Individual Major
Individual Major
"An interdisciplinary major combining biotechnology, product design, and ethical marketing, focused on developing sustainable biotechnologies and responsible commercialization strategies for science-driven products."
BioDesign and Ethical Marketing Strategies major is a combination of three main stages of biotechnological product production:
concept and analysis
product development
marketing and commercialization
Biotechnology utilizes biological systems, organisms, or their parts to create beneficial products, processes, and technologies across medicine, agriculture, food science, and more. Biodesign harnesses biotechnology to shape the living world while embracing the responsibility it entails. Unlike traditional designers, biodesigners treat nature as a partner, transforming waste into valuable resources to promote sustainability. They ensure development without disrupting nature’s balance, considering not just humans but also animals and microbial communities. By integrating biology and technology, biodesign moves beyond short-term perspectives to create responsible, sustainable solutions for the living world.
Why is there a need for Marketing Strategies within BioDesign? Effective marketing helps spread awareness, build interest, and drive the adoption of novel biodesign products and processes. Without strategic marketing efforts, even the most transformative biotechnology risks failing to achieve real-world impact. There are several key reasons why marketing must be an integral part of biodesign projects. First, marketing introduces the product and educates people on how it can benefit them. Since bioengineering concepts are often complex and unfamiliar, ethical marketing plays a vital role in conveying the value proposition in a compelling yet understandable manner. Second, marketing drives consumer demand and acceptance of the new product. Biodesigned products often face skepticism due to factors like the "unnatural" stigma. A clever marketing strategy that positions benefits over perceived drawbacks can override reluctance.
In BioDesign and Ethical Marketing Strategies major, marketing's primary role is not driving sales but upholding integrity and responsibility through ethical communication. Biodesign develops innovative solutions, while marketing identifies commercialization opportunities. Expertise in both is essential to bring products to market, ensuring their ethical, informed, and successful use.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This interdisciplinary major builds both breadth and depth of expertise by integrating biology, chemistry, technology, ethics, and marketing. The natural sciences form the biological foundation, technology equips with analytical and engineering tools, and the ethical-marketing component ensures responsible and market-ready innovation.
Intermediate Genetics
Cell Biology
Ecological Principles
Introductory Chemistry
Energies and Rates of Chemical Reactions
Exploring Biomathematics
BIO 233 - Intermediate Genetics
Deepens understanding of gene expression, mutations, and molecular tools (e.g., DNA Mini-Prep, gel electrophoresis), essential for gene editing and engineering living organisms in biodesign.
BIO 227 - Cell Biology
Provides in-depth knowledge of cellular functions and lab methodologies, crucial for molecular-level design and understanding of biotechnology.
BIO 261 - Ecological Principles
Broadens perspective on ecosystem dynamics, ensuring biodesign solutions harmonize with natural environments rather than disrupt them.
CHEM 122 - Introductory Chemistry
Builds foundational knowledge of chemical principles for synthesizing and analyzing biomolecules critical to biodesign processes.
CHEM 126 - Energies and Rates of Chemical Reactions
Deepens understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics, essential for designing biological systems and understanding energy flows in biotech applications.
MABIO 130 - Exploring Biomathematics
Introduces quantitative models for biological systems, bridging biology and math to enhance problem-solving and system design in biodesign.
MATH 234 - Discrete Mathematical Reasoning
Develops logical reasoning and problem-solving frameworks for modeling biological processes and analyzing complex biodesign data.
MATH 220 - Elementary Linear Algebra
Provides tools for data analysis, biological modeling, and optimization techniques critical for designing efficient biotechnologies.
CSCI 241 - Hardware Design
Equips with practical skills to build bio-interfacing devices like biosensors and lab-on-a-chip systems, bridging biology with engineering.
PHYS 124 - Principles Physics I
Broadens foundational understanding of physical principles relevant to device design and biomechanics within biodesign applications.
Discrete Mathematical Reasoning
Elementary Linear Algebra
Hardware Design
Principles Physics I
Marketing
Ethical Issues in Software Design
BUS 250 - Marketing
Broadens understanding of market dynamics and deepens skills in communicating product value, positioning innovations effectively for adoption.
CSCI 263 - Ethical Issues in Software Design
Deepens awareness of ethical design principles, user impact, and developer responsibilities, ensuring biodesign solutions are socially responsible and trustworthy.