VCU 1

CHEMICAL AND LIFE SCIENCE CLSE 305. Thermodynamics of Phase Equilibria and Chemical
Reactions. 3 Hours.

ENGINEERING (CLSE) Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 115,
201, and 202, MATH 307. Thermodynamic properties of fluids and
mixtures, partial molar quantities, phase equilibria, activity coefficients
CLSE 101. Introduction to Engineering. 3 Hours. and correlations, equations-of-state, chemical reaction equilibria for
Semester course; 2 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 3 credits. liquid, vapor and multiphase reactions, and the use of equations-of-state
Prerequisites: course open to first-year students majoring in chemical and activity/fugacity correlations to obtain the thermodynamic functions
and life science engineering. Introduction to chemical and life science required for the calculation of chemical reaction equilibrium constants.
engineering. Topics covered include ethics and social responsibility; Computing using Excel VBA are a required component of this course.
engineering design process; engineering solutions; estimations and
CLSE 306. Industrial Applications of Inorganic Chemistry. 3 Hours.
approximations; dimensions, units and conversions; mathematics and
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CHEM 302
computer solutions; life-long learning; introduction to the interface
and CHEZ 302. A study and analysis of the most important industrial
between engineering, biology and medicine.
applications of inorganic chemistry, with emphasis on structure/
CLSE 102. Methods in CLSE. 1 Hour. properties correlation, material and energy balances, availability and
Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: CLSE 101. logistics of starting materials, economic impact and environmental
An introduction to problem formulation and solution methods for effects. Formerly EGRC/CHEM 306. Crosslisted as: CHEM 306.
chemical and life science engineering. Typical chemical and life science
CLSE 312. Chemical Reaction Engineering. 3 Hours.
engineering scenarios will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 301
identifying and formulating problems based on presented scenarios.
and 305. Introduces the student to the analysis of reactors via coupling
CLSE 115. Introduction to Programming for Chemical and Life Science of empirical reaction rates and thermodynamic constraints with reactor
Engineering. 4 Hours. material and energy balances. The behavior of the ideal reactor types
Semester course; 3 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 4 credits. Corequisite: (batch, CSTR and PFR) is emphasized with attention given to departure
MATH 200. Introduction to the concepts and practice of structured from these ideals by real systems. Formerly EGRC 312.
programming. Topics include problem-solving, top-down design of
CLSE 320. Instrumentation Laboratory. 2 Hours.
algorithms, objects, basic syntax, control structures, functions and
Semester course; 6 laboratory hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 201
arrays.
and 202 both with a minimum grade of C and CLSE 301. This laboratory
CLSE 201. Chemical Engineering Fundamentals I: Material Balances. 4 introduces students to a variety of measurement instruments used in
Hours. modern chemical engineering laboratories and process plants. Detailed
Semester course; 3 lecture and 1 recitation hours. 4 credits. laboratory reports are required for each of the experiments undertaken by
Prerequisites: CLSE 115, CHEM 102 and MATH 201. The first of two the students. Formerly EGRC 320.
introductory chemical and life science engineering courses. Covers
CLSE 325. Bioengineering. 3 Hours.
material balances on steady-state chemical processes.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 201
CLSE 202. Chemical Engineering Fundamentals II: Energy Balances and and BIOL 151 or BIOL 152. An introductory and survey level course
Engineering Thermodynamics. 4 Hours. required for all chemical engineering students. This course introduces
Semester course; 3 lecture and 1 recitation hours. 4 credits. concepts and principles of chemical engineering to problems and issues
Prerequisites: CLSE 201 with a minimum grade of C, CHEM 101-102 in the life sciences, biotechnology and medicine. Students apply heat
and MATH 200-201 or equivalents. The second of two introductory and mass transfer concepts, separations and controls to topics that
chemical and life science engineering courses. Covers energy include clinical diagnostics, bioanalytical instrumentation, biosensors
balances on steady-state chemical processes, computer-aided balance and biochips, bioprocess engineering including fermentation, biochemical
calculations, balances on transient processes and introduction to pathway engineering, protein folding and aggregation, bioreactors and
thermodynamics. tissue engineering. Formerly EGRC 325.
CLSE 301. Transport Phenomena I. 3 Hours. CLSE 402. Senior Design Studio I (Laboratory/Project Time). 2 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 202, Semester course; 6 laboratory hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: senior
PHYS 208 and MATH 301. Basic concepts of transport phenomena as standing in chemical and life science engineering and participation
applied to chemical and life science engineering. Topics include transport in a senior design (capstone) project; CLSE 301, 302, 305 and 312. A
of mass momentum and energy in single and multidimensions. minimum of six laboratory hours per week dedicated to the execution
CLSE 302. Transport Phenomena II. 3 Hours. phase of the senior design (capstone) project, which should meet
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 301 appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.
and 305. Concepts of transport phenomena as applied to chemical and Tasks include team meetings, brainstorming, sponsor advising,
life science engineering. Topics include advanced multicomponent, designing, fabrications, assembling, reviewing, studying, researching,
multiphase systems, integral analysis, and an integrated view of testing and validating projects.
momentum, heat and mass transport in unit operations. Formerly EGRC
302.
2 Chemical and Life Science Engineering (CLSE)

CLSE 403. Senior Design Studio II (Laboratory/Project Time). 2 Hours. CLSE 461. Stem Cell Engineering. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 6 laboratory hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: senior Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: BIOL 218,
standing in chemical and life science engineering and participation in a CLSE 302. The production and behavior of adult and embryonic
senior design (capstone) project; CLSE 402. A minimum of six laboratory stem cells are studied and potential applications for the treatment
hours per week dedicated to the execution phase of the senior design of disease are surveyed. Stem cell engineering techniques including
(capstone) project, which should meet appropriate engineering standards parthenogenesis, nuclear transfer stem cells and embryonic carcinoma
and multiple realistic constraints. Tasks include team meetings, cells are introduced. The use of stem and germ cells for cloning is
brainstorming, sponsor advising, designing, fabrications, assembling, covered, and ethical considerations involving the use of embryonic
reviewing, studying, researching, testing and validating projects. human stem cells are discussed. Formerly ENGR 461.
CLSE 405. Process Synthesis. 3 Hours. CLSE 543. Advanced Reaction Engineering. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 302, Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides the fundamental
305 and 312. A senior technical elective. Students synthesize flowsheets background needed to effectively design reactors at the macroscale
for existing and newly proposed chemical and biochemical products. exemplified by batch, pilot and plant operations or at the micro- and nano-
Quantitative tools learned in earlier courses are used to examine scale exemplified by the current trend to miniaturize unit operations.
the technical and economic feasibility of the flowsheets. Written bi- A quantitative analysis is developed to explain why "real" reactor
weekly status reports are required from each student and each student performance departs from ideal batch, CSTR and plug flow reactor
completes a process synthesis and analysis as a semester project. performance. Formerly EGRC 543.
Formerly EGRC 405. CLSE 544. Applied Transport Phenomena. 3 Hours.
CLSE 409. Process Control in Chemical and Life Science Engineering. 3 Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides the basis
Hours. for analyzing mass, energy and momentum transport issues in
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE 301 environmental, chemical, biological and industrial processes. Molecular
and 305. Covers process control as applied to chemical and life science mechanisms of momentum transport, energy transport and mass
engineering with many practical examples. Topics include time and diffusion are utilized to develop an engineering analysis of a given
frequency domain analysis, multivariable processes and applications to process. This molecular approach is complemented with macroscopic
chemical and biochemical production and processing. Formerly EGRC mass, momentum and mechanical energy balances. Formerly EGRC 544.
409. CLSE 549. Process Biotechnology. 3 Hours.
CLSE 428. Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering. 3 Hours. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Designed to provide a
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE rational basis addressing engineering challenges in the emerging
302, 305 and 312, and CHEM 302, or equivalents. A senior technical biotechnology area. The course material is broad in scope covering
elective. The course offers an introduction to the chemistry, physical biochemical synthesis, bioreactor design and bioprocess monitoring and
properties and processing of polymers. Topics include step and chain control. It also deals with important issues associated with separation
polymerization, structure/property relationships, mechanical properties and purification techniques used with biomaterials. Formerly EGRC 549.
of plastics and elastomers, solution properties, methods for polymer CLSE 561. Stem Cell Engineering. 3 Hours.
characterization, and processing techniques. Formerly EGRC 428. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: BIOL 218
CLSE 440. Unit Operations Laboratory. 2 Hours. and CLSE 302. The production and behavior of adult and embryonic
Semester course; 6 laboratory hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE stem cells are studied and potential applications for the treatment of
302, 305 and 312. Students carry out experiments with chemical and disease are surveyed. The importance of the extracellular matrix in cell
biochemical reactors, energy exchangers, fluid flow networks and other differentiation and proliferation is established. Stem cell engineering
unit operations. Detailed laboratory reports are required for each of the techniques including parthenogenesis, nuclear transfer stem cells
experiments undertaken. Formerly EGRC 440. and embryonic carcinoma cells are introduced. The use of stem and
germ cells for cloning, stem cells and tissue rejection, and ethical
CLSE 450. Undergraduate Research in Chemical and Life Science
considerations in the use of embryonic human stem cells are discussed.
Engineering. 1-6 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. Up to 6 credits. Undergraduate CLSE 562. Advanced Systems Biology Engineering. 3 Hours.
research under the supervision of a faculty member. Specific topics vary Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: BIOL 218,
depending on the interests of the student and the adviser. Registration CLSE 115, and CLSE 302. The system-level properties of biology will
requires approval of the student's academic adviser and research adviser. be surveyed to understand how DNA leads to cellular behavior through
Formerly EGRC 350. complex molecular interactions. Theoretical and experimental concepts
associated with high-throughput data (genomics, transcriptomics,
CLSE 460. Undergraduate Honors Research in Life Sciences
metabolomics, fluxomics, proteomics), cellular regulation and
Engineering. 1-3 Hours.
computational modeling will be introduced. Bioinformatic analysis,
Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. Corequisites: BIOL 218,
integration of data and current challenges are discussed.
CLSE 302. An undergraduate honors research course for academically
talented juniors and seniors requiring advanced work and an honors
thesis on a topic relevant to life sciences engineering. Topics and credit
hours will be chosen in consultation with a sponsoring faculty member.
Formerly ENGR 460.
 VCU 3

CLSE 563. Metabolic Engineering. 3 Hours. CLSE 655. Nonequilibrium Analysis in Chemical and Life Science
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: BIOL Engineering. 3 Hours.
218, CLSE 115, and CLSE 302. The principles and methods used Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: CLSE
in metabolic engineering of microbes will be covered. Theoretical 301, CLSE 302 and MATH 301. An understanding of the spatial and
and experimental concepts associated with metabolite production, temporal dynamics of biological systems is key to many cellular events
strain design, strain construction and strain characterization will including cell signaling processes, second messenger systems, positive
be introduced. Design principles, metabolic engineering challenges, and negative feedback control, transcription, translation, and many more.
metabolic engineering applications and ethical considerations of This course introduces nonequilibrium (dynamic) analysis as applied to
genomic alterations are discussed. biological and chemical systems.
CLSE 570. Molecular Physiology and Microanatomy for Chemical and CLSE 656. Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering. 3 Hours.
Life Science Engineering. 4 Hours. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 301
Semester course; 3 lecture and 2 laboratory hours. 4 credits. and CLSE 312. This course builds upon fundamental principles of
Prerequisites: BIOL 218 and CLSE 302. Understanding physiology from chemical reaction engineering including integration of mass balances,
the molecular perspective of cellular biochemical mass action kinetics, reactor design equations and chemical rate laws. Emphasis is given to
molecular diffusion and transport, biomolecular separation processes, development of mathematical models and computational simulation
and dynamic biochemical control theory is key to the engineering and of chemical reaction systems with multiple reactions. Additional topics
design strategies for medical intervention in disease and human health. include analysis of systems with unknown reaction parameters and
This course explores these biomolecular dynamic events in human mechanisms and bioprocess/biochemical approaches to chemical
physiology with an emphasis on the application of the fundamental production.
biochemical transport phenomena, kinetics and separation processes, CLSE 660. Biomolecular and Computational Engineering. 3 Hours.
and dynamic control theory. Laboratory component emphasizes living, Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CLSE 650.
single-cell manipulation and analysis methods, such as patch clamp Dynamic analysis of interacting cellular events, including cell signal
devices, and the microanatomy of internal organs. pathways, clock reactions, etc., often requires large-scale computational
CLSE 645. Biosensors and Bioelectronic Devices. 3 Hours. approaches. Furthermore, these techniques are necessarily time
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course develops dependent requiring unique methodologies, such as multi-time scale
the methodologies used in the design, fabrication and application of methods. This course introduces the subject of real-time biomolecular
biosensors and bioelectronic devices to monitoring problems in the simulations.
environmental, medical and chemicals industries. Fundamentals of CLSE 675. Polymers in Medicine. 3 Hours.
measurement science will be applied to optical, electrochemical, mass Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course is based on the
and thermal means of signal transduction. Fundamentals of surface need for integration of engineering and materials science of polymers
science will be used to interpret bio-immobilization, biofouling and with applications in life science engineering. Basic principles of polymer
non-specific interactions of enzymes, antibodies and DNA at surfaces. science including structural concepts at the molecular-, nano-, micro-
Formerly EGRC 645. and macro-scales are emphasized so that the student can understand
CLSE 650. Quantitative Analysis in Chemical and Life Science structure/function correlation. The course treats polymer synthesis,
Engineering. 3 Hours. molecular weight, morphology and surface science at an introductory
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 301. level, but quantitative correlations are emphasized. Surface science
An understanding of the quantitative descriptions of chemical and is emphasized, as medical applications are often dependent on the
biological processes is required for engineering analysis, including interaction of a solid polymer with an in vivo environment (tissue, blood,
prediction and design. Analytical approaches are necessary to simplify membrane). The polymers chosen for emphasis include polyethylene
and provide limits of complex behavior. These approaches include (hip, knee replacement), poly(vinylchloride) (bood bags, catheters),
perturbation theory and scaling, density functional formulations, polyurethanes (artificial heart, wound care) and silicones (implants,
control theory, and stability theory. This course represents the applied catheters). The use of polymers in drug delivery applications is explored,
mathematical foundations on equilibrium and nonequilibrium analysis of including osmotic-pressure-driven drug delivery. Concepts surrounding
chemical and biological systems. polymeric surface modifiers are developed, including applications such
as enhanced biodurability and biocidal function.
CLSE 654. Equilibrium Analysis in Chemical and Biological Systems. 3
Hours. CLSE 690. Research Seminar in Chemical and Life Science Engineering.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: CLSE 1 Hour.
305. Provides a molecular-based, thermodynamic framework for the Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. May be repeated up to
quantitative equilibrium analysis of a broad range of biological and eight times. Presentations and discussions of current problems and
chemical processes. Contemporary equations of state, liquid solution developments in life science engineering by faculty and visiting lecturers.
models and elementary statistical mechanics are used to predict CLSE 691. Special Topics in Chemical and Life Science Engineering. 1-4
the behavior of molecules. Important issues addressed include the Hours.
estimation of solvation and partitioning of molecules between phases Semester course; 1-4 lecture hours. 1-4 credits. Prerequisites: At least
or media, the calculation of free energy changes associated with cellular one graduate-level engineering course and permission of the instructor.
events and prediction of order/disorder phenomena. Lectures, tutorial studies, library assignments in selected areas of
advanced study or specialized laboratory procedures not available in
other course offerings or as part of research training.
4 Chemical and Life Science Engineering (CLSE)

CLSE 692. Independent Study in Chemical and Life Science Engineering.

1-5 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 lecture and/or 0-4 laboratory hours. 1-5 credits.
Prerequisites: graduate standing or permission of instructor. The student
must submit a prospectus to the graduate committee for approval and
identify a faculty member willing to supervise the course. Investigation of
specialized engineering problems through literature search, mathematical
analysis, computer simulation and/or experimentation. Written and oral
reports, final report and examination required.
CLSE 697. Directed Research in Chemical and Life Science Engineering.
1-9 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. 1-9 credits. Prerequisite: graduate
standing or permission of instructor. Research directed toward
completion of the requirements for the M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering,
with concentration in chemical and life science engineering, under the
direction of an engineering faculty member and advisory committee.
Graded S/U/F.