About the Department

Students in the Biology and Biotechnology Department at WPI not only learn the basics of the life sciences but get plenty of hands-on lab experience, starting freshman year. At the world-class Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park, biology and biotechnology students collaborate with those in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Chemistry and Biochemistry, in cross-disciplinary labs centered on research focus areas. Interdisciplinary teams combine strengths to further scientific discovery in areas such as neuroprosthetics, stem cells, and regenerative biology. And WPI’s project-based learning model, culminating in the Major Qualifying Project in the senior year, gives students the opportunity to work with local biotech companies and medical schools as well.

Proper guidance is essential to shaping scientific minds. Our distinguished faculty takes seriously its commitment to creating lifelong learners. Areas of faculty research interest include cell and molecular biology, genetics, ecology, environmental biology, organismal biology, developmental and regenerative biology, bioprocess technology, and computational biology.

From finding better ways to deliver health care and sources of renewable energy, to genomics and plant-based technologies, to the myriad other ways the life sciences touch our world, there has never been a more exciting—or important—time to be a life scientist. If you want to learn more about what WPI’s Biology and Biotechnology Department can do for you, please contact us.