The phenomenal march of Achariya Arts and Science College in to the world of biosciences commenced in the year 2005 with the inception of Department of Biotechnology. The department offers undergraduate (UG) program – Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology (B.Sc. Biotechnology) which is led by a team of qualified faculty members.
Since its inception the department has been providing a conducive ambience to the students by actively involving them in cutting-edge research with the motto of providing excellent teaching, practical facilities in the frontier areas of biotechnology. The program also comprises of project dissertation, presentation and comprehensive viva-voce as a part of its evaluation system which propels the young minds to create novel ideas in this arena. The fact is supplemented by the outstanding academic record maintained by the department and also feel exuberant to stand high among other departments of the college with 8 gold medal winners from the Pondicherry University for excelling in their academic proficiency.
The department also envisioned to raise holistic and value-based bio-technocrats who can develop processes and products for the betterment of the society. The other pertinent priorities of the department include developing the research skills of the students and grooming them to become future scientists which is been driven by the faculty members of the department with several exemplary research publications in the reputed journals and patents.
Stimulating environment for teaching and research activities in the department are due to the well-equipped laboratories with the state-of-the-art technology and high-end instruments that includes laminar air flow, autoclave, water bath, rotatory shakers, stackable incubator shaker, inverted and compound microscopes, UV/VIS spectrophotometer, real-time PCR, Gel documentation systems, electrophoresis units, deep freezers etc.,
The three-year program has interdisciplinary approach with the participation of faculty/researchers through workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars etc., To note specifically, the department have organised more than 20 guest lectures through webinars; students & faculties have also bagged the awards by participating in national-international conferences. Experiential learning and participative learning were promoted through student centric activities which can be noted through the online newsfeed (monthly news articles) published by the students in the social media platforms, awareness programs, debates organised by the students through ‘Bio Cosmos Club’. Also, as a part of regular academic curriculum, the students are allowed to visit major research institutes, pharmaceutical laboratories across the India in the form of educational tour that promotes them to learn various aspects of the biotechnology.
The department has taken up a step ahead to promote the career/placement opportunities of the students pursuing the biotechnology thorough various value-added certificate courses such as Dialysis, Medical Coding, Nutrition & dietetics, Food processing & Technology and so on along with their regular curriculum with the aid of SEED (School of Entrepreneurial and Employability Skill Development). The department also spread its wings by promoting the entrepreneurship skills of the students through various projects such as Mushroom Cultivation, Fresh water fish & prawn culture, Herbal gardens, Bird sanctuaries etc., which are solely funded by the institution.
The future of the department is bright owing to their strategic approach in academic curricula, through various industry partnerships, funds and grants from various organizations for research.