Institute of Industrial Bio-Technology

INTRODUCTION

The Institute of Industrial Biotechnology was established as the Biotechnology Research Centre at the Department of Botany in the early 1990s. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) approved Rs. 48.087 million for the independent establishment of the Institute of Industrial Biotechnology in 2005. The Institute has advanced, and sophisticated instruments and apparatus are available to researchers in the fields of fermentation technology, enzymology, food microbiology, tissue culture and molecular biology.
MISSION STATEMENT

Untiring efforts for the development of human resource and sustainable industrial bioprocesses for Biotechnology.

All the Programmes of the IIB are based on the mission statement of the Institute and are aimed at developing indigenous human resource and industrial bioprocesses.

Programme Aim:

The aim of the Institute of Industrial Biotechnology is to develop indigenous manpower experts in the field of Biotechnology. This will increase the employability of qualified students in industrial research and development markets. The manpower will be highly instrumental in developing in-house technologies for the production of various Biotechnology products.

Curriculum Upgradation

• The Course contents of our Programmes are prepared according to the guidelines of the HEC and the QEC of GCU.
• The Departmental Curriculum Committee updates/revises the curricula regularly on the bases of latest trends and developments, and feedback from the concerned teachers and students.
• The courses are then approved by our Board of Studies which consists of renowned Scientists, Academicians and Industrialists.

Role of Faculty

• All the faculty members are engaged in R & D activities in addition to teaching and other activities.
• A large number of research students are being supervised by faculty members.
• The Institute organised an International Conference: “Business Opportunities in Industrial Biotechnology” in 2006. We are organising another International Conference on “Vaccine Production and Industrial Enzymes” in August, 2008.
• Several prestigious awards such as the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, fellowships of the Fellow Pakistan Academy of Science, Fulbright Scholarships, Best University Teacher awards and Productive Scientists of Pakistan have been awarded to the faculty of the IIB.

Institutional Support

• The University encourages foreign training of faculty members.
• Two faculty members have availed the Fulbright Scholarship for pre- and postdoctoral studies and two have specialised in bioenzyme preparation from China.
• The University also encourages Faculty Members to attend National & International Conferences & Seminars.

The Learning Process:

The learning process at the Institute is a blend of lectures (theory & practical), seminars, presentations, assignments, group tasks, research projects, internships in various industries, industrial study tours, self-directed readings and independent studies.

FACILITIES & RESOURCES
Facilities and resources available at present include equipment like Stirred Fermentors (7.5, 15 & 20 L), Rotary Shakers, HPLC, Scanning Spectrophotometer (UV double beam), Gel Electrophoresis & Documentation System, PCR, DGG Electrophoresis Freeze Dryer, Lab Cool, Growth Chambers (Bacteria & Fungi), Centrifuge Machines, Basket Centrifuge, Rotary Vacuum Filter, Spray Dryer, Laminar Flow and Vacuum Concentrator, etc. Highly qualified and experienced teaching staff is present to instruct and supervise students in the latest fields of Biotechnology.

Facilitation, Support and Guidance :

All equipment and facilities at the Institute are available to students and researchers. Students from other universities and organisations also benefit from these facilities. Two students of BSc Biotechnology are awarded scholarship by the HEC every year to support their studies. The University also provides support to deserving students in the form of Financial Aid. Teachers also guide students in matters of employment/placement.

Available Equipment

• Stirred Fermentors
• Rotary Shaking Incubators
• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• Scanning Spectrophotometer (UV/VIS Double Beam)
• Gel Electrophoresis & Documentation System
• Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE)
• Thermocycler (PCR Machine)
• Freeze Dryer
• Lab Cool & Growth Chambers
• Centrifuge Machines (Low, medium & High Speed)
• Basket Centrifuge
• Rotary Vacuum Filter
• Spray Dryer
• Laminar Air Flows
• Rotary Vacuum Evaporator
Research

The consumption of Biotech-products, including conventional Biotechnology and recombinant DNA products, exceeded Rs. 5.3 billion in 1997. The main contributors are fermentation-based products in vaccines, DNA products, antibiotics, alcohol, organic acids, enzymes, amino acids and Baker's yeast among industrial products. In the coming years, fermentation-based products and services would remain important contributors to Biotech-production.

During the last four decades, enzymes have shown steady growth. Production and application of traditional enzymes has considerably been improved and new applications have been found. The use of gene splicing techniques has helped in achieving dramatic increase in the activity and stability of traditional microbial enzymes. Most of the important gene manipulation in microbial strains has either been patented by big industrial houses or has been kept secret. These areas need to develop rapidly in our country.

In the next decade, applications of Biotechnology will be increasingly exploited for the development of viable recombinant products for animal and human health. The products include a range of new recombinant therapeutic proteins such as growth factor cytokines, haematopoietic factors, human and veterinary vaccines, and proteins of diagnostic importance. In addition, combinatorial approaches to obtain approved protein therapeutics and diagnostic tools, particularly where simple express hosts are used, will offer immense opportunities for alleviating human miseries.

Research Groups
• Fermentation Group
• Molecular Biology Group
• Tissue Culture Group
• Food Microbiology Group
Future Prospects

Biotechnology is a rapidly developing field of science, covering a wide range of industrial processes. Successful graduates from the institute have career opportunities in a number of international and national Biotech industries. In addition, they also have employment opportunities in different universities and research organisations of national and international fame.