Department of Biotechnology Neri,Hamirpur (HP)

Dr Sneh Sharma
Associate Professor

In 2011, the BSc (Hons) Biotechnology programme started with the objective of imparting quality education and inculcating research aptitude among the UG students to accelerate in the field of biotechnology. The Department of Biotechnology, COHF, UHF, Neri was established in 2017 with three mandates teaching, research and extension activities in the field of biotechnology. The department imparts quality education by offering two degree programmes viz., BTech Biotechnology and M.Sc. (Agri.) Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, respectively. Faculty members of this department have an excellent track record of research, have published papers in reputed journals, and received various awards. The department has well equipped laboratories for carrying out research based on Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology related aspects. The research has focused to address various basic and applied researchable issues of production, protection and genetic improvement in horticulture and forest crops of sub-tropical regions through biotechnological interventions and impart trainings for the capacity building on plant tissue culture and other biotechnological aspects to students/farmers/entrepreneurs.The department also received research grant from different funding agencies like DST, NMPB, DEST and RKVY. Till date, 279 UG students and 13 MSc students completed their degrees and many of them qualified national level entrance examinations conducted by various organizations such as JNU CEEB, TIFR, ICAR-JRF, IIT-JAM, GAT-B, and GATE. The alumni are well placed in various capable positions of R&D, academic, administrative services, biotech-based industries and other agri-entrepreneurship development sectors.

Mandate

  • Micropropagation of commercially important horticultural and forest crops.
  • Novel gene isolation, in vitro cell line selection and marker assisted breeding for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in horticultural and forest crops.
  • Omics and bioinformatics based interventions in horticultural and forest crops.

Strengths

  • Large scale commercial production of endangered medicinal plants, important ornamentals and fruit crops using tissue culture technique.
  • To provide academic training and conduct research in the interdisciplinary areas of biotechnology.
  • To develop entrepreneurial skills in biotechnology students, produce high- caliber and skilled human resources in the field of biotechnology.
  • To promote collaborations with different institutes and commercial tissue culture labs.

Academics

The Department offers two degree programmes
  • B.Tech Biotechnology
  • M.Sc (Agri) in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

    • Academics Achievements

    • Three UG students of this Department (Manmohan Singh, Jyoti Kumari and Anu Sharma) have qualified IIT- JAM, Eight students (Summit,Vaishali Dhiman, Salil, Sakshi Sharma, Tushar, Vanshika sharma,Tamna Dhiman,Shilpa Kumari and Priyanshu Kashyap) have qualified GATE and Manvi, Ankita and Archana has qualified JNU CEEB examination, Kashish kesta, Anu, Tamna and Shilpa qualified GAT-B, Anu Sharma has qualified AIIMS with 23rd rank.
    • Fifteen UG students of this Department (Ishani, Reeta, Samrity, Vishal, Varsha, Sakshi Sharma,Mohini, Diksha, Agrim, Aarti, Lokesh, Nishika Darkal, Shivani,Sahil and Isha) have qualified ICAR JRF.
    • Four M.Sc students (Parul Tomar, Konchhok Zangmo, Naveen Kumar and Neha Thakur) qualified ICAR-SRF.
    • Beside this students of this department were also recruited in various Government and private sectors like FCI, FSSAI, LIC and Milk Federation. Alumni of this department are pursuing their doctorate from Durham University, UK; University of Liverpool; Lanzhou University, China and ICRISAT.

    Research

    Thrust Areas

    • Micropropagation
    • Development of in vitro cell suspension and organ culture method for important secondary metabolite production in medicinal plants
    • Molecular Characterization/ DNA fingerprinting
    • Bioprospecting for novel genes/ biomolecules.
    • Nanobiotechnology
    • Development of cost effective micropropagation technique for commercial Citrus rootstock Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck) (55.0 Lakhs from Mar. 2022- June 2023)
    • In vitro regeneration protocols were standardized for different high value commercial ornamental plants and endangered medicinal plants viz., Gloriosa superba, Rauvolfia serpentina, Valeriana jatamansi, Andrographis and Dendrenthema grandiflorum.
    • Isolation and characterization of Phenyl Alanine Ammonia Lyase Gene and Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene from hard and soft seeded varieties of pomegranate.
    • Molecular characyerization of Phyllanthus emblica using molecular markers
    • Phytochemical profiling of medicinal plants such as Tinospora cordifolia, Rauvolfia serpentina, Phyllanthus emblica, Gloriosa superba, Valeriana jatamansi.
    • Microencalpsulation and protoplast fusion studies on Trichoderma sp. to increase Trichoderma efficiency.

    Extension Activities

    To disseminate the Plant Tissue culture technology and Basic techniques of Molecular biology through various training/conferences/awareness camp for better adoption among the stakeholders.
    • Twelve training programmes on Plant Tissue Culture were organized to disseminate the technology to farmers
    • Department has organized National level workshop cum training on “Basic techniques in molecular biology” in association with MakeIntern (IIT Madras Event) for students.
    • The scientists have delivered various Radio talks focusing on importance of Plant tissue culture to uplift the livelihood of farmers in the State.

    Awards/Recognitions

    • Dr Karuna Dhiman awarded Harbhajan Singh memorial award 2014 for best research paper by Indian Society of vegetable science, DST-INSPIRE fellowship, DST for PhD programme.
    • Dr Reena Kumari bagged award for research paper by editorial board of journal of forestry research, China in 2015, fellowship for young scientist by Chief Editor of Global Journal of Engineering, Sciences and Social science studies in 2022, Uma Datt Mamgain Memorial best research award for PhD by society for advancement of human and nature and Life membership of Honorary board of the society in 2014, National fellowship by UGC for PhD programme in 2010.
    • Dr Aditi Thakur awarded with Gold Medal and Best Paper Award for the paper published in potato journal entitled “In-vitro detached leaf assay of host-mediated RNAi lines carrying Phytophthora infestans Avr3a effector gene for late blight resistance, Best Research Paper award-2015 for the paper entitled “Host-mediated gene silencing of a single effector gene from the potato pathogen Phytophthora infestans imparts partial resistance to late blight disease at school of Basic sciences in SHIATS, Best Teacher award in academic session (2018-19) in Department of Biotechnology in HIMT Group of Institutions,
    • Dr Himani Sharma bagged best poster presentation award in GPC (Global Potato Enclave) 2020 for the poster entitled “CRISPR editing of Potato Phytoene Desaturase (PDS) gene as a proof of concept for genome editing in Potato”.

    Facilities

    • The Department is well equipped with all the basic infrastructural facilities required for conducting teaching like classrooms with smart-LED facilities
    • Department is well equipped with all the basic instrumentation facilities pertaining to molecular biology, plant tissue culture, and microbial biotechnology.
    • Department has facilities to impart hands on short/long training to the students/entrepreneurs/farmers

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