The MSc in Biotechnology has almost seen a doubling in its number of students following the creation of four new study programmes. In 2018, 60 students were admitted to the MSc programme, whereas the corresponding figure this year is 105. The programmes strengthen the students’ profiles within expanding disciplines such as fermentation, insight into cell factories, proteins, and biosystems.
“We will educate students with a strong profile within these specialized fields. The MSc in Biotechnology can still be tailored to fit the students’ own interests. However, by creating these new programmes, we give students the opportunity to move on from DTU with a clear specialization, targeted at specific fields of work within both academia and industry,” says Malene Bonné Meyer, Head of Teaching and Talent Development at DTU Bioengineering.
The four specialized programmes of the MSc in Biotechnology will be established within strong research areas at DTU Bioengineering. The fermentation study programme is part of the Fermentation Based BioManufacturing initiative, where DTU—with a grant of DKK 187 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation—offers fermentation programmes at MSc level, PhD level, and as continuing education. The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s grant covers a seven-year period, during which DTU will train a total of about 30 top graduates at PhD level and 15-20 graduates annually at MSc level. The specialized fermentation programme—which combines competences within cell factories, protein engineering, and process technology—is established in collaboration with DTU Chemical Engineering.
In addition, as part of the strategy to boost the MSc in Biotechnology, DTU has created specialized programmes in other well-established research areas:
• Biosystems Engineering, where students gain insight into complex biosystems and their interactions.
• Cell Factory Engineering, which provides students with strengthened research and education competences, enabling them to work with utilizing cell properties in industrial production.
• Protein Engineering, focusing on protein science and projects that utilize knowledge about proteins in biopharmaceuticals and within waste management.
Laura Friis has applied to the new study programme Cell Factory Engineering. In her BSc project, she worked with the genetic modification of bacteria.
“It motivates me that better use of cell factories can help develop our society in a more sustainable direction. We can use fewer resources in production and get cells to produce a number of substances in a more eco-friendly way. In addition, I expect the new programmes to provide us with stronger professional competences within the individual areas of biotechnology. It will be good for the industry to know what we can do. Naturally, I also hope that an MSc specializing in cell factories will make it easier for me to get a job within my preferred field,” says Laura Friis.