In the past, human understanding of living organisms was mostly limited to their external appearances. In the 1950s, however, the discovery of DNA marked a major breakthrough in our comprehension of the essence of life. People gradually came to understand that the unique characteristics of each species and individual stem from the specific sequences of DNA within their genes. Variations in these sequences can lead to deformities or diseases, but they also enable advancements such as genetic transference to produce special substances or even clone living organisms.
In just fifty short years, the rapid development of biotechnology has turned many ideas that were once considered “science fiction” into reality. People now face the future with great confidence and anticipation. Therefore, biotechnology can be described as “the dream of yesterday, the treasure of today, and the star of tomorrow.” The 21st century has thus been proclaimed as the era of biotechnology.
Our Development Focus
Chung Yuan Christian University integrates biotechnology and holistic education as its defining characteristics. The university has established the Biotechnology and Engineering Integration Promotion Committee, chaired by the university president and directed by the Vice President for Research and Development. The committee is composed of distinguished professors in biotechnology-related fields who meet regularly to propose feasible plans and incentive programs. The Biotechnology Building, with eight floors above ground and one basement level, has been completed, symbolizing the university’s strong commitment to advancing biotechnology.
Accordingly, our department is expected to achieve significant progress in biotechnology. Our key development areas are as follows:
1. Embryonic and Stem Cell Research
The VIA Cord Blood Foundation, established through a donation from VIA Technologies, has signed an agreement with our university and is now based within our department. The foundation has invested in advanced instruments worth tens of millions of NT dollars for cutting-edge research. Our faculty and graduate students directly participate in these research projects. Several of our professors specialize in embryonic stem cell research, making this field one of our department’s most distinctive and promising areas among universities in Taiwan.
2. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Food Development
Did you know that high-quality health supplements no longer require harvesting rare plants from deep mountains? Through biotechnology-based selection and modification, we can produce better and more effective health products. Health food development is one of the most practical and promising areas of biotechnology today, and it is also a key focus of national policy. Our department has several leading professors in Taiwan’s health food industry and collaborates with Taoyuan General Hospital to conduct joint clinical research projects.
3. Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics involves organizing and analyzing vast amounts of raw DNA data generated in laboratories using computational tools to extract meaningful information. This is one of the most in-demand and scarce fields in global biotechnology. With the strong support of our Departments of Computer Science, Information Management, and Biomedical Engineering, as well as faculty with related expertise in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University has a solid foundation for developing research and education in bioinformatics.
4. Development of Production and Purification Technologies for Protein-Based Drugs
The development of large-scale protein drug production involves three key areas:
Establishment of expression systems
Scale-up of expression systems
Separation and purification of proteins
Through training in these areas, our graduates will be well-prepared to connect with the biopharmaceutical industry and apply their knowledge to real-world applications.
2000 (Year 89 of the Republic Era) – Approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for preparatory establishment.
2001 (Year 90) – Officially approved by the MOE for establishment.
2002 (Year 91) – The Department was formally established and admitted its first cohort of undergraduate students.
2003 (Year 92) – The Biotechnology Division was established under the Graduate Institute of Chemistry, admitting the first cohort of master’s students.
March 2003 – Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) formed the Committee for the Construction of the Biotechnology and Engineering Center, initiating plans for a new building with a total floor area of over 2,000 pings (approximately 6,600 square meters).
March 2003 – The VIA Cord Blood Foundation signed a cooperation agreement with CYCU to establish the Cord Blood Storage and Educational Exhibition Center within the Holistic Education Village.
May 2003 – The Milun Love & Care Health Foundation, founded by the Uni-President Group, collaborated with the Department to promote public education on preventive medicine and nutritional health through 7-Eleven, Cosmed, and various media channels across Taiwan.
August 1, 2003 – Received a grant from the MOE’s Talent Cultivation Program for Science and Technology Departments.
92.09.25 – Signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Faith, Hope & Love Cord Blood Foundation.
94.09.29 – The Standard Foods Corporation donated NT$1 million to the Department.
94.10.14 – Dr. John Craig Venter, inventor of the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) gene sequencing method, was invited by the Department and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by CYCU.
95.10.14 – The Life Science Building was completed and inaugurated.
96.08.01 – The Master’s Program in Biotechnology was officially established.
97.05.08 – The Department successfully passed its first cycle of program evaluation.
98.06.03 – Hosted the 2nd Joint Academic Symposium of CYCU and National Central University Departments of Life Science.
98.02.01 – Established the International Master’s Program in Biotechnology, offering English-taught courses and admitting international students.
98.11.05 – Organized an Academic Symposium on Drug Delivery.
99.10.11 – Organized an Academic Symposium on Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine.
100.06.08 – Hosted the 4th Joint Academic Symposium among CYCU, National Central University, and Yuan Ze University Departments of Life Science.
101.01.11 – The Syn-Tech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. CYCU Branch Office was officially inaugurated in the Department.
101.08.01 – Chair Professor Ching-Min Tsai donated NT$300,000 annually to establish the Syn-Tech Scholarship, awarded to students with outstanding academic performance or research achievements.
Former Department Chairs
113/08/01 ~ 迄今 詹文雄 系主任
111/08/01 ~ 113/07/31 金亭佑 系主任
105/08/01 ~ 111/07/31 陳中庸 系主任
99/08/01 ~ 105/07/31 詹文雄 系主任
97/08/01 ~ 99/07/31 吳宗遠 系主任
91/08/01 ~ 97/07/31 蔡敬民 系主任
91/02/01 ~ 91/07/31 蔡敬民 籌備主任
Number of Students
生物科技學系：412
生物科技學系碩士班：26
I. Purpose, Mission, and Tasks
1. Purpose
The purpose of establishing the Department is to educate students in understanding the essence of life, while upholding the holistic education philosophy of Chung Yuan Christian University. The Department aims to cultivate students’ original thinking, pursuit of truth, and application of biotechnology.
2. Mission
To align with national technological development, biotechnology was identified by the Executive Yuan in 1982 (Year 71 of the Republic Era) as one of the eight key technological priorities. At the same time, biotechnology research and development units were established. In 1995 (Year 84), the Executive Yuan approved the “Program to Promote Biotechnology Industry,” tasking the Ministry of Education with cultivating talent and improving biotechnology education. How to integrate biotechnology-related courses, enhance curriculum quality, and train professionals familiar with relevant technologies and regulations remains a key focus of the Department’s development.
3. Tasks
The Department is dedicated to nurturing foundational talent in biotechnology. In recent years, life science departments established in many national universities have primarily focused on theoretical knowledge and specialized research, while interdisciplinary and industry-oriented training remain relatively lacking.
Biotechnology is a highly interdisciplinary and cutting-edge field encompassing biology, medicine, chemistry, materials science, physics, mathematics, electronics, mechanics, computer science, management, law, and ethics. Therefore, the Department emphasizes integrated, cross-disciplinary research with the goal of enhancing its academic reputation both domestically and internationally.
II. Teaching and Research
1. Teaching
Cultivate skilled professionals in biotechnology.
Guide students in career and research development paths.
Promote accurate knowledge and applications of biotechnology.
2. Research
Invite experts in modern biotechnology fields such as cell biology, structural biology, and molecular biology to teach and conduct research in molecular biology, genetic engineering, enzymology, and protein engineering.
After its establishment, the Department will rapidly expand software and laboratory facilities to support graduate studies. Future plans include interdisciplinary programs and integrated research projects aimed at providing tangible benefits to the industry.
III. Student Guidance
1. Mid- to Long-Term Goals
Leverage partnerships with Mackay Memorial Hospital to compensate for the University’s lack of biology and medical resources.
Collaborate with Syn-Tech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to strengthen industry-academia research capabilities.
Explore alliances with Chang Gung University for geographical, research, and funding considerations.
2. Strategies to Achieve Goals
Regularly invite domestic experts and scholars to give specialized lectures.
Involve all faculty members in student mentorship programs.
Organize field trips and promote extracurricular activities such as off-campus visits, relay races, choir, and sports events to foster cohesion and team spirit.
IV. Development Directions and Features
1. Mid- to Long-Term Goals
Utilize partnerships with Mackay Memorial Hospital to complement the University’s biology and medical resources.
Collaborate with Syn-Tech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to enhance research and development capabilities in industry-academia projects.
Consider geographic, research capacity, and funding factors to seek alliances with Chang Gung University.
2. Strategies to Achieve Goals
Actively promote collaboration between faculty and the industry.
Cooperate with food enterprises to improve the quality of health food products.
Establish research incentive programs.
Form the Biotechnology Integration Promotion Committee to guide and coordinate departmental initiatives.
