About the Department

The Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, originated as a modest section of Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry in 1951. A full-fledged postgraduate degree course in M.Sc. Biochemistry and Ph.D. in Biochemistry was started in 1957 and this finally matured to the status of independent department in the newly established Faculty of Life Sciences in 1986 under the tutelage of Prof. Abdul Majid Siddiqi. The Department started offering undergraduate degree course in B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry as well since its inception. The department has received funds from all major funding bodies like UGC, DST and DBT. Individual faculty members also run independent research projects funded by DST, DBT, ICMR, UGC and CSIR etc. The department has always been very productive both in research, teaching and several faculty members of the department have contributed many book chapters and published research papers and review articles in several high impact peer-reviewed international journals. The Faculty of Life Sciences was ranked 'number one Faculty of the Nation' in Times Higher Education-India ranking 2018. Several webs based educational portals have ranked us among the top five Biochemistry departments in India. The US News Education recently ranked AMU at 294^th in the world for studying Biology and Biochemistry.

The department is pursuing research in almost all areas of modern biochemistry including proteomics, toxicology, molecular biology, microbiology, clinical biochemistry etc. The department has a state-of-the-art instrumentation centre which is well equipped with instruments like spectrophotometers, spectrofluorometers, CD, FTIR, ultracentrifuge, comet system etc. Department also has an active animal house facilities for in vivo studies and is in the process of starting mammalian cell culture facilities. Additionally, the University Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre offers facilities like flow cytometry, electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Single crystal αRD etc. The Department of Biochemistry also has collaborations with reputed universities and institutes in USA, Germany, Japan, UK, China, Korea in addition to key national centres like IITs, CDRI, JMI, JNU, BHU, AIIMS, NII. The department has hosted several national and international conferences and symposiums during past years.

The department presently has2 Professors, 4 Associate Professors and 1 Assistant Professors apart from 1 contractual (Assistant Professor) and 4 Guest Teachers. There is also a section of Biochemistry in Women’s college managed by 1 contractual Assistant Professor and 3 Guest Teachers. The department admits 60 students (30 girls and 30 boys) in B.Sc. and 18 students in M.Sc. through all India open entrance tests. The department infuses perseverance and sincerity in all its students with all efforts made to deepen the practical knowledge of biochemistry and to develop a scientific temper. The atmosphere of the department encourages a healthy flow and exchange of ideas and our research is recognised all over the world. The students of M.Sc. (final) research project are assigned to develop research temperament in them and to trained them with latest research methodologies. Each year several students qualify national level examinations like CSIR-JRF-NET, GATE, ICMR-JRF, DBT-JRF.

Programme Educational Objectives and Programme Outcomes:

To produce well trained, nationally and internationally competent undergraduates, post graduates and Ph.Ds, we endeavour that our students develop a fascination and passion for science that enables them to strive for success in scientific settings.

B.Sc. Biochemistry (Hons.) Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes

Programme Educational Objectives (PEOs):

To produce undergraduates who excel in biochemical sciences.
To produce students who are successful in multidisciplinary and diverse professional environments.
To produce undergraduates who provide leadership and demonstrate professional integrity.

Programme Outcomes (POs):

The students should gain:

an ability to apply knowledge of biochemistry.
an ability to design and conduct experiments in biochemistry, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
an understanding of professional, moral and ethical responsibility.
an ability to communicate and express themselves effectively.
a broad education necessary to understand the impact of biochemistry in a global, economic, environmental and societal context.
a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.

M.Sc. Biochemistry Educational Objectives and Program Outcomes

Programme Educational Objectives (PEOs):

Excel in career involving higher order and challenging tasks.
Be able to do analyses, research and innovation in their work.
Effectively lead and work in a team in professional environment, demonstrate professional integrity and feel responsibility towards society and country.

Programme Outcomes (POs):

Students should develop:

the ability to apply and possess scientific knowledge of fundamental and advanced areas in biochemical sciences.
the skill to critically analyze, evaluate the results obtained and be able to implement the solution.
the talent to acquire and analyze knowledge from research material in order to innovate and contribute to the available knowledge.
the expertise to use and apply modern tools and methods in solving biochemistry-based problems.
the ability to work in collaborative manner and to utilize opportunities arising by working with others.
the ability to work on a project using project management principle, and to provide leadership to team and project.
the skill to express and communicate effectively while carrying out discussion, making presentation, writing report etc.
an appreciation of the need to learn and improve continuously with the changing technology and be able to adopt new knowledge.
an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
the capability of working independently as well as in a team.

Ph.D. Biochemistry Programme:

Following are the broad areas of research:

Applied microbiology and biotechnology; Bioinformatics and molecular biology; Diabetes and free radical biology; Environmental and molecular toxicology; Epigenetics and genome integrity; Mechanism of cancer induction and treatment; Nanobiotechnology and nanotoxicology; Nanomedicine and its therapeutic delivery; Protein folding and aggregation; Protein purification and characterization.

VISION:

To become an internationally acclaimed department for the advancement of knowledge in biochemical sciences.
To impart wide range of biochemical education with a commitment to excel in teaching and research, responsive to regional and national needs and to combat new challenges in biochemical sciences.
To build up the basic and applied research and human resource capacity building in the frontier areas of Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
To produce excellent biochemists with a potential to innovate, invent and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of mankind.
To upskill and prepare students to become competent biochemists who can apply principles of science and life sciences to solve a wide array of problems in a global society and who will develop new cost-effective alternative technologies.

MISSION:

To impart knowledge in concepts and principles of biochemistry and biotechnology.
To provide comprehensive and effective training to the students in the application of biochemical skills, and Biomedical Sciences for the benefit of mankind.
To identify local and global issues that need intervention by a biochemist, and to develop intelligent strategies and biochemical approaches in problem solving methods.
To bestow education, training, and work environments that are characterized by mutual respect, personal responsibility, fairness, equality, and a commitment to provide opportunities and support for all without any discrimination.

To train the students by engaging in a program of instruction that emphasizes critical thinking; rigorous and effective application of scientific methods and principles; clear and accurately written and verbal communication and intensive experiential learning activities.

Department of Bio-chemistry (Life Sciences)

Department of Bio-chemistry (Life Sciences)

Thrust Area

Nanomedicine

Chromatin/Genome Biology

Protein chemistry and folding

Enzyme immobilization and nanobiotechnology

Molecular toxicology and oxidative stress

Diabetes and cancer biology

Interaction of proteins and DNA with xenobiotics

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