Bioengineering

The Individual Research Training Senior (IRT Senior) Course is an advanced course of the Individual Research Training B (IRT B) course in the Tohoku University Junior Year Program in English (JYPE) in the spring semester. Though short-term international exchange students are not degree candidates at Tohoku University, a similar experience is offered by special arrangement. Students are required to submit: an abstract concerning the results of their IRT Senior project, a paper (A4, 20-30 pages) on their research at the end of the exchange term, and an oral presentation on the results of their IRT Senior project near the end of the　term.

This course focuses on the use of microorganisms in biotechnological processes. This includes prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms as factories of industrial enzymes, bioenergy, and pharmaceuticals, as well as the use of microorganisms to improve food and to remove contaminants from water and soil. It introduces the methods used to improve microbial strains, products, and processes in biotechnology. The course gives students insight into and understanding of areas of biotechnology research and provides background information on the molecular biological methods. In addition, students develop and pitch their own idea relevant to microbial biotechnology.

This course provides research training for students through placement in a laboratory at Carlos III University of Madrid. Students carry out an original research project under the supervision and guidance of assigned faculty members. The specific topic studied depends on the faculty in charge of the laboratory in which each student is assigned. At the conclusion of the program, students submit their final work (paper, presentation, report, etc.) as instructed by their lab supervisors

The course gives an introduction of the biotech pharmaceutical industry and also focuses on the development of biotech medicine, small molecule drug, protein drug, and regulations and business aspects of the industry. Course topics: Biotech Pharmaceutical Industry Overview, Biotechnology entrepreneurship and investment, biotech medicine business success stories, business development strategy of biotech pharmaceutical industry, gene decoding's impact on development of biotech medicine, nanotechnology in biotechnology applications and challenges, intellectual property rights and management, small molecule drug development, protein drug development, clinical trials and regulations, pharmaceutical production and regulations, biotech business enterprises. The course consists of weekly lecture, a midterm, and a final. The course is conducted in Chinese, but uses an English textbook.