Home » Why Biomolecular Engineering?

Worldwide there is an effort to develop Inorganic Nanomaterials and apply them in industrial and medical settings for the improvement of society. Most Inorganic Nanotechnology and Nanomaterial programmes have two main goals: to manufacture Nanomaterials exhibiting diverse properties and to define the processes able to produce these Nanomaterials economically at industrial-scale. The Australian perspective recognises that Nanotechnology can also observe, understand and harness the power of Nature to create bio-inspired products not easily manufactured using conventional Inorganic Nanotechnology. Such bio-inspired products address niche product opportunities, of particular relevance to human health, that are not optimally addressed using only Inorganic Nanotechnology. This Bio-Inspired Organic Nanotechnology brings together skills from chemical engineering, biotechnology and nanotechnology and seeks to address problems relating to the development, manufacture and commercial-scale production within the parameters of Bioengineering.

The CBE mission is to apply Bioengineering principles to understand how biomolecular design, structure, properties and process synergism can be harnessed to deliver cost-effective bio-inspired products to society. At the CBE we conduct research in two primary research thrusts, Nanoparticle Bioengineering and Interfacial Bioengineering. These thrusts draw on a common set of intellectual paradigms whose foundation rests in the biological and engineering sciences.

Our research aims to extend the knowledge base of each underpinning discipline while staying focused on the fact that our research is aimed at delivering products within a commercial setting. We also aim to educate the postgraduates who will underpin the generation of new industries.