ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

The Department of Genetics at University College for Women, Koti, is a pioneer department as it was among the earliest in the field, being established in 1979 with Genetics being offered as a core subject at the undergraduate (B.Sc) level. Postgraduate course in Biotechnology was started in the year 2000. For the past four decades, it has been training students in becoming experts in the subjects of Genetics, Biotechnology. The department also produced students expert in Bioinformatics, an applied life science subject, through its UGC sponsored two year postgraduate diploma course that was run for almost a decade between academic years 2004 to 2013. The department has received several grants and funds for restructuring and upgrading its facilities through various funding agencies like BSR and UGC. The Department is equipped with state-of –the-art equipment required for obtaining the needed practical skills in laboratories in Genetics and Biotechnology. It has established itself as one of the best science departments in twin cities having some of the sophisticated scientific instruments like Gradient PCR, Inverted Phase-contrast microscope, Plant growth chamber etc.

The department has set up a separate bioinformatics lab with 30 computers and internal networking in addition to internet facilities and necessary software to upgrade oneself in the field of bioinformatics. The department also has a world by itself seminar library with over 3500 books and advanced scientific journals and periodicals. The course’s syllabus is regularly revised to keep up the pace of advancements in life sciences. In the last few years the department has also made its mark in research and upgraded the existing facilities to enable research in life sciences. Several post graduate students have completed their dissertation projects in various eminent scientific organizations across the region and also under the funded projects awarded to the faculty by recognized agencies like UGC, DST etc. The current research problems like genotyping of plants, gene polymorphism studies in humans and animals, scientific investigations on medicinal plants, analysis of samples from the perspective of environmental protection have been topics of active research in the department.

Highly qualified, committed and energetic teaching staff is the backbone of the department. The unhindered support of the non-teaching staff helps in smooth running of the department. The faculty of the department is actively involved in conducting various seminars, conferences, workshops. Free health and awareness camps with genetic counseling and science exhibits are regularly organized as outreach and extension activities. Invited lectures by eminent scientists, industrialists and entrepreneurs of global arena along with promotion of poster and paper presentations by students and staff in various International and National Conferences, Seminars, Symposia and Workshops has been a good practice the department has followed to be in pace with ever evolving science.

The staff of the department is highly enthusiastic and motivating, thus is a part of various college committees and clubs run by the college like Cultural committee, Alumni Committee, Placement Office, Science club, Literary club along with being Student advisors, motivating a large number of students in participating in all the curricular and co-curricular activities within college and outside. Over the years the Department has strengthened itself encompassing the best of academics, and research in the field of Life science and it strongly emphasizes on quality of education and inculcation of values in the students.