Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (MBGE) is the nodal Department of the University, for administering the undergraduate and post graduate programs in Biotechnology. The Department, since almost its inception in 1988, is continuously running the Master’s degree program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; while the doctoral program and the undergraduate program in Biotechnology were started in the years 1995 and 2008 respectively.

The department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering is continuously striving to provide world class teaching and research facilities to our stake holders in some of the cutting edge areas of Biotechnology. With the generous teaching grant support from Central as well as State Government, along with research support from various National as well as International funding agencies, the department has successfully established 06 state of art thematic research laboratories. Apart from well equipped post-graduate as well as undergraduate teaching laboratories, the Department also has a Bioinformatics & System Biology laboratory for in-silico experimentation and AI based learning.

More than 350 students have completed their Master’s degree in Agriculture Biotechnology while more than 60 students have also completed M.V.Sc. degree in Biotechnology from the Department. About 70 students have completed their doctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. The department has an excellent placement profile, with most of the students opting for avenues of higher learning at reputed National and International Institutes. The department can boast of an illustrious alumni profile with student pass-outs like Dr Kakoli Ghosh, (FAO), and Dr Meenakshi Sundaram, (ICAR), etc. Apart from the Agriculture Biotechnology students, the department also has deep-rooted collaborations with various other departments of the University like Environmental Sc., Genetics & Plant Breeding, Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, etc; thus making it a truly interdisciplinary in nature.

Degrees Offered

B.Tech. (Biotechnology)

M.Sc. Ag. (Molecular Biology & Biotechnology)

M.V.Sc. (Molecular Biology & Biotechnology)

Ph.D. (Molecular Biology & Biotechnology)

Courses Offered

Research Labs

Quality Assurance & Molecular Analytical Lab

Plant Stress and Molecular Cell Biology Lab

Bioprospecting & Metabolomics Lab

Biosafety & Molecular Diagonistic Lab

Immunobiological & Proteomics Lab

Bioresources & Genomics Lab

Bioinformatics & System Biology Lab

Plant Tissue Culture Lab

Animal Cell Culture Lab

Molecular Cytogenetic Lab

Central Equpment Facilities Lab –I

Cenrral Equipment Facilities Lab- II

Gyan Vigyan Nilyam Library Facility

Teaching Labs

UG Lab

PG Lab-I

PG Lab –II

Equipments

Modi Xerox Machine, Ice Flakar machine, CryoCan, Electronic Single Pan balance Model, Ovens, Refrigerator, Centrifuge TL-100 Backman, Water bath, Lyophilizar, Spectrophotometer, Vacuum Pump 0.25 HP, Microfuge model, UV-Vcs. Spectrophotometer, Electrophoresis system, RC. 5C Super Speed Refrigerated centrifuge, Wide Photomicroscope with transmitted light illumination (Bebovert invested Microscope Leitz with its accessories), Homogenizer, Polywar wide field microscope, HPLC System, Incubator Shaker, CO Incubator autozen System B-5061, Plant 2 Growth Chamber, Electrophoresis system Submarine (Analytical Model (SES 02),Preparative model (SES 03), Ultra Low Freezer -900C (Deep Freezer), Microscope, Olympus Model HB, Fume Cup Board, Elisa Reader, Gas Chromatography, Electrophoresis System, Stebgel System, Protein gel electrophoresis, Gel Documentation system, Phosphor Imager, FTIR Spectrophotometer, pH Analyser, Rotary Vacume and filter evaporator, Magnetic Stirrer, PCR, Digital colorimeter, Aspirater appasator, Electronic Analytical Balance, GC-MS, Super Critical Fluid Extraction facility, HPLC System (Semi-preprative), surface Plasmon Resonance, Hydroshear,, Genetic Analyzer, Micro-array, 2-D Gel Electrophoresis, FPLC System, Caplillary Electrophoresis, Nano-drop Spectrophotometer, Microspectrophotometer, Real-time PCR, UV Fluorescent Microscope, Thermal Block, Fluorescence Plate Reader, Transgenic Green Houses, Pathogen Inoculation facility, Hybridization cum cross linkers.

Thrust Areas

Biotic and Abiotic stress management of crop plants

Nutritional quality improvement

Biotic And Abiotic Stress Management Of Crops Plants

Molecular Biology tools along with modern Omics technologies for potential targets particularly stress tolerant genes/proteins for development of stress tolerance.

There have been demonstrated defensive role like MAP kinases, hsr 203J and defensin genes during pathogensis of Alternaria blight disease which otherwise causes significant yield losses in mustard crop.

De novo genome sequencing of Karnal bunt pathogen and Identification of pathogenecity factors of Karnal bunt which is a disease of quarantine importance

Finger millet, a stress resilient crop plant, has also been exposed to posses key abiotic stress tolerant genes such as Ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and Myb genes which are being assessed in modified finger millet crop plants near development of Abiotic stress tolerance.

Additionally, nanobiotechnological approaches are also progressing to overcome Biotic and Abiotic stress with the help of various kind of nanoparticles.

Nutritional Quality Improvement

Finger millet, an ethynic crop of Uttarakhand which is rich in nutritionally important proteins and minerals is being utilized to isolate nutritionally important genes and proteins by using transcriptomics and Genotype by Sequencing approaches. These genes/proteins can be utilized for Biofortification of staple food crops and development of value added products. We have isolated the gene encoding prolamin protein and it’s promoter from Finger millet for which a patent has been filed. We have also filed a patent for development of a nanodelivery vehicle using finger millet prolamin for slow and sustained release of fat soluble vitamins so as to increase their bioavailability. Fertilization and Nanotechnological approaches are being utilized to improve these crops in terms of mineral contents. It has been found that nano zinc and nano iron seed priming enhances zinc and iron content in Finger millet seeds and that application of 40 Kg/ha Nitrogen enhances protein quality in terms of essential amino acids.