Biological and Biomanufacturing Systems Technology (BBST)

BBST bridges science, engineering, management and application.

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There are many opportunities in a wide array of fields:

  • Fermentation, brewing, distilling, and biofuels
  • Grain and feed storage and processing
  • Agronomy and seed technology
  • Food and meat processing
  • Genetics and biology
  • Chemistry and biochemistry
  • Biomedical and health systems
  • Other bio-based industries
students interact with professor in lab setting

The BBST specialization supports the development of these key skills:

  • Project management
  • Laboratory methods and equipment
  • Plant operations
  • Data management and analysis

In addition to foundational courses in biology, microbiology, and chemistry, some key courses that BBST students take include:

  • Fundamentals, Modeling, and Applications of Biological Systems
  • Applied Project Management
  • Total Quality Improvement
  • Occupational Safety
  • Leadership
  • Electric Power and Electronics

It is a customizable path that can be tailored to each student’s interests and career trajectory.

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Potential Employers

  • Archer Daniels Midland
  • Bayer
  • Bristol Myers Squibb
  • Cargill
  • Exile Brewing
  • Gevo
  • Green Plains Energy
  • Life Serve Blood Center
  • Mary Greeley Medical Center
  • POET
  • Syngenta
  • Toppling Goliath Brewery
  • United States Department of Agriculture
  • United States Department of Energy
  • 2025-02-11-COE Biomedical Lab-9

    Positions for BBST graduates

    • Analyst
    • Biomedical equipment specialist
    • Brewer
    • Distiller
    • Field technician/manager
    • Laboratory manager
    • Molecular biology technologist
    • Plant manager
    • Process supervisor
    • Project manager
    • R&D technologist

With questions about the BBST Specialty and the ITEC Major, email Tamara Kerns, Academic Advisor at tkerns@iastate.edu

or Dr. Kurt Rosentrater, Professor at karosent@iastate.edu

 

Are you looking to hire BBST graduates?

At Iowa State, we strive to produce ITEC graduates who have knowledge, skills, and abilities in solving technical problems, understanding design and manufacturing processes, excelling in authentic leadership, being aware of safety issues, having a quality improvement orientation, effectively managing projects, and having a systems-thinking perspective.

This translates to a holistic approach that uses science, engineering, and management principles that focus on the way constituent parts of bio-based products and systems interrelate, how they work and evolve over time, and how they fit into the context of larger systems and supply chains.

We prepare graduates for a variety of careers for a broad spectrum of industries, businesses, and organizations in the fields of bio-based products and biomanufacturing, including biofuels and beverage fermentation systems, grain and feed systems, seed technologies, biomedical devices and systems, analytical and processing laboratories, automation and controls systems, quality and operations management, safety management, and loss prevention.

Specifically, we prepare ITEC Biological and Biomanufacturing Systems Technology graduates to excel in:

  • Management of biological, bioprocessing, and biotechnology systems
  • Implementation, management, and documentation of analytical protocols, instrumentation, and equipment for products, processes, and facilities.
  • Project management

Upon graduation, ITEC students in the biological and biomanufacturing systems technology (BBST) option will be able to:

  • Develop, implement, troubleshoot, and evaluate bio-based manufacturing products, processes, and facilities.
  • Calculate and interpret mass and energy balances of biological processes involving microbial growth and conversion, plants, animals, and human growth and biological functions, and optimize processing, production, and systems implementation.
  • Calculate and interpret rates of biological processes involving reaction kinetics, growth, death, heat production, gas transfer, and transpiration to optimize processing, production, and systems implementation.

Get Involved!

We are always looking for ways to connect students to industry experiences, host professionals in the classroom, and create unique hands-on activities to build career-ready graduates.

For more information on ways to get involved, contact Assistant Professor of Practice, Jessica Anderson at jlander@iastate.edu.