What is the relationship between biotechnology and biomedical engineering?

In summary, genetic engineering of animals falls under the fields of both Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering, although one could argue for it being a sub-component of either. Biotechnology involves the interaction of biological processes with technology, while Biomedical Engineering may involve the design and development of prosthetics and orthotics. However, the labels are not always clearly defined and can vary between institutions and individuals.
  • #1
ƒ(x)
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I'm interested in the genetic engineering of animals, but I don't know what field of science that falls under specifically. I've found that it is both Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering. Is BME is a sub-component of Biotech?
 
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  • #2
ƒ(x) said:
Is BME is a sub-component of Biotech?

I wouldn't say so, though you could easily argue the opposite. Loosely, to me, biotechnology involves the interaction of biological processes with technology - things like tissue engineering (though, this is also biomedical engineering!). To give an example of the opposite, I feel that things like the design and development of prosthetics & orthotics would count as biomedical engineering but not biotechnology.

I'm not sure I'd say genetic engineering is either, I'd probably just call it genetics as a sub of molecular biology. This all said, I don't really think the labels are all that important, though one tends to develop preferences for ones own description. I know people in medical physics/clinical science (whom are labelled clinical scientists or medical physicists) who, nonetheless, market themselves as clinical engineers.
 
  • #3
fasterthanjoao said:
I wouldn't say so, though you could easily argue the opposite. Loosely, to me, biotechnology involves the interaction of biological processes with technology - things like tissue engineering (though, this is also biomedical engineering!). To give an example of the opposite, I feel that things like the design and development of prosthetics & orthotics would count as biomedical engineering but not biotechnology.

I'm not sure I'd say genetic engineering is either, I'd probably just call it genetics as a sub of molecular biology. This all said, I don't really think the labels are all that important, though one tends to develop preferences for ones own description. I know people in medical physics/clinical science (whom are labelled clinical scientists or medical physicists) who, nonetheless, market themselves as clinical engineers.

Ok, thank you. I was wanting to know because colleges sometimes classify their courses as Biomedical Engineering or Biotechnology.
 

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