Department of Microbial Biotechnology

About Department of Microbial Biotechnology

The department of Microbial Biotechnology is targeted to attract students who wish to pursue a career at the interface of Academia and Biotechnology Industry, take up translational research and develop entrepreneurial skills. The department envisions to bring about the actual definition of the subject through its teaching program, which has been designed in consultation with experts from both academia and industries, keeping in mind the requirements and challenges of microbial biotechnology research and its translation. The department also focuses on translational work and biotechnology innovations for the overall growth of Microbial Biotechnology research and development in our country.

Since its inception in July 2008, the course has received tremendous response from the students, and every year all the seats are filled in the first counseling. The department faculty has an active Industry-Academia interaction, and collaborations with leading academic institutes around the city. The skill sets and expertise available are diverse and complimentary. These include expertise in cutting edge translational research in various thrust areas such as Microbial Enzymes/Biocatalysis, Fermentation Technology, Scale-up of Bioprocesses, Antimicrobials, Microbial Biofilms, Microbial Interactions, Vaccine Development, Cancer Biology, etc. The faculty members have a number of publications and patents to their credit, with several completed and on-going research projects funded by UGC, DBT, DST, SERB, ICMR and private industries. The faculty has also been leading some of the programs sanctioned by the Government of India, like the Cluster Innovation Centre in Biotechnology (CIC-B), Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNest) sanctioned by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC); and the Policy Research Centre (PRC) sanctioned by DST. The intent of BioNest is to foster the biotech innovation ecosystem in our country, and provide incubation support to enterprising ideas. It aims to reach out to students, entrepreneurs and faculty, provide them infrastructure, mentoring and leverage support for funding and take their ideas to proof of concept in collaboration with the industry. The department faculty had also led PRC, which focuses on giving an impetus to strong Industry-Academia interactions, and develop a country-specific model for promotion of Public Private Partnership (PPP) for R&D, and formulation of Science and Technology Indicators (STI's) for India. The faculty members of the department provide consultancy services to private industries in and around the region. Furthermore, the department regularly invites faculty members from other departments of Panjab University as well as other institutions in and around Chandigarh to enhance and enrich the learning experience of students. Also, the department strives to organize seminars, conferences and workshops regularly to apprise the students of recent trends in Microbial Biotechnology, ensuring their readiness for the future.

Currently, the department runs Master's and Doctoral degree programs. The M.Sc. program comprises of four semesters, dedicated to strengthen the theoretical and practical foundation, along with a research project/dissertation and seminars. The Ph.D. program is open to students who would like to do research in relevant fields. The academic delivery model of the department of Microbial Biotechnology goes beyond the classroom education. The course caters to the growing needs of Microbiology and Biotechnology research and development, including interdisciplinary approach, translational work and entrepreneurship. It provides a holistic learning experience, familiarizing the students with the real-time challenges, encouraging them to learn in real-time environments and excel in their chosen profession. The department alumni are well placed in their chosen professions. Several students are actively engaged in research and development across leading institutes of our country and abroad. Many students have established their own start-up companies, and many have joined corporate jobs.