Background
In coordination with the development of the National University of Tainan, the goal of the Department of Biological Sciences and Technology is to conduct teaching and research in both fundamental biological sciences and applied fields of biotechnology. We collaborate with related departments in the University and in nearby institutions to establish featured research programs that can support and also be benefited from regional biotechnology industries. The research interests of our faculty focus on biomedicine, aquaculture, microbiology, and plant biotechnology.
Educational Goals
We provide students with courses and training in both basic biological sciences and applied biotechnology. We prepare students to become biotechnology professionals in medical and pharmaceutical research, food industry, agriculture, and aquaculture. We work together with institutions in Southern Taiwan Science Park and in the nearby region to provide students with opportunities to gain practical experience that combines academic research and industrial application.
Features and Future Development
To support local development of featured biotechnology industry, we will strengthen our research programs in medical and health studies, in developing bioactive reagents, pharmaceutical application, and functional food products, and in genetic engineering to improve the quality and productivity of microbes, plants, and aquaculture animals.
There are four major research areas:
1. Medical biotechnology: biopharmaceuticals, oncology, nanomedicine, biomarkers, apoptosis, reproductive medicine, environmental pathology and ciliopathy.
2. Plant biotechnology: molecular evolution, molecular biology, plant tissue culture and gene transfer, and functional genomics in algae.
3. Microbial biotechnology: development of healthy foods and cosmetic products, fermentation.
4. Aquaculture biotechnology: molecular endocrinology, systematic biology in aquaculture.
Student Career Opportunities
Biological science and biotechnology is one of the most rapidly advanced and promising disciplines in this century. We train our students to perform basic research and to acquire practical experience with specialties in the fields of biomedicine, aquaculture, microbiology, and plant biotechnology. Students can work as research assistants, scientists, consultants, or project managers in the government, industries, or research institutes. Related job fields include biomedical research and development, cell culture, plant tissue culture and gene transfer technology, microbiology and fermentation, aquaculture biotechnology, etc. Students can also continue their graduate studies in our department, in other academic programs, or abroad.