DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

 

 

The Background

 

The Department of Biotechnology at Amravati University  was established in the academic year 1994 with full financial support from State Government of Maharashtra for building, equipments, teaching faculty and non-teaching staff. At present, this department offers a full-fledged two-year postgraduate course in Biotechnology and actively engaged in research activities. The M.Sc. curricula consist of theory and practical in various disciplines like Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering, Bioinformatics, Plant tissue culture, Biochemical Engineering, Fermentation Biology, Analytical Techniques, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, etc.

 

The Department also offer projects to M.Sc. II year students as a part of their curricula. In addition to this, for the exposure of the students, we  organize educational tour every year to visit Biotech industries and institutions. Majority of the students undergo  summer training at various institute and industries of repute. At present twenty students are working for Ph.D program in the department. The department is running major and minor projects in various biotechnological aspects.

 

The department has organized National Conference on Recent Trends in Biotechnology (2000), Workshop on Techniques in Modern biology (2001), Symposium  Biotech Beyond-2000 (2002), One day workshop on Medicinal Plants : Cultivation and Conservation (2003)  in  association with Centre For  Forestry Research and Human Resource Development Center, Chindwara (M.P) and one day workshop for Biotechnology, from lab to fields (2002).

 

Biotech Village :  From Lab To Field

 

Under extension activities the department has adopted one village (Wadgaon -Mahure), 10 kms away from University. Under this program the department has organized different training programmes for the farmers, such as, tissue culture, mushroom cultivation, vermiculture, floriculture, apiculture, etc.

 

 

Recognition by Government of Maharashtra

 

Recently Department of Biotechnology, Amravati University, Amravati has been recognized  by  Directorate of Industries, Government of Maharashtra  as certifying agency in order to start new biotech industries.

 

Infrastructure

 

Equipment  

 

·        Fermenter (IncelTech)

·        HPLC (Perkins-Elmer)         

·        UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (Beckman)

·        Inverted Microscope With Photographic System (Olympus)

·        Transilluminator (Foto Dyne)

·        Fraction Collector (Gilson)

·        Peristalltic Pump (Gilson)

·        Growth Chamber (Remi)

·        Horizontal Autoclave (Hospharma)

·        Laminar Flow  (Kirloskar)

·        Cold Room (Blue Star)

·        Electrophoresis System

·        Deep Freezer  (Remi)

·        Incubators

·        Shakers  (Remi)

·       PCR

 

 

Research Projects  (ongoing)

 

Ø     Data base preparation of  Melghat  Forest, sponsored by  Maharashtra  S & T, Govt. of Maharashtra

 

Ø     Role of  Mycorrhizae in the establishment of  tissue-culture raised plants, DBT, New Delhi

 

Ø      Studies on bacterial alkaline   proteases and their   biotechnological applications.

 

Ø     Cephalosporin and vancomycin mediated resistance in MDR Staphylococcus and Enterococal species.

 

Ø     Isolation and characterization of   fungi from acid enviornment.

 

Ø     Biohardening of in vitro raised Citrus plantlets using VAM fungi for their ex vitro survival

 

Thrust Area

 

Ø     Tissue Culture of rare and endangered Medicinal plants.

Ø     Bio-processing & Bio-prospecting

Ø     Molecular Biology of Opportunistic and drug resistant microbes

 

 

Research Projects   (Completed)

 

1.     Study of in vitro shoot grafting and isolation of nucellors in Nagpur mandarin (Citrus reticulata) ,  

 

2.     Improvement of tissue culture techniques of Chlorophtum borovillium an

      endangered herb.

 

3.  Chemical modification of L- arginase of P. citrinum.

 

3.     Studies on Biotechnological aspects of aromatic hydrocarbon containing waste water treatment process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Faculty

 

Name & Designation

Email ID

S   Area of interest

Dr. M.K. Rai        

Professor & Head

mkrai123@rediffmail.com

pmkrai@hotmail.com

Bioprospecting,  Microbial Biofertilizers

Dr. N.J. Chikhale

Senior Lecturer

njchikhale@rediffmail.com

Plant Tissue- culture

Dr. P.A. Wadegaonkar

Senior Lecturer

wadegaonkar@hotmail.com

 

Bioprocessing

Dr. P.V. Thakare

Lecturer

prashantthakare123@rediffmail.com

 

Genetic Engineering

Dr. A.P. Ramteke

Lecturer

anitaramteke@rediffmail.com

Microbial Biotechnology