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information about Department of Biotechnology Karachi University
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information about Department of Biotechnology Karachi University
Introduction Department of Biotechnology
Chairman: Dr. Mustafa Kamal
Biotechnology is defined as the application of biological systems to basic and technical and
industrial processes. These processes are based on the use of some form of biological
catalyst in the conversion of a substrate to a desired product. These biological catalysts are as
simple as enzymes or highly complex microorganisms or eukaryotic cells.
Biotechnology includes a wide range of activities. Each activity is associated with its own
starting material (bacterial, fungal, yeast, plant, or animal cells or enzymes), technical
manipulation (cell fusion, cell or enzyme immobilization, genetic engineering, etc.),
processes (continuous or batch fermentation), and scale (small to very large), which are
unique to that activity.
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Scope of Biotechnology
Biotechnology can be viewed as a group of useful, enabling technologies with wide and
diverse applications. It has large, highly profitable, modern industrial outlets of great value
to society e.g. DNA recombinant technology, most revolutionary branch of the modern
science and have a profound impacts on medicine, contributing to the diagnosis and cure of
hereditary defects and serious diseases. The development of new biopharmaceutical drugs
and vaccines for human and animal use. The modification of microorganisms, plants and
farmed animals for improved and tailored food production and to increased opportunities for
environmental remediation and protection. New technologies dealing with plant and animal
breeding are much faster and have lower costs. Genetically modified crops are growing
exponentially. The field is further exemplified with the industrial production of enzymes like
proteases, amylases, cellulases, lipases etc. Industrial manufacturing plants for milk and milk
products, alcohols, organic acids, antibiotics, vitamins, growth promoting factors,
monoclonal antibodies etc.
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Objective Department of Biotechnology
Scope of Biotechnology Integration of biological sciences with other disciplines particularly
chemistry and process engineering has resulted in the emergence of novel concepts and
technologies with applications in and consequences for agriculture, medicine, health care,
industry, environmental pollution cleaning of oil spills in the seas, development of safe and
environment-friendly bio insecticides, energy generation and several other sectors of activity.
The common denominator which links these areas together are cells and products derived
from them.
The use of bio-cellular materials in conjunction with chemical and process engineering have
ushered in a new kind of revolution wherein it is possible to create transgenic animals plants
and microbes which otherwise could not have come into being in the foreseeable future.
For that matter without Biotechnology it would not be possible to create bio-degradable
plastics or try to replace defective genes with good ones in patients afflicted with potentially
or certainly fatal hereditary diseases.
The pivotal role in the unfolding biotechnological revolution is of the recombinant DNA
technology popularly known as Genetic Engineering. Major Problems facing Pakistan These
are:
1. Providing adequate food, both from the agricultural and animal husbandry sectors, for a
fast-growing population.
2. Low productivity.
3. Salinity.
4. Water-logging.
5. Water shortage.
6. Use of pesticides, which have injurious effect on plants, soil and ecology.
7. Shortage of energy, and unwise use of our limited gas resources as fuel.
8. Pollution (air, water and noise).
9. Use of industrial processes which are either capital-intensive or high-energy consuming
or both, and in which our national resources are already over-strained.
Biotechnology offers processes which are less expensive, less injurious and yield speedier
results. But the question of use of appropriate technology demands not only proper study and
selection of the processes evolved by the developed countries but also their adaptation to
suit our needs.
In addition we have to build up the requisite infrastructure and develop our human resources
to create a highly trained cadre of scientists, research scholars and technicians.
While Pakistan has a couple of institutes providing facilities for postgraduate research and
training, there is no department or institute which provides for organized teaching in
biotechnology at all levels i.e. undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate. The newly
established department will fill this gap.
The graduating students will be able to play a significant role in the national development
through their services rendered to educational institutions, R&D organizations and existing
and future industrial setups.
Alternatively they will be able to effectively compete for admission in foreign institutions
for doctoral and post-doctoral training or for jobs in biotechnology companies.
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Faculty Department of Biotechnology
A highly qualified faculty that includes visiting professors from allied departments and sister
organizations are involved in imparting quality education.
Associate Professor and Chairman
Dr. Mustafa Kamal
Ph.D. (Karachi University)
Postdoctoral Research (USA & Austria)
Assistant Professor
Ms. Syeda Mariam Siddiqa
M. Phil. (Karachi University)
Lecturers
Mr. Syed Amir Iqbal
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Ms. Raheela Rahmat
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Ms. Shumaila Rashid
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Ms. Erum Hanif
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Ms. Shafaq Aiyaz
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Full Time Co-Operative Teachers
Ms. Mahnaz Ahmad
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Ms. Qurat ul ain Salahuddin
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Mr. Syed Mohammad Shahid
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
Mr. Mirza Adnan Baig
M.Sc. (Karachi University)
VISITING FACULTY Department of Biotechnology
Dr. Masood A. Qureshi
Professor (Fatima Jinnah medical college)
Dr. Zahir Husain
Assistant Professor (Karachi University)
Dr. Rahat Sultana
Professor (Karachi University)
Dr. Tazeemul Firdous
Assistant Professor (Karachi University)
Mr. Muhammad Jamil
Associate Professor (Karachi University)
Mr. Shahid Qureshi
Assistant Professor (Karachi University)
Mr. Afaq Ahmed
Assistant Professor (Karachi University)
Ms. Omme Asma
Part Time Co-operative Teacher (Karachi University)
Ms. Farhat bano
Full Time Co-operative Teacher (Karachi University)
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& Events Department of Biotechnology
The Department of Biotechnology was established in 1996 with the specific objective of
imparting quality education in the multidisciplinary field of Biotechnology at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Activities of the Department Department of Biotechnology
* Visits To Industries
Educational visits to the industries related to Biotechnology have been arranged by the
department to improve not only industry- academia relationship but also widen the job
prospects for graduates of the Department.
* Invited Speakers
Guest speakers from abroad, other Universities and research organizations are invited to
deliver presentations on new developments in their fields.
* Visits of School/College Students Department of Biotechnology
Students from school/College are encouraged to visit the Department so as to expose them
to various aspects of Biotechnology in their impressionable years.
* Location Department of Biotechnology
The Department of Biotechnology is housed in the two floors of the renovated hostel
complex, located on the University of Karachi campus. The new building is under
construction near KIBGE.
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