Department of Microbiology & Biotechnology

Introduction.

The Microbiology started with a humble beginning of mere 36 students in 1989. Today the department has stood tall with a proud figure of nearly 500 students studying microbiology .The microbiology laboratory has been meticulously designed by keeping in mind the experimental needs of the subject. This well equipped laboratory has a wide range of instruments like Laminar air flow, colorimeters, spectrophotometer, high speed centrifuges- to name a few.

The Biotechnology Department of the college, a sister concern of the Microbiology Department, was established in 2003. The Biotechnology course is also conducted at the Microbiology Department. The microbiology staffs contribute by setting Biotechnology practical and conducting lectures related to Microbiology & Biotechnology .The microbiology laboratory enriched with all modern equipments so essential for the running of the biotechnology practicals is providing all the faculties in conducting biotechnology course.

Various Courses Run By Department

M.Sc. (Micro-Biology) with intake capacity of 15 students.

B.Sc. (Bio-Technology) with intake capacity of 210 students

B.Sc. (Micro-Biology) with intake capacity of 240 students.

Our Faculty Members

The department organizes a host of co-curricular and extra curricular activities for the benefit of students. These activities include-

Arrangement of Special Classes for theory and practical preparation

Extra periods (Zero Periods) are arranged every year to help weak students to understand the subject in a better way. During these classes special guidance is provided to these academically weak students.

Special efforts are taken to uplift the Hindi medium students by providing them the Hindi version of words& terms commonly used in Microbiology. A. Printed form of these translated terms is distributed to these students.

Extra classes are also held to prepare the students for the practical exams and specially for the viva-voce of practical examinations.

Seminars & Projects by students

Students of B.Sc.III year are encouraged to deliver seminars and perform projects, The seminars have proved beneficial in alleviating the stage fear of students & also increasing their subject knowledge. Performing projects pertaining to the syllabus has found to encourage independent practical work management amongst students.

Moreover, the Department regularly organizes subject oriented debates, quiz competitions, poster & slogan competitions to unveil various talents of students.

Educational Tours & Visits

In November 2004, three staff members and about thirty four  students of the department visited various institutions in New Delhi (viz. NII, NBPGR, IARI, NDRI) & also attended the Annual Conference of Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI)held at Karnal

Likewise, in December 2005, an educational tour to Hyderabad was organized by the department.. In Hyderabad , renowned institutes like CCMB and CDF were visited by the delegates and they also attended the AMI conference at Osmania University , Hyderabad .

The students of the department are also taken around educational centers in and around Indore –viz. NAFED, NRCS, histopathological labs etc.

Organizing Guest Lectures

Organizing lectures by experts from various fields of microbiology helps in providing an in-depth knowledge of the subject.. Sharing research experiences from these experts is also an interesting interaction for the staff members.

Organizing Seminars

The department has the privilege of organizing various seminars in the past few years.

A National Seminar on “50 Golden Years of DNA Model Discovery”was hosted by the department in Feb.2004. This seminar was sponsored by NCSTC, DST, New Delhi , MAPCOST, Bhopal .

Regional Seminar on “Recent Advances in Microbial Biotechnology”which was sponsored by UGC (CRO) was organized by the department in 0ctober 2005.

Career Guidance seminars are also arranged wherein, experts from various field of Microbiology guide our students to select various career options.

Research projects in the department

Three Minor Research Projects are being run at the department, two of which are sponsored by UGC and one by MAPCOST. Most of the staff members are actively engaged in research activities.