Igniting the research minds

The School of Biotechnology at JNU focuses on imparting basic knowledge and hands-on training in modern areas of biological sciences

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) initiated the post-graduate teaching and research program in biotechnology in 1985. It was one of the first six universities in India to initiate the course when a special center for biotechnology (CBT) under the joint sponsorship of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, was set up. Subsequently the center was elevated to that of a school of biotechnology (SBT) in 2006.

Students are admitted to the MSc program on the basis of an all India entrance examination conducted by JNU. The priority for the school among the students is visible from the fact that out of the 12,000 applications for joint entrance examination (JEE) [31 participating Universities], more than 10,000 opted for JNU as their first choice in the year 2011-12. The masters program in biotechnology offered by the department has been hailed as one of the most promising courses offered in the country acquiring the top 20-25 students every year from among nearly 20,000 students. During the academic year 2011-12, the total intake of students was 26. At present, the PhD program of the school has 51 students enrolled. There are currently 10 faculty members, all having above five years of experience. The biotech related research papers published so far from the school are 17 in national journals and around 155 in the international journals. The number of national and international patents filed by the department stands at 23 and 76 respectively.

The curriculum from the start has emphasized on molecular, physicochemical, and engineering aspects most relevant to biotechnology. The school has state-of-the-art instrumentation facilities

Despite companies approaching the school for campus recruitment, the students decided to pursue PhD in India or abroad. Many of the graduates have established their own biotech companies and few are working in well known biotech companies such as Panacea Biotec, Hindustan Unilever, Premas Biotech, and Dr. Reddy's Lab.

Fact file | Name of the Department: School of Biotechnology
Courses: MSc and PhD in Biotechnology
Coordinator: Prof. Krishna Jyoti Mukherjee
Website: www.jnu.ac.in/SBT

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"The school of biotechnology holds the privilege of being the first university department of biotechnology to have transferred several technologies in the area of biotechnology, which are at advanced stages of commercialization. We have set up a recombinant product development facility of GLP standards under the FIST program of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government India"

Prof. KJ Mukherjee dean, school of biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University

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