BIOLOGIA EM ENGENHARIAS: BIOMATEMÁTICA E BIOENGENHARIAS

Em estudos recentes, observamos uma tendência atual em estudos bio-inspirados. De forma nem sempre destacada, essa onda de estudos é algo recente, mas com raízes no passado (alguns referem aos estudos de Aristóteles). Podemos afirmar com grau difícil de quantificar que essa onda estará entre os desafios do milênio com promessas de desenvolvimento de novas ideias e áreas de conhecimento. Neste artigo o autor usa seus melhores dons intelectuais na busca de mostrar formalmente esta nova tendência e convida novos cientistas (estudantes em especial) a aderirem a essa onda. De forma paralela objetivamos sugerir aos responsáveis pelo ensino de engenharias (em especial no Brasil), especialmente engenharia de produção e áreas correlacionadas, a inserirem essa nova onda dentro da grade curricular dos novos alunos. O artigo é baseado em leituras (as referências são deixadas) e experiência próprio (podendo ser encarado como o coração do trabalho).

Palavras-chaves: Ensino de Engenharias; bioengenharia; desafios do milênio; biomatemática; Engenharia de Produção.    

Fonte: Pires, J. G. Na importância da biologia e em engenharias: biomatemática e bioengenharias. Educação em Engenharia de Produção: estudo do ensino de engenharia de produção. Simpósio de Engenharia de Produção.  XX: 1-12, 2013.

BIOMATHEMATICS AND BIOENGINEERING SCIENCES

In recent scientific endeavors, we have noticed a trend toward bio-inspired studies. Usually in a reckless viewpoint, this wave of oriented-studies is something recent, but rooted in the past (some points out influences from Aristotle.) We might assert with a certain difficult degree to quantify that this will take place amongst the challenges of the new millennia with promises of development of novel ideas and branches of science. On the current paper, the author makes no effort to applying its best intellectual abilities in the target of demonstrating in a formal approach this new trend and simultaneously we invite the new scientists (in special students) for gathering this massive effort. In a parallel manner, but not lesser, we intend to catch the attention of the responsible ones for the transcripts of the engineering sciences to take into account this paper when designing new courses in engineering sciences or even making changes in old-teaching pathways; this is especially for Brazilian institutions and (industrial) production engineering. The article is based on papers – which references are left – and personal experiences – which can be faced as the golden nugget of the paper –.    

Keywords: Engineering-sciences teachings; bioengineering; the challenges of the millennia; biomathematics; (industrial) production engineering.

Based on: Pires, J. G. Na importância da biologia e em engenharias: biomatemática e bioengenharias. Educação em Engenharia de Produção: estudo do ensino de engenharia de produção. Simpósio de Engenharia de Produção.  XX: 1-12, 2013.

Introduction

Biomechanics is often de­fined as `mechanics applied to biology,’ but it is actually much more (Humphrey, 2003). Biomechanics is better defined as the development, extension and application of mechanics for the purposes of understanding better physiology and pathophysiology as well as the diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury. Biomechanics can be seen as either a subarea of bioengineering or biomathematics, in fact, better seen as simultaneously belonging to both of them. 

Bioengineering can be defined as the application of engineering-driven reasoning to support either biology or medicine, with the purpose of either replicating bio-systems such as bones or tissues, or even applying it such as in artificial bio-systems. On the other hand, biomathmatics, called by some as mathematical biology or theoretical biology, is the application of mathematics to understand bio-systems such in population modeling or cancer treatment studies. 

However this is not straighforward, in some cases even impossible to see the differences and classify whether it is this or that. 

On this blog I intend to document how I see it, by examples taken from the literature, comments using my own viewpoint. I hope it could be useful for somebody else. 

References cited:

J.D. Humphrey, Review Paper: Continuum biomechanics of soft biological tissues, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 2003 459, 3-46, doi: 10.1098/rspa.2002.1060.