History:
Four-Year Undergraduate Program (2003–), Master’s Program (2008–), In-Service Master’s Program (2009–), Industry–Academia Cooperative Special Program (2008–2011), Skilled Talent Leading Program – Smart Biotechnology Special Program (2021–)
Characteristics:
This department focuses on biotechnology innovative product development, detection technology development, and the integration of biotechnology production process technologies. It has established the “Life Science Pilot Plant” and the “Agricultural and Biotechnology Product Inspection Service Center” (the center has passed TAF international accreditation and operates externally; it is currently a university-level unit). The department continuously advances toward intelligentization and precision. By effectively utilizing surrounding agricultural resources and related industries, the department engages in applied research in food and agricultural technology, enhancing the value of biotechnology-related products, improving the environment, and promoting agricultural resource recycling.
Currently, faculty expertise and research areas include environmental biotechnology, biomaterial applications, agricultural technology, food processing, and medical biotechnology. The department emphasizes professional training and practical implementation, stressing both theoretical foundations and practical applications. Courses related to the professional certification of food technologists are also offered as electives. The department maintains close collaboration with industry and is committed to cultivating interdisciplinary biotechnology professionals with diverse expertise in biotechnology detection technologies, innovative biotechnology product development, and product manufacturing. The department has a total of 15 faculty positions (currently 4 professors, 6 associate professors, and 3 assistant professors).
In recent years, departmental honors include: in 2020 research results were featured on the cover of the internationally renowned academic journal ChemMedChem (Figure 1); gold medals were awarded in the invention competitions of the 2019 and 2020 International Exhibition of Inventions (formerly the Taipei International Invention Show) (Figure 2); first place in the poster paper competition at the 2019 Mass Spectrometry Society Academic Conference (Figure 3); as well as other research and development awards (for example, several faculty members received the Academic Research Excellence Award and the Industry–Academia Cooperation Excellence Award of National Hu wei University of Science and Technology).
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The faculty expertise in the Department of Biotechnology forms an industrial chain. The research and development scope is as follows:
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Research and Development Achievements of the Department of Biotechnology Faculty and Students
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Application of Microbial Preparations (Right: soil with added Trichoderma) The Trichoderma strain developed by the faculty and students of this department can be used as a biological preparation. It has rhizosphere affinity for crops, the ability to coil around the rhizosphere of cucurbit crops, enhance crop photosynthesis rates, and increase sucrose transport capacity. It promotes rapid root growth, improves the absorption of water and nutrients by roots, and protects crops from pathogenic microorganisms. |
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Food Processing Products Figure 2: Food processing products. Faculty members of this department use an emerging non-thermal sterilization technology—high-pressure processing—to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms in food under room temperature conditions while preserving the natural flavor and nutritional value of processed fruit and vegetable products. This can serve as an alternative non-thermal pasteurization method, suitable for developing high-pressure processed fruit and vegetable products and extending shelf life, creating a clear differentiation from traditional heat-sterilized fruit and vegetable products currently on the market and demonstrating strong market potential. |
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Biomimetic Technology Applications Figure 3: Biomimetic technology applications. Faculty and students created biomimetic structural colors similar to butterfly scales using self-assembled nanoscale polystyrene spheres with uniform particle size. When the viewing angle tilts, red, green, and blue colors appear. By mixing and arranging nanospheres of different sizes, a dual-color switching effect can be produced. In addition, a high-transmittance hidden anti-counterfeiting identification film was developed. This research was published in the journal Langmuir, won the silver medal at the 2013 Taipei International Invention Show, and obtained a Republic of China invention patent (I 466715). |
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Biotechnology Product Processing and Value Enhancement Figure 4: Biotechnology product processing and value enhancement. Faculty and students conduct pilot-scale product process development and production in the Life Science Pilot Plant. The pilot plant is equipped with pilot-scale freeze dryers, roller dryers, and continuous extraction machines. Combined with smart Industry 4.0 concepts, various products are produced on a pilot scale, such as instant health products and products developed for the elderly. |
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Nanomaterial Synthesis and Biomedical Applications Figure 5: Nanomaterial synthesis and biomedical applications. Faculty and students modified nanoscale zero-valent iron onto the surface of graphene oxide and coated it with dopamine to synthesize a multifunctional nanomedicine with near-infrared (NIR) absorption and breast cancer targeting properties—nanoscale zero-valent iron/reduced graphene oxide@polydopamine (nZVI/rGO@pDA). A series of studies confirmed that the synthesized nZVI/rGO@pDA combines the advantages of nanoscale zero-valent iron, reduced graphene oxide, and dopamine, possessing targeting ability, high biocompatibility, phototherapy capabilities for cancer (photodynamic therapy/photothermal therapy), and tumor imaging capability. We believe that nZVI/rGO@pDA has strong potential for clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. In 2020, this research was featured on the cover of the internationally renowned academic journal Nanomaterials. |
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Validation and Development of Health Product Efficacy Figure 6: Validation and development of health product efficacy. Faculty and students developed production processes for active components of Chinese herbal medicines and mass-produced them as raw materials for health foods and cosmetic products. Through immunomodulatory efficacy validation, these products can be applied to improve psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, and allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. The cosmetic raw materials have also passed the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) certification by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC). The team was also invited to write a review on the mechanisms of asthma treatment in Chinese and Western medicine, published in the internationally renowned MDPI journal “Cells.” |
 
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