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Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

Our mission is to create a pool of highly qualified and industry focused professionals who will meet the manpower requirements of companies, and help the Biotechnology & Bioinformatics industry in India reach a critical mass.

To achieve this mission, the department emphasizes developing biotechnological interventions in industrial processes to reduce pollution at source as well as biological interventions for end of the pipeline treatment, using natural and genetically modified microbes. Further, the traditional responses to the increasing demands for energy have mainly focused on fossil fuel and to some extent, renewable sources. Therefore, the work relates to providing green cover for arid/semi-arid/waste lands, creating employment for the rural society, as well as generating wealth from wastes. The research focuses on efficient conversion of biomass to bio-fuels e.g., biodiesel and bioethanol, leading to maximum self reliance- the corner stone of our energy security strategy.

Research in Bioinformatics at NIIT Institute of Information Technology would use state-of-art tools of Bioinformatics, Genomics & Proteomics and Biotechnology with the thrust areas being, Structural and Functional Genomics, Molecular Probes, Proteomics, Biomaterials Development, Pharmacogenomics, and Databases.

Objectives of the Department

  • Training students and developing expertise in Bioinformatics, and Biotechnology at the Postgraduate and Ph.D. levels.
  • Research & Development of various microbial and enzyme systems and developing Bioinformatics tools for pharmaceuticals.
  • Transfer of knowledge through seminars, symposia and short-term refresher courses at National and international levels.
  • Undertake industrial consultancy jobs to solve the specific problems of pharmaceutical and environmental industries.

Ongoing Sponsored Projects

  1. Genetic Diversity of Organophosphorus Hydrolases and in situ Bioremediation of Chlorpyrifos contaminated sites. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2009 – 2012.
  2. “Metagenomic approach for the degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) – Pyrene, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2007 – 2010.

Selected Completed Sponsored Projects

  1. Decontamination and microbial diversity of HCH, p-nitro phenol and chlorpyrifos contaminated soils from dumping sites, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2004 – 2008.
  2. Characterization and molecular analysis of some PAH (phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo (a) pyrene degrading pathways by bacteria through metabolic engineering. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2003 – 2006.
  3. Development of Suitable Probes for Tracking the Organisms Released For Bioremediation of Soils Contaminated with Chlorinated and Nitro Pesticides, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2001 – 2005.
  4. Microbial Diversity for Sustainable Agriculture, UNDP – TIFAC, Department of Science and Technology, 2002 – 2004.
  5. Crop Rotation for Sustainable Agriculture, UNDP – TIFAC, Department of Science and Technology, 2001 – 2002.
  6. Cellulase free thermophilic and alkalophilic xylanase for paper and pulp industry for Department of Biotechnology (DBT)  1999- 2001.
  7. Biotechnological Interventions in Enhanced Oil Recovery, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC). India: 1999-2001.
  8. Multi client studies on bioremediation in the petrochemical Industry, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Oil India, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation LTD (ONGC). India. 1999-2000.
  9. Role of salt tolerant Rhizobium in biomass production of tree legumes, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, India: 1996-1999.
  10. Molecular breeding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria,  Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 1996-1999.

Books

Wealth from Waste . 1995. Eds. Sunil Khanna and Krishna Mohan. Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi.  pp. 280.
Biotechnological approaches for sustainable development, Eds. M.S. Reddy and S. Khanna, Allied

Publishers, pp. 422.

List of publications (Last ten years)

  1. Decolorization of Direct Red 28 by mixed bacterial culture in an Up Flow Immobilized Bioreactor. Bella Devassy Tony, Dinesh Goyal, Sunil Khanna. 2009. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. In Press.
  2. Decolorization of textile azo dyes by aerobic bacterial consortium . Bella Devassy Tony, Dinesh Goyal, Khanna  S 2009. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation – In Press
  3. Microbial degradation and In situ bioremediation of Chlorpyrifos contaminated soil. C. Vidya Lakshmi, Mohit Kumar, and Khanna S, 2009. New Horizons in Biotechnology. Eds. Ashok Pandey, Christian Larroche, Carlos Ricardo Soccon and Claude-Gilles Dussap.Asia Tech Publishers Inc.New Delhi. Pp 310-319.
  4. Influence of Diversified cropping pattern on microbial activity and population dynamics in agricultural soils. Machiavell, N. Tejoprakash and Sunil Khanna, 2009. Research on Crop, 3 :593-598.
  5. Biodegradation Of Chlorpyrifos In Soil By Enriched. Vidya C Lakshmi, Mohit Kumar and Khanna, S. 2009. Current Microbiology, 58: 35-38
  6. Biotransformation of Chlorpyrifos and bioremediation of contaminated soils. C. Vidya Lakshmi, Mohit Kumar, and Khanna S, 2008. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 62, 204-209.
  7. Microbial Biodiversity and In situ Bioremediation of Endosulfan contaminated soil. Mohit Kumar, C. Vidya Lakshmi and Khanna S, 2008, Indian Journal of Microbiology , 48, 128-133.
  8. In situ Bioremediation of Chloropyrifos contaminated soil  in  In situ and On site Bioremediation. C. Vidya Lakshmi, Mohit Kumar, and Khanna S, 2007 Eds A R Gavaskar and C F Silver. Beattle Press, Columbus pp 161-169
  9. Biodegradation and bioremediation of endosulfan contaminated soil, Mohit Kumar, C. Vidya Lakshmi and Khanna S, 2007, Bioresource Technology – 99(8) 3116-3122.(Elsiver).
  10. A computer model for Municipal Solid Waste treatment in developing countries. Jain A., Kaur, Harsasngeet and Khanna, S , 2005, Environmental Science & Technology, 39 (10): 3732-3735.
  11. Impact of fly ash addition in soil on heavy metal accumulation by Eucalyptus tereticornis, Suryan, S., Jala, S., Goyal, D., Singh, J., Vijayan, V., Nioding, A and Khanna, S. 2004, Biotechnological approaches for sustainable development, Eds. M.S. Reddy and S. Khanna, Allied Publishers pp. 305-310.
  12. Industrial Fly ash  as a soil amendment agent for raising forestry planatations. Goyal D, Kaur K, Garg R, Vijayan, V, Nanda, S K, Noiding A, Khanna S and Ramamurthy V. Fundamentals of Advanced Materials for Energy Conservation. D Chandra and R G Bautista 2003 (eds)  Academic Press.     Pp 251 – 265.
  13. Cloning, Regulation, and Purification of cellulose-free xylanase from Bacillus circulans TERI-42. Asbah F. Qureshy, L A Khan; and Khanna S. 2002. Indian J Microbiology 42: 35-41.
  14. Production of thermostable alkalitolerant xylanase from Bacillus circulans AB 16 grown on wheat straw. Dhillon, ,A; and Khanna, S. 2001. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 16(4): 325-327.
  15. Expression of Bacillus circulans Teri-42 xylanase gene in Bacillus subtilis. Asbah F Qureshy; L A Khan; and Khanna, S. 2000. Enzyme Microbial Technology 27: 227-233.
  16. Enhanced production, purification and characterization of a novel cellulase-poor thermostable, alkalitolerant xylanase from Bacillus circulans AB16. Dhillon, ,A; Gupta, J.K; and Khanna, S. 2000b. Process Biochemistry,35: 849-856.
  17. Environmental decadence in India. Khanna.S. 1999. In ” National Report 1994-1999.Asha Mathur (ed) Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India. pp.181-226.
  18. A cellulase- poor thermostable alkalotolerant xylanase from Bacillus circulans AB 16 using rice straw and its application in biobleaching of eucalyptus pulp. Dhillon, ,A; Gupta, J.K; Jauhari, B.M., and Khanna, S. 2000a.  Bioresource Technology,73: 273-277.
  19. Mineralization of [14C] octadecane by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus S19. Bajpai U; Kuhad R and Khanna S. 1998. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 44(7): 681-686.

Enzymes and Bioremediation .  Khanna  S; lal B; Chandra R; Rajan and Bajpai U. 1998. In “Enzyme Chemistry: Impact and Applications” 3rd Edition , Suckling Colin  J, Pitt A and Gibson (eds.)Chapman & Hall Ltd, Hampshire, England pp: 249-285.