Introduction

Gearing for the Bio-Evolution

Biomedical Sciences (BMS) or Life Sciences (as it is commonly known), is set to take centre-stage in the global knowledge-based economy. In Singapore, the government is developing BMS as one of the 4 key engines of growth (alongside electronics, chemicals and engineering industries) in the new economy. There are several measures taken to position Singapore as a premier BMS hub in Asia for research, innovation and talent in key areas like pharmaceutical, medical technology, biotechnology and healthcare services.

Numerous leading international companies have since selected Singapore as their choice location for manufacturing, R& D, clinical development and other activities. Public research infrastructures are also expanded over the years to nurture new research centres such as Institute of Bioengineering, BioInformatics Institute and Genome Institute of Singapore, to leverage on cutting-edge technologies of BMS.

The young BMS sector has demonstrated economic resilience in the face of global uncertainties. In 2002 alone, it attracted some S$0.85billion of foreign direct investments and made the second highest value-added contribution of S$2.38billion for the manufacturing sector. By 2005, BMS is expected to contribute some S$12million worth of manufacturing output. All these factors point to enhanced opportunities for the biomedical profession in Singapore.

WHAT IS BIOENGINEERING?

"Bioengineering is a fusion between the various disciplines of engineering and Biomedical Sciences."

Engineering plays a key in role in Biomedical Sciences (BMS). The 2 fields are complementary, as core technologies from different Engineering disciplines are applied in several BMS areas. In fact, BMS has led Engineering to evolve further into areas such as Bio computing, Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, which can be broadly classified under the spectrum of "Bioengineering". A Bioengineer applies fundamental principals and methods of Engineering to address problems in medical and life sciences. Although the main Bioengineering endeavour is based on Engineering disciplines, a Bioengineer also needs a good background in biological and medical sciences.

HOW DID BIOENGINEERING EVOLVE?

The recent progress made in molecular biological sciences has greatly advanced the fields of genetics, molecular and cell biology. These achievements have opened up new Engineering approaches to develop new technologies and to solve biomedical problems, with the ultimate aim of diagnosing and curing diseases and advancing healthcare.

Broad Coverage of Areas and Applications in Bioengineering

• Bioinformatics (e.g. decoding genetic data to determine origin of diseases)
• Biosignal Processing (e.g. electrocardiaography to detect irregular hearbeats)
• Biomedical Instrumentation (e.g. pacemaker to regulate heart frequency by electrical stimulation)
• Medical Imaging (e.g. ultra-sound 3D colour image to examine the health and position of an unborn foetus)
• Tissue Engineering (e.g. artificials skin)
• Biomaterials (e.g. bioactive bone substitute)
• Biomechanics (e.g. quantitative diagnosis of injured limbs)
• Artificial Organs (e.g. artificial hearts)
• Orthopaedic Implants (e.g. artificial hip joints)
• Biochemical Processing (e.g. reactors using microbes to produce drugs)
• Nanotechnology (e.g. developing nano-sized devices to aid the eradication of harmful tissues and cells)