experimenting with the idea of contrapuntal music as a model from which to think about ways of interconnecting different, independent melodies (read: concepts) in a dynamic, lattice-like structure through which a new emergent harmony is created.
Instructors: Dr. Aditya Malik, Dr. Brainerd Prince, Dr. Saikat Chakraborty
Instructor: Dr. Malini Balakrishnan
Instructors: Dr. Sandeep Manjanna, Dr. Manoj Kannan
Instructor: Dr. Amrik Sen
Instructors: Dr. Rudra Pratap, Dr. Dhiraj Sinha
Instructors: Dr. Prashanth Kumar, Dr. Navjot Kaur, Dr. Saikat Chakraborty
Instructor: Dr. Brainerd Prince
Instructors: Dr. Rucha Joshi, Dr. Amit Sheth, Dr. Vishal Garg
The objective of the course is to train the students in the field of basic and applied electronics, which forms the backbone of the modern semiconductor and telecommunication industry. The course covers the fundamental and applied aspects of the subject aligned toward the design and development of novel electronic devices and systems. The course starts with an introduction to the broader field of electronics engineering and its relevance for other industry verticals against the framework of significant inventions and innovations. It will cover the essential aspects of circuit theory and evolves towards encompassing the operation of semiconductor devices which form the backbone of computational and communication systems.
A special focus of the course is on how simple devices and circuits get interconnected to form complex units which play a defining role in the operation of sophisticated gadgets. Towards the completion of the course, the students would be able to conceive and prototype new artifacts, systems, and gadgets, while using the foundation of analog and digital electronics.
Instructors: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Bose, Dr. Dhiraj Sinha
This course explores philosophical and foundational issues concerning computers, computing, and artificial intelligence. It addresses a range of fundamental questions, including: What is a computer? Could a computer be conscious? How could you test whether a computer is thinking? Are thinking and consciousness the same or different? Is the human brain a computer? Are there limits to what is computable?
The course also describes the work of Alan Turing, and his revolutionary ideas and legacy. While a graduate student, Turing invented the fundamental logical principles of the modern computer. He is responsible for the model of computability that underlies modern computer science—the universal Turing machine. The course investigates this important model and the scope and limits of the universal machine. It also includes an introduction to the early years of the computer revolution, covering the secret origins of electronic computers during World War II and the earliest work on artificial intelligence.
Instructor: Dr. Jack Copeland
Instructor: Dr. Shalini Sharma
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to robotics and cyber-physical systems. Through hands-on lab activities, assignments, projects, as well as through guest lectures spanning research and practice the students learn about topics such as- sensors & actuators, system modeling, kinematics, dynamics, and controls, perception, planning, and navigation, cyber-physical systems, communication, and hardware. These are all the ingredients for designing intelligent machines. At the end of this course the students will be able to gain the skills to design, build and evaluate simple robotic and cyber-physical systems that will give them the confidence to pursue more complex projects in their future endeavors.
Instructors: Dr. Sandeep Manjanna, Dr. Shashank Tamaskar
Instructor: Dr. Rucha Joshi
Instructors: Dr. Brainerd Prince, Dr. Sumita Ambasta
What do we mean when we say Entangled Worlds? Entanglement as such implies a state of intertwining, of interpenetration, deep connectivity, interlocking and irreducible, fundamental interdependency and interrelationship. Although it would seem obvious that we live in a profoundly interconnected world in which both processes initiated by humans and non-human biological and non-biological entities continuously impact one another, our actions as organic, conscious and sentient beings do not reflect the obvious fact of interconnectedness.
Human beings by and large continue to operate as though their actions are isolated events that do not impact the rest of the world including other human beings, plant and animal species. Environmental degradation, climate change, species extinction, economic inequality, various forms of injustice, war and so on perhaps point towards a fundamental flaw in the way we think and act. In fact, we could claim the way we think and act is no longer commensurate with the kinds of immense global challenges we are facing. This seems to be the critical question of the Anthropocene.
How does one begin to return to a fundamental understanding of the embeddedness of all forms of life as well as so-called inorganic material in a web of interdependence, of inexorable entanglement? Is it even possible for us to engender a radical shift in the way we think about ourselves and planet Earth? Or have we already gone too far in our quest for creating a solely human-centric world?
In this course we will explore and reflect on the question of entanglements from a variety of transdisciplinary perspectives including those of art, music, imagination, biological systems, quantum mechanics, language, mathematics, design, thought, time, space, history, philosophy and technology. In particular, we will be experimenting with the idea of contrapuntal music as a model from which to think about ways of interconnecting different, independent melodies (read: concepts) in a dynamic, lattice-like structure through which a new emergent harmony is created.
Instructors: Dr. Aditya Malik, Dr. Brainerd Prince, Dr. Saikat Chakraborty
Instructor(s) - Dr. Monika Sharma
Instructor(s) - Dr. Swagata Halder
Instructor(s) - Dr. Saikat Chakraborty
Instructor(s) - Dr. Siddharth S
Instructor(s) - Dr. Srikant Srinivasan
Continuing their project progress from semester 4, the goal for Semester 5 and 6 will be to implement solutions via projects at the State level, with an eye for expansion at the National level. To achieve this, students will seek validation of concept from various stakeholders, complete the engineering design cycle of their project, while also developing an entrepreneurial spirit from their experiences. Mentored Leadership and Professional Development opportunities will be a constant feature across the 4 year ILGC experience, and will be integrated with project work. These serve to develop the student’s professional skills and also help in creating a more integrated socio-integrated understanding of engineering/design.
Human activities over a period has profoundly altered the balance of planetary health which in turn is directly linked to human health. In recent times there is a global recognition that a balance is needed among global systems of land, air, water and biodiversity to sustain and preserve life. This has been the genesis of studying the interdependencies of human and planetary health. This course will introduce the concept of planetary health, what are the current impacts due to human activities and the solutions to mitigate the risks at local and global levels. The solutions that will help populations with sustainable ways of living will be discussed and exemplified.
Advances in medical technologies for visualization are supported by the growing field of biomedical imaging technologies and analysis. This course will introduce the imaging methods in biomedicine and clinical diagnostics such as microscopy, ultrasound, MRI, CT, and their application to enable better decision support. The course will cover topics on digital signal processing, data acquisition, enhancements and visualization. Early diagnosis and targeted therapeutic interventions are key in medical treatment of patients. How Computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) using AI and ML algorithms is leading to improved detection diagnosis and decision support will be covered in this course. Imaging informatics and integration of image data with genomics/biomarkers and clinical data are becoming increasingly important to improve efficiency of drug development and therapy regimen. This will be discussed to understand the field and relevance. Case studies will be used to explain the impact of advanced tools for analysis of biomedical imaging data in biomedicine.
Biological systems and processes are inherently complex and require an integrative approach at molecular level to decipher what keeps us healthy or causes disease. This course is designed to understand this complex network of interactions through an integrative “omics” approach (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics) and effects on a global scale involving numerous different biological molecules in the same time scale. The course includes topics on high-throughput data acquisition, statistical analysis, normalization, differential expression, clustering, enrichment analysis and network construction. The course will introduce the concept of ‘virtual patient’ model and its application in discovery and development of precision and personalized medicine. Case studies on specific diseases e.g., oncology will be discussed.
Students may take courses from other majors as part of the free elective. Additionally, faculty may also offer some introductory electives as part of this sequence.
The Application Domain Tracks are a series of 1 credit modules that help students inculcate skills and mindsets related to research and entrepreneurship. Through these tracks, students will contribute to ongoing research projects in Plaksha's flagship grand challenge research centers, and may work with faculty on their research or on approved external projects in industry/government or startups. Across semesters, students will have the option to work across different disciplinary areas or focus on one area but the purpose is for them to appreciate the relevance of their coursework to a variety of challenges and areas.
This course will focus on bioengineering tools used and needed to model physiological systems and how the models and simulations help understand the system design, plasticity, diseases and preventive and therapeutic interventions. The efforts in development of digital twin models of human organs and how AI can be used to model physiological systems e.g., patient heart will be discussed. The impact on drug discovery, development and personalized medicine will be covered and discussed in the context of current solutions and unmet needs.
Sample Electives include: Microbiome in Human & Planetary Health, Gene Editing and Personalized Theranostics, Diagnostic Technologies, Multi-Modal Sensors, Biomanufacturing, Protein and Antibody Engineering, Engineering Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health
Sample Electives include: Microbiome in Human & Planetary Health, Gene Editing and Personalized Theranostics, Diagnostic Technologies, Multi-Modal Sensors, Biomanufacturing, Protein and Antibody Engineering, Engineering Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health
Sample electives include: AI for Social Good, Technology, Policy and Law, Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Fairness, Transparency, Accountability, and Ethics in Data Science
ILGC transforms and culminates as a two semester capstone design project. By the end of the seventh semester a detailed design of the final product (this could be a device, system, process, software, etc. that results from this design experience) needs to be completed. This includes but not limited to the following: Description of the overall project, including a description of the customer and their requirements, the purpose, specifications, and a summary of the approach. Description of the different design approaches considered and evaluation of each design approach. Detailed description of the final proposed design.
Sample Electives include: Microbiome in Human & Planetary Health, Gene Editing and Personalized Theranostics, Diagnostic Technologies, Multi-Modal Sensors, Biomanufacturing, Protein and Antibody Engineering, Engineering Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health
Sample Electives include: Microbiome in Human & Planetary Health, Gene Editing and Personalized Theranostics, Diagnostic Technologies, Multi-Modal Sensors, Biomanufacturing, Protein and Antibody Engineering, Engineering Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health
Sample Electives include: Microbiome in Human & Planetary Health, Gene Editing and Personalized Theranostics, Diagnostic Technologies, Multi-Modal Sensors, Biomanufacturing, Protein and Antibody Engineering, Engineering Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health
Sample electives include: AI for Social Good, Technology, Policy and Law, Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Fairness, Transparency, Accountability, and Ethics in Data Science
ILGC transforms and culminates as a two semester capstone design project. By the end of the eighth semester, students will have a working product (this could be a device, system, process, software, etc. that results from this design experience). Therefore, the focus of this semester is to implement, test and evaluate the design approach chosen in your first semester. The following are the expected requirements and deliverables for this semester: Working final product Testing and evaluation of product design Demo of the final product Completed Project Description, Final Reflection and Completed Outcomes Matrix
What can you create?
Learning Experiences
Multidisciplinary approach & interdisciplinary perspective
Interacting with and drawing from multiple fields of expertise, making connections between disciplines, analyzing the humanistic, socio-economic, and technical contexts of problems.
Foundational Tech core
Developing an interdisciplinary foundation featuring math, physics, computer science and engineering principles such that they come together as an integrated whole, not segmented topics.
Design and research ability
Identifying and understanding human needs and solving problems creatively through sustained critical investigation.
Innovation & entrepreneurship mindset
Finding opportunities, identifying business models, embracing ambiguity to create value in the marketplace or in society.
Societal responsibility
Considering the social and human consequences of actions and responsibilities to others in local, national, and global communities; acting to improve the human condition.
Leadership & self-reflection
Creating impact through actively developing skills like communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
Experiential Learning
Integrated learning experience across 4 years. You will work on authentic, real world projects through industry and community engagement or by research with faculty.- Coding Cafe and Makerspaces
- Entrepreneurship
- Student led clubs
Combat diseases and pandemics
You can help combat various diseases, epidemics and pandemics affecting humanity by modeling and analyzing large quantities of biomedical and biological data, developing forecasting and epidemiological models, applying AI to assist medical professionals for quicker drug and vaccine discovery and more.