B.Tech in Biological Systems Engineering
The Biological Systems Engineering program combines the power of biology, computing & engineering to tackle some of the greatest challenges for human & planetary health. Our population’s health is dominated by various diseases, & are exacerbated by major risk factors such as air pollution, malnutrition & vast regional differences in health care services. The vision for the BSE program is to transform health outcomes for the world, by leveraging the powerful convergence of data, digital health, biologics manufacturing & biology.
Instructor(s) - Dr. K Gopinath, Dr. Manoj Kannan
Instructor(s) - Dr.Srinivasan Vishwanathan
Instructor(s) - Dr. Amrik Sen, Dr. Saikat Chakraborty
Instructor(s) - Dr. Monika Sharma, Dr. Manoj Kannan
Instructor(s) - Dr. Prashanth Suresh Kumar
Instructor(s) - Dr. Aditya Malik, Dr. Brainerd Prince
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Instructor(s) - Dr. Brainerd Prince
Instructor(s) - Dr. Amit Sheth, Dr. Rucha Joshi
Instructor(s) - Dr. K Gopinath, Dr. Manoj Kannan
Instructor(s) - Dr. Amrik Sen
Instructor(s) - Dr.Dhiraj Sinha, Dr. Rudra Pratap
Instructor(s) - Dr. Monika Sharma
Instructor(s) - Dr. Kriti Khanna
Instructor(s) - Dr. Aditya Malik, Dr. Brainerd Prince
Instructor(s) - Dr. Brainerd Prince
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Instructor(s) - Dr. Rucha Joshi
Instructor(s) - Dr. Subhasis Ray, Dr.Srinivasan Vishwanathan
Instructor(s) - Dr. Shashank Tamaskar, Dr. Sandeep Manjanna
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Instructor(s) - Dr. Nitin Upadhyaya
Instructor(s) - Dr.Dhiraj Sinha
Instructor(s) - Dr. Aditya Malik, Dr. Brainerd Prince
Instructor(s) - Dr. Amit Sheth
Instructor(s) - Dr. Rucha Joshi
Instructor(s) - Dr. Nitin Upadhyaya
Instructor(s) - Dr. Brainerd Prince
Instructor(s) - Dr. Rucha Joshi, Dr. Chaitanya Lekshmi Indira
Instructor(s) - Dr. Navjot Kaur, Dr. Swagata Halder
Instructor(s) - Dr. Monika Sharma
Instructor(s) - Dr. Saikat Chakraborty, Dr. Prashanth Suresh Kumar
Instructor(s) - Dr. Rucha Joshi
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.
This course combines understanding of biological systems comprising of interacting biomolecules, cells, organelles, organs and living organisms with quantitative and statistical analysis, computational simulations and mathematical models to predict behaviour of complex biological systems. The students will be introduced to current understanding in gene control networks, signalling networks, developmental and evolutionary biology. Real-life application of predictive models will be discussed in context of human and planetary health.
This course will cover essential topics in understanding of cell and tissue biology, biomechanics of cells and subcellular elements (flow, hydrostatic pressure, tension, torsion, flexure, and combined loads), receptor ligand interactions, cellular responses and cell differentiation. The cell biology techniques such as cell culture and banking, phase contrast, fluorescence and confocal microscopy, cell Imaging systems, flow cytometry along with their applications in cellular engineering and clinical diagnostics will be discussed. Genetic engineering of cells, differentiation of stem cells and induced pluripotent cells, measurement of cellular responses, interaction of cells with biomaterials to understand cell adherence, signalling and movement will be covered. This course will introduce tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and the current limitations. In addition, students will gain understanding of laboratory safety practices and appropriate use of Biosafety levels. Laboratory activities will have hands-on experience with culturing of cells, growth kinetics, cell differentiation, cell imaging, engineering of cells, receptor ligand interactions and measurement of cellular responses.
This course introduces the principles of Genetics, Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance, elucidates nucleic acids as genetic material of living organisms and role of epigenetics in conjunction with structure and function of genes, chromatin, chromosomes and genomes. The concept and health implications of population genetics will be discussed. Topics on genetic disorders and cancer genetics will be covered to exemplify the role of genetic mutations in human disease and susceptibility. Evolution of recombinant DNA technologies Next Gen sequencing technology and their applications in multiple avenues related to human and planetary health will be covered. The students will be introduced to DNA and RNA modifying enzymes, and how they are used in PCR (end-point and real time), cloning, and gene editing technologies and other modifications to engineer recombinant DNA molecule, genomic/cDNA and engineered libraries and their applications in human and planetary health. The evolution of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, cell and gene therapies will be discussed in the current context and opportunities for enhancements and improved access and affordability.
Wearable biosensor technology platforms provides insights into electric signals and biochemical processes in biofluids enabling continuous real time monitoring of biomarkers through non-invasive means with huge implications in patient-centric health care. The course is designed to understand fundamentals of bioelectricity, biometrics, concept of biosensor technology in conjunction with understanding of biochemical composition of body fluids, bioreceptors and physico-chemical transducers. The students will be introduced to the design, function and limitation of wearable biosensors such as wearable electrocardiograms and blood glucose monitors. The course will also explore the applications of wearable biosensors in management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Laboratory activity will include hands-on experience with design of wearable biosensors.
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.
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?
Wearable prosthetics
You can design and develop wearable prostheses that can help individuals gain partial or full control of missing body parts, through the use of sensors and electrical impulses. You could even create startups that make prosthetics readily available and affordable for all.
Planetary health monitors
You can use sensors, IoT and imaging to monitor, regulate and optimise the use of natural resources. Using the data you acquire, you can create products and startups that address global challenges and build solutions that preserve and improve environmental conditions.
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
By having access to state-of-the-art makerspaces and coding cafes and incorporating them in the curriculum, students will become more context-aware, develop critical thinking abilities, and learn by creating. This will help foster a tinkering and problem solving mindset, immersing students in experiential learning from day one. These areas will be open to students to explore, create, prototype and design, while also housing equipment and technologies like 3D printers, sensors, etc.
The core curriculum will not just be limited to engineering and sciences, but bring in exposure to entrepreneurship and design which will enable humane and empathetic outcomes through technology. Each student will undertake multiple different experiences to develop skills like finding opportunities, creating value, and embracing risks. Students will be mentored and supported by Plaksha founders and professionals from industry.
At Plaksha, learning and skill development do not stop in the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to create and immerse themselves in pursuing their academic and creative interests. Student led clubs will be autonomous bodies that operate under the purview of the Office of Student Life. Being the founding batch, students will be encouraged to help establish a vibrant culture through clubs and societies on campus.
Hear about the course from the experts
Watch Ursheet Parikh, Co-lead of the Engineering Biology Investment Practice at Mayfield Ventures talk about this major. He has been closely involved in the design of this degree
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.