Biology meets process engineering

Understanding biology, modelling technical processes and, ultimately, winning an award for her own Bachelor’s thesis: for Isabel Bühnemann, the path through the Bachelor’s degree programme in Biosystems Engineering at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg led to the Association of German Engineers (VDI) sponsorship award. Today, the 24-year-old is continuing her studies on the Master’s programme in Sustainable Process and Environmental Engineering.

It was the combination of biology and engineering that led her to Magdeburg after her A-levels. “After my A-levels, I did a Federal Voluntary Service to find out which study program really suited me. During that time, a school friend had already started studying Biosystems Engineering and told me enthusiastically about the internships,” she explains. “As I’d always been very interested in biology and maths at school and enjoyed tinkering with analytical problem-solving, Biosystems Engineering was the ideal combination for me.”

When biology meets engineering

Biosystems Engineering combines fundamental biological principles with process and systems engineering. Students learn about biological processes in the laboratory as well as how these processes can be described mathematically, modelled and utilised technically.
“Compared to pure biology, biosystems engineering offers the advantage of not only observing biological processes but also making them technically usable,” explains Isabel Bühnemann. “In doing so, it combines biological mechanisms with mathematical modelling, control and process optimisation.”

It was the engineering side of the degree in particular that really inspired her. “From the very start, I enjoyed the calculations, simulations and optimisation the most. That was also the reason why I later went on to do a Master’s in Process Engineering.”

Getting started on the Bachelor’s study program was straightforward: the study program is non-restricted; a standard online application is sufficient. However, prior knowledge in all science subjects is helpful. “You don’t need to have got top marks in these subjects at school. Curiosity and a willingness to get to grips with the material are far more important. With the right motivation, you’ll definitely be able to tackle the degree.”

From biology to control engineering

The 24-year-old still remembers the start of her degree well. “For me, that moment was very exciting because it marked the official start of a new chapter in my life.” She particularly remembers Freshers’ Week. After the Covid-19 lockdown, she enjoyed getting together with lots of people on campus again.

As her studies progressed, her view of biosystems engineering also changed. “At the start, I thought the degree would be almost entirely biology-based. From the third semester onwards, however, more modules in process engineering were added.” It was precisely this mix that motivated her most.

The diversity of the study program is also evident in the fact that students are spread across different departments. For control engineering, for example, they go to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, whilst medical content is taught at the University Hospital.

The first two years of her degree were particularly formative for Isabel Bühnemann. Mathematics, biology and chemistry were just as much a part of the course as laboratory practicals. “What I found most exciting, however, were the modules that brought all the fundamentals together, such as process dynamics, fluid mechanics or the fundamentals of systems biology. That’s when you realised how the theory from the first semesters comes together to form a coherent whole.”

From bacteria to proteins
in the laboratory

As well as lectures and tutorials, the Bachelor’s programme also offers plenty of opportunities to gain practical experience. Laboratory practicals are on the timetable in almost every semester. This enables students to learn early on how to work scientifically and document their results.

Isabel Bühnemann has particularly fond memories of an internship in bioprocess engineering. “Working in a group, we spent several days cultivating a protein in a bacterial strain, then extracted it from the cells and purified it. Going through the entire process from the living cell to the end product was a fantastic experience.”

The degree programme also includes an industrial placement. For Isabel Bühnemann, finding a suitable company was the biggest challenge of all. “As I wanted to stay in the Magdeburg region, the options were limited and it often took a long time to receive re-registrations from companies.”

Her advice: start early and don’t focus exclusively on Magdeburg. “It’s best to start looking for a placement for your industrial placement right at the start of the 6th semester. It really helps to look for suitable companies beyond the local area as well.”

Studies, part-time job and faculty student council

The workload on the Bachelor’s programme is certainly noticeable, says Isabel Bühnemann. Lectures, internships, minutes, assignments and exams all require good organisation. “It’s important to spread the workload out over the semester. Even so, it was absolutely manageable. I was able to hold down a part-time job regularly alongside my studies and still had enough time for friends, sport and leisure activities.”

She was also involved in university life. From the third semester onwards, she was active on the faculty student council and helped, amongst other things, with Freshers’ Week and events such as the lecturers’ barbecue or the end-of-semester party. During her final term of office, she took on the role of finance spokesperson for a year.

Today, she also works as a tutor, helping other students with specific course content.

When it comes to exams, Isabel Bühnemann relies on a variety of study methods. Whilst flashcards and summaries are helpful for biology modules, technical subjects focus more on understanding and problem-solving. “My approach here was to memorise fewer lecture slides and instead focus primarily on working through the maths exercises thoroughly.”

Studying in a group is particularly helpful. AI tools can also be useful – though mainly when they are used to understand concepts and clarify questions, rather than simply adopting ready-made solutions.

A lecture turns
into an award-winning Bachelor’s thesis

Her personal highlight was ultimately her Bachelor’s thesis. “It was great to be able to focus on one thing and organise my day in such a personalised way. I was also really pleased to finally be able to apply the knowledge from the lectures to a specific topic.”

The title of her thesis sounds complicated at first: ‘Design and evaluation of time-series models for the surrogate modelling of a dynamic, continuously mixed stirred-tank reactor’.
What lies behind it is easier to explain: “I investigated whether a computer can learn from past measurement data how a chemical reactor will behave in the next few seconds,” says Isabell Bühnemann.

In future, this could, for example, help to control chemical plants more flexibly when conditions change. In her thesis, she compared two models and investigated which one could better predict the reactor’s behaviour.

She first became interested in the topic through the ‘Process Dynamics’ lecture at the Chair of Process Systems Engineering. “That lecture was the one that inspired me the most at the time. That’s why I was determined to write my thesis in this field.”

Her supervisor, Alexander Geschke from the Max Planck Institute, eventually suggested the specific topic to her. During the course of her work, they regularly exchanged views on progress and findings. Due to the close links between the Department of Process Engineering at the Max Planck Institute and the Chair of Process Systems Engineering at the University of Magdeburg, the defence took place in front of representatives from both groups.

Upon completion of her degree, she was nominated for the Association of German Engineers’ Award on the initiative of her supervisor. The prize recognises outstanding final-year projects and dissertations in engineering and the natural sciences. Isabel Bühnemann won first place in the ‘Energy and Process Systems’ category and received prize money of 150 euros.
„“I was absolutely delighted that my research group considered my Bachelor’s thesis worthy of an award and that the VDI ultimately selected it. That was a wonderful recognition.”

On to a Master’s in Biosystems Engineering

After completing her Bachelor’s degree, Isabel Bühnemann progressed to the Master’s programme in Sustainable Process and Environmental Engineering, also at the University of Magdeburg. The transition was straightforward and required no additional bridging modules.

„The Bachelor’s programme in Biosystems Engineering provides all the necessary foundations for this. Looking back, this Master’s programme was exactly the right decision for me.”

She benefits particularly from the programming skills she acquired whilst working on her Bachelor’s thesis. She had learnt Python for that thesis. The structured approach to working on a larger scientific project is also helping her now in her Master’s programme.

The career opportunities after studying Biosystems Engineering are diverse. They range from biological analysis and diagnostics to roles in industry, such as in the pharmaceutical sector or wastewater treatment.

„ “What I’ve taken away most of all from Biosystems Engineering is the interdisciplinary way of thinking. It enables me to view processes as holistic systems and to mathematically model complex relationships.”

„“You don’t have to be able to do everything perfectly from day one”

Anyone interested in the Bachelor’s degree should, above all, be curious, says Isabel Bühnemann. “You don’t have to be perfect at everything from day one. Making mistakes and gradually finding your feet are simply part of the degree programme. And it’s also perfectly fine to fail an exam now and then. It’s not the end of the world.”

She emphasises that it’s particularly important to make contacts. “My most important tip for getting started is to make sure you attend Freshers’ Week. Networking early on with fellow students and also with those in higher semesters helps immensely when it comes to finding study groups and picking up the best tips for the first few semesters.”

As for herself, she now knows exactly what she wants to do next: after her Master’s, Isabel Bühnemann wants to do a PhD. “Ideally in the field of systems process engineering, with a focus on sustainable processes. Since I’ve realised how much I enjoy independent research, I’ve chosen this path for myself.”