Biochemical Engineering: a precursory antecedent of the present Biotechnology in Cuba

Abstract

In order to describe the Biochemical Engineering, including its university studies creation and development, as precursory antecedent of the Biotechnology in Cuba, it was done a bibliographic research and interviews to teachers and specialists participants or witness in that process. Within 1940 to 1959, the Bioengineering was already applied formally in international scientific researches; here was outstanding (1959/1960) the Cuban Institute for Research in Sugar cane Derivates (ICIDCA). Then in Chemical Engineering was didn’t include a formation for industrial scale up of new biologic processes, until the Havana University creates the specialization in Biochemical Engineering. (1960/61) which, later, was developed into career; first it was Food Engineering (1973) and then Biochemical and Food Productions Technology (1982). With an ambitious investment plan, from 1970 to 1989 Cuba developed new industrial enterprises including the fermentative, food and pharmaceutical ones. A new integral Chemical Engineering with wider profile was restructured in 1987 focused also to bioengineering; the study Plan improvement, in 1990, implied a higher methodological “revolution” with the new Integrating Discipline “Process Engineering”, but without modification of the chemical-biochemical integrality based on the antecedents of the 1960 decade. The actual chemical engineers are equally competent for the traditional chemical industries and the biochemical-biotechnological ones. The postgraduate level as master programs was also developed and improved; in CUJAE are in: Environment Engineering, Food Engineering (with collaboration of the Research Institute of the Food Industry) and Biotechnological Processes Engineering (with personnel and installations of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Center).