Bio Technology Department

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary subject with a vast potential for human welfare especially in the field of health (human and animal), food and nutrition, agricultural and animal sciences, environmental science and many other similar fields. The state of Uttarakhand cannot afford uncontrolled exploitation of its biodiversity and thus it becomes important to produce well trained human resource by establishing a research center for biotechnological research and development. After its establishment in the year 2000 through support from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, the Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University has developed as an important academic center of the state of Uttarakhand, imparting postgraduate degrees in Biotechnology to science graduates from all over India. The students for the M.Sc. Biotechnology are selected by a common entrance examination conducted by J.N.U, New Delhi. After moving to its new campus at Bhimtal, inaugurated on 08th January 2010 by our Honorable Chief Minister, additional infrastructure, laboratory facilities and instrumentation have been added through support from DST- FIST and other grants. The department has 9 labs, 3 lecture theatres, a library, an auditorium and a conference room. It also has one Bioinformatics lab with 50 desktops, two high end servers along with 24 hours Wi-Fi broadband internet along with printing and photostat facility. After shifting to new premises the department has also initiated MSC microbiology program in self finance mode in the year 2010. The students are offered courses like, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Cell Biology Molecular Genetics, Molecular Virology, Genomics and Proteomics, Genetic Engineering, Plant Biotechnology Microbiological Techniques and Immunology etc. They also get training opportunity in various national institutes of repute and are required to undertake a research project in the last semester for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of M.Sc. Degree. The Department of Biotechnology is having MoUs with several esteemed Institutions nationwide like CCMB Hyderabad, IVRI Mukteshwar, DIBER Haldwani, FRI Dehradun, VIPKAS Almora, NDRI Karnal, NIMR New Delhi, NBRI Lucknow, CEMAP Lucknow, NRCPB New Delhi, DCFR Bhimtal, Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology, Jalma Institute of Leprosy and other Chronical Diseases Agra, PDFMD Muktheswar, Wheat Research Institute Karnal and G.B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi Katarmal among others.