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The visionary leadership of GITAM found it appropriate to respond to the need of the time and had instituted the 4-year UG course of B. Tech (Biotechnology) in the year 2002. Biotechnology is all about life and its existence in the natural environment. It is multidisciplinary in nature encompassing the knowledge of Basic Sciences such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Physiology, Microbiology, Immunology, Genetics etc. and it combines engineering and mathematical tools to arrive at comprehensive understanding of mother nature’s way of life cycle. It has become the dictate of the new era of applied sciences. Biotechnology has already begun to change traditional industries such as food processing and fermentation. It has given rise to the development of a whole new technology for industrial production of hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals, food and energy sources and processing of waste materials. Till the year 2007, the course was affiliated to Andhra University. From August 2007 it has come under the ambit of GITAM University
The demand for food and drugs is ever-increasing and newer technologies need to be evolved. In order to suit the growing demand a tailor made curriculum has been designed in Drug Designing which is being offered as an M.Tech course since 2008.
Teaching and research of high standards are pursued in emerging areas of Biotechnology. During the last five years many original research papers are published, many of them in international journals. The faculty of department have been taking up research projects funded by agencies like UGC and DST. The Department has good faculty strength in different fields of specializations such as Reaction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biophysical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Plant Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology etc. Concerted efforts are always directed towards improving the employability skills of students.
The Department also offers Ph.D. programme in different areas of Biotechnology. The research activities of the department involve areas like Biochemical engineering, Biopesticides, Bioremediation, Plant Molecular Biology, Medicinal plants, Industrial biotechnology, Bioinformatics etc.
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