BIO-TECHNOLOGY

PROFILE

The Department of Biotechnology of Andhra University, College of Science & Technology was established in 1996. All the basic infrastructural facilities needed for conducting teaching and research programs in different areas of Biotechnology have been developed in the Department. The Department is housed in Advanced Sciences Bhavan consisting of classrooms with audiovisual facilities, well-equipped student laboratories, research laboratories and specialized labs for molecular biology, genetic engineering, plant tissue culture and microbial technology. A reading room with 1100 latest textbooks and a seminar hall with a public address system are also available.

Late Prof. T.M. Radhakrishnan served as the founder Coordinator for this Department followed by Prof. T. Ramana who was also the first Head of the Department. The Department was successively headed by Prof. M.S. Chakravarthy, Prof. B.V. Sandeep and Dr. V. Lakshmi Kaplana. Currently, Dr. V. Lakshmi, of Human Genetics Department, is the Head of the Department.

So far 23 batches of students have completed their M.Sc. degree course and several of them qualified in CSIR/UGC national level eligibility tests. Several alumni of this Department have gone abroad for further studies and many are carrying out research in several prestigious institutions such as I.I.Sc. Bangalore, A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi, I.A.R.I., New Delhi, C.D.R.I., Lucknow, N.I.N., Hyderabad etc. and some are working in different Biotech industries and labs such as Shanta Biotechniques, Bharat Biotech International, Dr. Reddys Research Foundation, CDFD, Hyderabad etc. and in a number of small scale industries for tissue culture and diagnostics.

Ph.D. program has been initiated from 2002 and around 15 students obtained their Ph.D. degrees in this Department. The areas of research specialization in the Department include microbial technology, enzyme technology, plant biotechnology and bioprocess development. About 100 research papers have been published in various reputed national and international journals based on the research work carried out in the Department. The Department has successfully organized

15 refresher courses and a training program in the Department where about 350 teachers from different affiliated colleges and University were trained.