Genetic engineering and bioengineering: Cell software and cell (re) programming

This paper provides an approach to Genetic Engineering as an engineering discipline. It views the genetic engineering as part of Engineering needed to design, develop, and maintain functionality of a biological system. We propose a terminology that is helpful in explaining genetics and genetics engineering to engineers and engineering students, as well as to computer scientists and computer science students. This terminology is based on robotics/flexible manufacturing as well as systems software metaphor. Also we present our experience in using this approach in computer science education.