Biotechnology has made rapid
progress over the last quarter of the twentieth century. Much of this
success is due to the expectation that the development of new
technologies can produce various compounds beneficial to the daily
lives of human beings and in preserving the environmental health of the
earth. The aim of the Department of Biotechnology, which is a unique
department in the Faculty of Engineering in Japanese universities in
that its academic disciplines are based on biology in addition to
physics and chemistry, is to develop new technologies in biotechnology
and to educate students in this area.
Our efforts are dedicated to elucidating various biological mechanisms
and to determining their utilization in the interests of human welfare.
In this regard, various scientific and technical advances in the area
of industrial application are currently in progress. Our interest has
expanded, through recent progress in the biological sciences, from the
use microorganisms to include the industrial application of plant and
animal cell cultures.
The Department is challenged by the task of creating new technologies
and procedures for the production of various materials useful in the
fields of medicine and food processing, for the effective usage of
agricultural and forestry bio-mass as commodity chemicals, and for
solving the problems of environmental pollution. |
