The training of specialists in biotechnology began back in 1949, for more than half a century the Tomsk University has trained 1,500 engineers and more than 150 biotechnology engineers.

The program was designed and being continuously updated in collaboration with Siberian State Medical University, Research Institute of Cardiology, Research Institute of Pharmacology, Research Institute of Oncology, and Research Institute of Nuclear Physics. The research projects are conducted in cooperation with Russian and international universities (Germany, South Korea, Mexico, the United Kingdom, USA) with the support of Russian and international scholarships and grants and contracts with chemical-pharmaceutical and biotech companies, among them there are about 30 Russian and international research center and enterprises. This close collaboration allows students to work on real projects and consult with internationally recognized experts in the field of biotechnology.

In 2008, the program was certified by the Association for Engineering Education of Russia and EUR-ACE Framework Standards for the Accreditation of Engineering Programmes.