Department of Biotechnology

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is an Indian government department, under the Ministry of Science and Technology responsible for administrating development in the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India. It was set up in 1986.^[1]

Through several research and development projects, demonstrations and creation of infrastructural facilities a clear visible impact of this field has been seen. The department has made significant achievements in the growth and application of biotechnology in the broad areas of agriculture, health care, animal sciences, environment, and industry.^[1] The proven technologies at the laboratory level have been scaled up and demonstrated in field. Patenting of innovations, technology transfer to industries and close interaction with them have given a new direction to biotechnology research. Initiatives have been taken to promote transgenic research in plants with emphasis on pest and disease resistance, nutritional quality, silk-worm genome analysis, molecular biology of human genetic disorders, brain research, plant genome research, development, validation and commercialization of diagnostic kits and vaccines for communicable diseases, food biotechnology, biodiversity conservation and bioprospecting, setting up of micropropagation parks and biotechnology based development for SC/ST, rural areas, women and for different States.^[1] Organization's mandate and the centers of excellence that it has set up to achieve this goal are listed below.

Mandate

Promote large scale use of Biotechnology

Support R&D and manufacturing in Biology

Responsibility for Autonomous Institutions

Promote University and Industry Interaction

Identify and Set up Centres of Excellence for R&D

Integrated Programme for Human Resource Development

To serve as Nodal Point for specific International Collaborations

Establishment of Infrastructure Facilities to support R&D and production

Evolve Bio Safety Guidelines, manufacture and application of cell based vaccines

Serve as nodal point for the collection and dissemination of information relating to biotechnology

Institutes

Autonomous Institutes

• National Institute of Immunology, Delhi
• National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Maharashtra (formerly National Facility for Animal Tissue and Cell Culture, NFATCC)
• National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, Haryana
• Centre for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
• Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal, Manipur
• National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Delhi
• Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Orissa
• Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Public Sector Undertakings

• Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh
• Indian Vaccine Corporation Limited, Delhi

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "DBT - Department of Biotechnology". Dbtindia.nic.in. http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?id_pk=4. Retrieved 2010-09-01.