| Department | : | Biotechnology and Bioinformatics |
| HOD | : | Prof.(Dr.) Amiya Kumar Patel |
| Designation | : | Professor & HOD |
| Qualification | : | M.Sc., M.Phil., M.Tech., Ph.D., D.Sc. |
| Teaching Exp. | : | 19 Yrs |
| Phone No. : | : | +91 9338686900 |
| Email : | : | amiya_gene@yahoomail.com ; amiya.gene@gmail.com |
Biotechnology and Bioinformatics have the ability to combine biological sciences and innovative technologies to create or evolve novel processes or novel products beneficial for human welfare. Until few years ago academicians trained in traditional disciplines of biological sciences were specializing in biotechnology and thus meeting the demands of both academia and industry. However, tremendous advancements in biology over the past half century- from Watson and Crick’s elucidation of the structure of DNA to today’s astonishing, rapid progress in the field of synthetic biology- the design, engineering, construction and production of synthetic cell factories, a need has been felt that educational programmes be launched to educate and train youth in biotechnology and bioinformatics. The need of initiating educational programmes in biotechnology and bioinformatics can be gauged from the fact that the global biotech industry is pegged at $54 billion and is growing currently 17 percent annually. In contrast, India’s biotech industry is worth $1.4 billion which is around 2 percent of the global revenues. However, the Indian biotech market is growing at a scorching pace of 36.5 percent per annum which is one of the highest in the world today. India ranks among the top 10 biotech hubs of the world and can join the elite club of top 5 biotech hubs, should it achieve the $5 billion mark by 2020. India is expected to become a significant global player by 2020. Thus a “Highly Skilled Manpower is the Need of Hour”. However, barring a handful of colleges, the biotech educational programmes are run in India by institutions without adequate and appropriate infrastructure facilities. We at the Sambalpur University have come up with state of the art infrastructure with a vision to produce technologists appropriately trained in biotechnology and bioinformatics, not merely degree holders. The M.Sc Biotechnology and M.Sc Bioinformatics were offering in a self financing mode in the School of Life Sciences sine 2002 and 2006, respectively. In reference to Syndicate resolution (No. 111, dated 23.09.2016) and Office Order (No. 9285/Estt-III, dated 07.12.2016), The Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics in Sambalpur University started functioning from December, 2016 as an Autonomous Department under self financing mode with a mandate of closing the gap existing between curriculum and the market demand. The Department has honoured us as one of the best education institutions in the country for doing outstanding research and education due to its strong R&D program, up-to-date educational curricula, modern laboratory infrastructure and highly qualified faculty.
The Department presently offers various programmes as follows:
Vision of the Department
To produce Biotechnology and Bioinformatics professionals with leadership quality in technology, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Mission of the Department
1: To provide state of the art outcome-based teaching/learning practices
2: To develop a research-based education model in Biotechnology & Bioinformatics
3: To provide advanced theoretical and practical training in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics with a particular specialization to produce high quality professionals.
Curriculum designed with a broad knowledge base
The Department imparts education to equip students with modern skills compatible to the needs of industry, academia, government and non-government organizations. Keeping in view the interdisciplinary nature of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, the curricula have been designed with broad knowledge base, encompassing courses from fundamental sciences (biology, mathematics, physics), computer science & engineering, humanities, in addition to core courses in biotechnology and bioinformatics. The curriculum has been specially designed to include the prescribed syllabus of CSIR, GATE, BCIL, BINC and ASRB to make the students globally competitive. Project-based learning is an integral part of all curricular programmes.
Educational outcomes
Following the completion of M.Sc in Biotechnology and M.Sc in Bioinformatics the students will have attained:
Employment opportunities:
The students with degree in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics will have an edge in starting a career in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics or Pharmaceutical industry for having advanced courses in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics as well as enough exposure to project work. The rigorous projects work enables them to work more of thinkers and planners who have the experience, competence and vision to identify a problem and design the required approach to solve it. The M.Sc graduates are highly preferred by the industries because of their maturity and competence in technical skills.
Research
The Department is actively involved in research by having the distinction of running externally funded R & D projects from various Govt. of India agencies such as the Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science & Technology, DRDO, ICMR and UGC. To form a nucleus for promoting excellent quality of research work in related fields, the Department desiring to club the expertise, resources and laboratory facilities available by signing MOU with VSS Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Pollution control Board, ICZMP and with other leading institutes to provide a platform for broad based collaboration. Following are our major research thrusts:
Medical Biotechnology
Plant Biotechnology
Industrial Biotechnology
Animal Biotechnology
Bioinformatics
The Department of Computer Science and Applications is proud to house the state-of-the-art Param Shavak Super Computer. This powerful computing system, equipped with two multicore CPUs, each boasting a minimum of 12 cores, offers a peak computing power ranging from 2 to 5 Tera-Flops, making it an invaluable asset for our academic and research endeavors. With 64 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage, it accelerates data processing and storage capacity, facilitating advanced computational research. The addition of an NVIDIA GP 100 accelerator card further enhances its capabilities. The Param Shavak comes pre-loaded with parallel programming development tools and resource management utilities, simplifying the execution of complex simulations and computations. Our department takes pride in providing students, researchers, and faculty members with an indigenous HPC portal, CHReME, and an applications interface, Onama, offering easy access to a suite of HPC applications tailored to various scientific domains, from bioinformatics to computational fluid dynamics. What sets the Param Shavak apart are its userfriendly features, including pre-loaded parallel programming development tools, resource management utilities, and the convenience of the indigenous HPC portal. Moreover, the system comes pre-packaged with a suite of HPC applications catering to various domains such as bioinformatics, molecular dynamics, materials science, quantum chemistry, atmospheric modeling, and computational fluid dynamics, making it an indispensable tool for groundbreaking research and simulations across a multitude of scientific disciplines.
( Param Shavak Super Computer )
The Department has signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to advance computer education and research. The first MOU, in 2015, involved a partnership with IIT Bombay and was funded by the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. This initiative aimed to provide software training through spoken tutorials. The second MOU, established in 2017, was with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and was funded by the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan(RUSA), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. This collaboration focused on installing and deploying "PARAM Shavak," a high-performance computing solution, enhancing the University's computing capabilities for advanced research and training to students, research scholars and faculties of the University .
The Department received two significant CSR funds in 2022. The first sponsorship, amounting to Rs. 27,25,865, was provided by the CSR Department of JSW Bhushan Power & Steel Limited, Rengali, Sambalpur, with the aim of supporting the development of a new computer Training Centre. The second sponsorship, totaling Rs. 10,00,000, was generously contributed by UCO Bank's General Administrative Department, Zonal Office, Ainthapali Road, Sambalpur, with a specific focus on establishing a computer Training Centre tailored to the needs of SC/ST students. These funds signify a meaningful partnership between industry and academia, enhancing educational opportunities in computer science and applications for the benefit of students at Sambalpur University, with a particular emphasis on empowering underprivileged communities.
