MSc Biotechnology 2020/2021

Master open day April 2020

Thanks for opening this Power Point about the Master programme of Biotechnology at Wageningen University. In this file you can find information about the content of the master programme of biotechnology, the specialisations within this programme and many more topics. Look around and if you have any questions use our chat option or email to mbt.msc@wur.nl

Content

▪Wageningen University link

▪ The field of Biotechnology link

▪Admission to the programme link

▪Overview of the programme link

▪Specialisations link

▪Some facts and figures link

▪Summary link

▪Contact and what else to do... link

Please feel free to click on the topics that are most interesting to you, or read through the whole presentation. After every topic there is a possibility to return to this content page.

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This is the campus of Wageningen University. We currently host more than 12.000 students from a lot of different nationalities. About half of the students is Dutch, the other half comes from all over the world. We have Bachelor and Master Programmes in the field of Life Sciences. One of them is the master programme Biotechnology.

For more information on studying in Wageningen please use the link to this video. The Essentials for Studying at Wageningen University - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMOSDiq1Mfs  

DefinitionBiotechnology

The word biotechnology is composed of two parts: bio and technology. Bio refers to life sciences, with a focus on biology and chemistry, and technology refers to engineering and the mathematics required for it. A biotechnologist combines all four disciplines to create a product in one of the fields depicted at the lower part of the hourglass. As you can see there is a wide range of fields where biotechnologists work. Some Biotechnologists prefer to work on the production of foods, as depicted as the piece of cheese. However, you can also think of biotechnological processes to produce fermented vegetables or meat replacers. Others Biotechnologists like to spend their time and energy in improving the production of bio-energy or bioplastics to create a more sustainable society. There are many more options as you can see. However, for all biotechnologists the application of their knowledge is important.

Biotechnology

Analysis Control

DSPCells

Protein ModificationRecycling

Cloth

FoodDrugsBio-energy

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So what do biotechnologists do in more detail?

They work in one of the disciplines depicted on the left (within the white boxes). However, they also use the knowledge of the other disciplines depicted there.

Often Biotechnologists focus on the production of proteins involved in a certain process. These proteins are designed to have the most optimal three-dimensional structure and function. To create these proteins researchers often have to modify the DNA of a cell. These modified cells furthermore need to be grown in the most optimal circumstances within bioreactors, to produce the maximum amount of product. Wageningen is a green university and thus the recycling of materials and the sustainability of production processes is a key focus for us. Downstream process (DSP) technologists focus on isolation of the desired product in the most pure and stable form, after it has been produced in the bioreactors. Finally many biotechnologists control the quality of product via a diverse set of analysis. They make sure that the product has an optimal quality and is safe to use.

As mentioned before these products can vary from enzymes required for the food industry or biofuel production, to drugs or vaccines needed to treat and cure patients.

Admission

▪direct admission

▪linkage programme

▪admission committee ●relevant Bachelor diploma ●GPA >7.0 ●English certificate

● Toefl internet based >80

● HAVO 7 or VWO 6; BSc from Dutch university

● RATEr (in’to Languages)

If you would like to study at the master programme of Biotechnology you will have to apply. Make sure you check out the application deadlines for non-EU and EU students at the WUR website www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/master/Apply-for-a-Master-programme.htm before applying. For non-EU students the deadline for starting in September 2020 is 1st of May.

Admission to the programme is based on general WUR requirements (GPA and English level) and programme requirements (pre-education at bachelor level in a relevant field). You can either be admitted to programme directly or with a linkage programme. The linkage programme is a set of courses needed to fill in gaps in your pre-education and is designed for each student specifically. If a linkage programme is required, you can only start the master programme after successful completion of this linkage programme.

As you can see the minimal GPA is 7.0 and an English certificate is required. More information about the English level required you can find at https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/master/Admission-requirements-Master/English-language-proficiency-non-EUEFTA-1.htm. At the moment there is an online English test available that is accepted. On the above mentioned webpage you can find a link.

Relevant bachelor diploma’s include among others: the bachelor of biotechnology or the bachelor of molecular life sciences from Wageningen University, a bachelor programme of biotechnology from other universities, an engineering bachelor (e.g. BSc chemical engineering) or a bachelor from an applied university with an excess of molecular biology and biochemistry. Other bachelor programmes might also qualify, this is judged by the admission committee.

Students who followed a related minor from Wageningen University are also eligible. These minors are discussed at the next slide.

Related minor at Bachelor level

▪ optional preparation

▪ admission requirement

Students who like to obtain sufficient biotechnological knowledge and skills before starting the master can follow a minor programme in English that contains at least 24 ECTS.

Often this minor can be part of your bachelor programme. Students can follow the minor programme in the first semester (September-January) or second semester (February to July). During the minor you will follow courses in molecular biology, biochemistry, mathematics and bioprocess engineering. These courses will include lectures, tutorial, laboratory practical and group work. The minor is an optional preparation for the master programme that makes you eligible after successful completion. There are some admission requirements for bachelor students who would like to do a related minor. More information about minors can be found at https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/BSc-Minors.htm

Related minors in Bachelors 1

▪September – January (deadline 1st of July) Plant biotechnology or Biobased Sciences + plus engineering

▪ February – July (deadline 15th of December) Biotechnology

▪ Individual minor

▪ Internship at WU chairs: BIC, BCT, BIF, BNT, BPE, CBI, ETE, FPE, GEN, HAP, HMI, MIB, MOB, NEM, ORC, PCC, SSB, VIR.

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If you plan your minor in first semester you will have to apply for the minor Plant biotechnology (https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/BSc-Minors/List-of-BSc-minors/BSc-minor-Plant-Biotechnology-WUPBT.htm) or Biobased sciences (https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/BSc-Minors/List-of-BSc-minors/BSc-minor-Bio-based-Sciences-WUBBS.htm) and you will have to include some engineering courses

If you plan your minor in the second semester there is minor specifically for Biotechnology available: https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/BSc-Minors/List-of-BSc-minors/BSc-minor-Biotechnology-WUBIT.htm

Finally there is also an option for an individual minor, please contact the study advisory team at mbt.msc@wur.nl.

Bachelor (or master) students can sometimes also do an internship at Wageningen University at a related chair group such as: BIC, BCT, BIF, BNT, BPE, CBI, ETE, FPE, GEN, HAP, HMI, MIB, MOB, NEM, ORC, PCC, SSB, VIR to gain extra experience during the bachelor. For availability of topics and places please contact the chair group of your choice directly.

Overview of the MSc programme

Compulsory (for specialization) or optionals

Compulsory (for specialization) or optionals

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Bioprocess design

1term 2 3 4 5 6

Regardless of specialisation, the master programme of Biotechnology consists of two years. One academic year is equal to 60 ECTS, thus two years equals 120 ECTS. The programme depicted here is for students starting in September. Students that start in February have a slightly different programme.

Starting in September first year students follow courses related to their specialisation or optional courses. Only two courses are compulsory for each specialisation, and another two courses are restricted optionals, 24 ECTS (4 months) in total. The other courses can be chosen completely free. At the end of the first year, all master students of biotechnology work together in small groups on a biotechnological question from one of our industrial partners. This course of two months is called bioprocess design and finalizes the first year of courses.

The second year consists of two research projects. The thesis project is conducted at one of the chair groups of Wageningen University. The internship can be conducted at a company, a research institute or a university in the Netherlands or abroad. Students choose a research group and research project that makes them enthusiastic and passionate during the first year and discuss the possibilities for thesis and or internship in the second year.

MSc programme – choices 1st year

▪ 12 ECTS bioprocess design

▪ 12 ECTS fixed per specialization

▪ 12 ECTS restricted optionals per specialization

▪ 24 ECTS free optionals from any MSc programme at WU

So in summary: Each academic year equals 60 ECTS • 12 credits are compulsory for all master students of biotechnology; this is the course bioprocess design • 12 credits are compulsory courses for the specialisation of the student • 12 credits are restricted optionals that can be selected from a list of courses per specialisation • 24 credits are free optionals.

At WUR free optionals really means free option courses. Students can choose courses from their own specialisation or other specialisations within the master programme of biotechnology. They can also opt courses from related master programmes, such as bioinformatics, biobased sciences, molecular life sciences, plant biotechnology, food technology, or nutrition and health and others. However they are also free to choose courses related to management, education, entrepreneurship, or different. As long as they have the prerequisite knowledge.

MSc programme: Study activities

Wageningen offers all courses in a mix of study activities. Students will be following lectures from professors and researchers within various biotechnological fields (image top right). Moreover they have practicals to improve their laboratory and research skills (images top left and bottom right). Most courses spent about 30% of their education time in practicals or tutorials, applying directly the knowledge students obtain. Additionally students go on field trips to related companies such as the Algae parc http://www.algaeparc.com/ (image bottom left). And finally most courses include case studies, where students work in smaller groups (image middle right), improving not only their knowledge but also their communication skills, presentation skills and/or writing skills.

MSc programme Internationalization

▪>35 nationalities

▪ internshipNederlandEuropaAziaAmericaAfricanone

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The master programme of Biotechnology is proud to host over 35 nationalities. Almost half of the student population is Dutch. However, about 30% comes from other countries in Europe. We also have quite a large group of students from Asia, the America’s and Africa. Also the teaching staff harbours many nationalities. The international character of Wageningen University is thus well reflected at the master of Biotechnology.

Many of our master students choose to do their internship in a country abroad. The majority of these students goes to universities within Europe (and the UK). Interestingly most foreign students choose to stay in the Netherlands for their internship ☺

Specializations

▪ cellular / molecular

▪ process technology

▪ food biotechnology

▪medical biotechnology

▪ environmental & biobased technology

There are five different specialisation in the master programme of biotechnology.

There are two specialisations representing either the bio or the technology part of biotechnology. - The cellular/ molecular specialisation; for students with a broad interest in molecular and biochemical disciplines. The top image depicts a DNA helix - The process technology; for all engineers that want to have the capability to work in any biotechnological field as a process technologist. The middle image is medium size steel bioreactor, while the bottom image represents a algae bioreactor.

Then there are three specialisation related to the work field - The food biotechnology specialisation - The medical biotechnology specialisation - The environmental & biobased specialisation

All specialisations are discussed in more detailed in the coming slides

**You apply for the master programme and not for a specific specialisation. It is also not required that you know what specialisation you want to do before you start the master programme. You can even switch between specialisations during your studies. However, at latest before you start the final course of the first year (bioprocess design), you have to decide which specialisation you want to graduate in. You do have to make sure you fulfil all requirements for that specialisation.

Specialization: Cellular Molecular Biotechnology

compulsory courses

▪ bioinformation technology

▪ applied molecular microbiology

As said the cellular/ molecular specialisation is interesting for students that have broad interest in molecular biology and biochemistry. In the specialisation you study microbes, DNA & proteins and microbiological, molecular and biochemical techniques. In the images you see microbes (left image), a protein structure (middle image), DNA on a keybord representing bioinformatics and another image of the DNA helix (right side images)

There are two compulsory courses: Bioinformation technology (BIT) and Applied molecular microbiology (AMM). The first course (BIT) focusses on the use of bioinformatics tool such as BLAST and sequence alignment software or protein 3D software. The second courses (AMM) goes into depth about classical and modern molecular genetic tools used in biotechnological applications.

Students can additionally choose a wide variety of courses as restricted optionals (RO), ranging from molecular virology and research methods in microbiology to metabolic engineering and plant cell and tissue culture.

Specialization: Process technology

compulsory courses

▪modeling dynamic systems

▪ transfer processes

The process technology specialisation focusses on engineers interested in optimizing the process.

The compulsory courses are modelling dynamic systems and transfer processes. In modelling dynamic systems you will learn how to create a mathematical systems model and analyse and solve these models. The course transfer processes explains students how to combine applied thermodynamics, mass, energy and force balances and empirical models for physical transport phenomena to improve transfer processes. 

Furthermore students can choose courses related to bioreactors, biorefinery or separation processes. They can also choose work field related courses such as pharmaceutical biotechnology or sustainable food and bioprocessing. Steel tubing for transfer processes and a steel bioreactor are depicted in the images.

Specialization: Environmental and bio-based technology

compulsory courses

▪ biological processes in resource recovery

▪ advanced biorefinery

If you already know you want to devote your time to environmental or biobased technologies you can opt this specialisation.

It includes the compulsory courses biological processes in resource recovery and advanced biorefinery. The former aiming at the exploration of microbiological opportunities to recover resources. The latter focusses on the technology for sustainable processing of biomass from plants, organisms and biomass available in waste streams.

Student can further opt for restricted optional (RO) courses related to biocatalysis or microalgae. According to their interest students can incorporate more process technology courses or more molecular and cellular biology related courses. In the images you see a microalgae bioreactors with many green tubes to obtain maximum light supply to the algae (left). Also Bio-diesel and Bio-plastic are depicted in the images. At the bottom right you see electricity poles, that might get their electricity from a waste-water plant.

Specialization: Food biotechnology

compulsory courses

▪ food enzymology

▪ advanced food fermentation

The specialisation of food biotechnology aims at all students looking forward to work in food industry. The good-old biotechnological process of beer brewing always speaks to a lot of students (images). However this field is very innovative and aims at more, better and healthier food.

The compulsory courses are enzymology for food and biorefinery and advanced food fermentation. The first course mentioned, studies the catalytic mechanism, structure-function relations, mode of action under changing conditions, as well as enzyme kinetics of enzymes to be able to select the correct enzyme to control an enzymatic process. Advanced food fermentation aims at providing insight in the major food fermentation processes, their biological, biochemical and engineering aspects.

Students can than further choose more molecular and cellular courses such as advanced food microbiology and genomics. Other students might be more interested in engineering courses such as sustainable food and bioprocessing.

Specialization: Medical biotechnology

compulsory courses

▪molecular virology

▪ immunotechnology

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Finally the medical biotechnology specialisation aiming at the successful production of medicines and vaccines. Students attracted to human health and pharmaceutics are well catered here. At the top you see an image of a vaccine ready for administering to the patient and below a lot of different pills containing medicinal drugs.

Compulsory courses within the specialisation are molecular virology and immunotechnology. Molecular virology focusses on the structure and molecular mechanism of viruses that enable infection, cell recognition or multiplication. Special attention is also given to the biotechnological application of viruses, for instance as expression vectors. You can see a virus particle from a corona virus (left image) and the green image represents the protein capsid surrounding the virus (middle). The second compulsory course, immunotechnology, focuses on the use of modern biotechnology to design immune intervention strategies that are based on a thorough knowledge of immunological mechanisms.

Students furthermore choose pharmaceutical biotechnology or general medicine and at least one other course from a long list. One example is the control of cellular processes and cell differentiation course. This course is dealing among others with the cell cycle and cancer.

The bottom right image shows the flow cabinet that protects the researcher while doing his research and contains the sometimes hazardous viruses he works with.

Some facts and figures

▪Contact hours 1st year 23 hours / week

▪MSc degree in less than 3 years 80-90 %

▪Work within 2 month after graduation +/- 70%

What to expect when studying as a master student of biotechnology at Wageningen University.

Biotechnology is a contact intensive study with at least 23 hours of educational activities at university each week (nowadays unfortunately everything is different) Many students ask if it is a difficult study. We can state that 80 to 90% finishes the MSc degree within three years. Some may say why three years while the master programme is only 2 years. Some students finish their final research project in the first period of the third year (September) and thus require a little bit more than 2 years. It is well within the standards of other master programmes at Wageningen University.

Most students will find a job within two months after graduation. Although not a guarantee, this is a very positive perspective. Where do these students find their first job?

Some facts and figures: Future

Here is a subset of employers that master’s of biotechnology work at. You can see the logo of universities (WUR and VSNU), where a large part of the students will find a job as a PhD student doing their doctoral thesis. Large companies such as Heineken (producing beers), Unilever (producing many food and non-food products) or MSD (one of the largest medicine producers in the Netherlands) harbour many former biotechnology students from Wageningen University. Research institutes such as NCI (Netherlands cancer institute) or TNO are always happy to hire some biotechnologists for their research and development departments. Similarly master’s in Biotechnology will work at governmental organisations such as the ‘rijksoverheid’. As said this is only a subset and there are many more options.

Studying Biotechnology is for the future!

To sum up.......

▪ applied study

▪ individual study programme

▪ international

▪ project teams

▪ contact with industry

▪many optional courses

▪ high quality of courses

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Summary and * take home message * The master programme of Biotechnology is a very applied study, in which students can choose their own study programme in consultation with their study advisor. There is a lot of flexibility in the programme and there are many optional courses. Master students will experience an international atmosphere at Wageningen University where they will often work in project teams in close contact with industry and they may expect courses of high quality.

Questions.... ContactPlease contact us today via the chat from 15.00h -17.00h or from 18.00h-19.00h

So this it. I hope we have been able to give you a lot of interesting and useful information about Wageningen University and de master programme of Biotechnology.

On the master openday on the 30st of April 2020 a team of two students and a study advisor are available for chat. They will try to answer all you questions or give you a more personal view on how it is to study Biotechnology at Wageningen University.

From 15.00h to 17.00h and from 18.00h-19.00h you can chat with:

• Lisette Nitsch, is a study advisor for the master and bachelor programme of Biotechnology since 2015. She also is a university teacher at the department of Biochemistry.

• Jorg Bolder, a first year master student of Biotechnology who also did his bachelor studies in Wageningen. He enjoyed the topics and atmosphere at WUR so much that he decide to stay and do his master’s at WUR. Quote: “Bigger, Better, Biotechnology”

• Midia Hidayat, a second year master student of Biotechnology who did her bachelor in Amsterdam and came to WUR in 2018. She chose Biotechnology at WUR among other for the many options for specialisation in the master programme.

If you have more questions that can not be answered or you are not available at the chat times please send an email to msc.mbt@wur.nl

What else can you do at this open day?

▪Check our FAQ’s about application, housing, scholarships, visa, costs, introduction days, Wageningen, student for a day, corona and more

▪ Take a virtual tour with one or more of our students who will show you their life

▪Watch videos with tips for choosing a study programme, about student life and study experiences

The study advisory team MBT

mbt.msc@wur.nl

Or a student: studentcoachmbt@wur.nl

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The study advisor team would be happy to welcome you to the master programme of Biotechnology.

Who are we: On the left side: Dr. Sonja Isken, the programme director On the right side from top to bottom: Dr. Marian Vermue, Dr. Joan Wellink, Dr. Lisette Nitsch, Drs. Brigitte Lubbes and Dr. Antoinette Kazbar, study advisors