depart-biotech

Faculty of Life Sciences

ametunivDepartment of Marine Biotechnology
Programmes Offered
Ph.D Marine Biotechnology

The Department of Marine Biotechnology at AMET Deemed to be University was established in 2008 with the aim of providing world-class higher education in Marine Biotechnology. This dynamic field encompasses diverse areas of research and development. As a branch of blue biotechnology, it offers extensive opportunities across various industries, including biomedical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, feed, cosmetics, environment, aquaculture, agriculture, and renewable energy production. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly focusing on developing new drugs from marine resources, as many potent drugs derived from marine bioresources are already in the market. Additionally, blue biotechnology plays a critical role in industrial and environmental applications, particularly through the exploration of marine microbes (including those from deep-sea environments) for pollution control via biodegradation, biotransformation, and bioremediation. The growing emphasis on aquaculture is expected to create thousands of job opportunities for trained Marine Biotechnologists. The increasing demand for marine-derived products across various sectors continues to outpace supply. Among renewable energy sources, energy derived from marine bioresources is a key area of national interest, and microalgae biotechnology offers promising potential for renewable energy production. The Department focuses its research on discovering novel bioactive marine pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and aquaculture products from marine sources. Other core research areas include marine molecular taxonomy (identifying marine organisms using molecular markers) and aquatic ecotoxicology and pollution studies (toxicological testing, environmental monitoring, impact assessment, and safe limit derivation for toxicants). Guided by these core research areas, the Department has designed comprehensive academic, research, consultancy, and extension programs to meet the needs of stakeholders effectively.

Highlights

  • The Department is strengthened by a blend of experienced and young faculty members.
  • The core research focus of the Department is on "biologically active molecules from marine organisms" this theme is integrated into research, and consultancy.
  • Undertaken major research projects funded by key government agencies, including the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), and the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST), as well as non-governmental organizations such as the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), focusing on Live Feed Culture Technology, Biofouling, Deep-Sea Mission on Bioinvasion, and Antifouling Metabolites.
  • The Department conducts National-Level Training/Workshops on "Isolation and Identification of Bioactive Products from Marine Bioresources" annually, catering to undergraduate, postgraduate, and research scholars. Additionally, it organizes National and International Conferences/Symposiums/Seminars to share knowledge and research insights in areas such as Marine Biotechnology, Aquaculture, Marine Natural Products, and Environmental Sciences.
  • Established research collaborations with leading International and National Research Institutes/Organizations and various R&D departments, offering students opportunities for summer training and internships.
  • Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), ICAR for joint academic and research collaborations.
  • Signed MoUs with biotechnology industries to expand training, consultancy, research, and development activities in Marine Biotechnology.
  • Developed international collaborations with the Liverpool John Moores University, UK, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan, Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS), UK, to facilitate joint research and development, faculty and student exchange programs in specialized areas such as carbon sequestration, algal biofuels, biofouling, Aquaculture and bioprospecting of marine organisms.
  • The Department’s faculty members have extensive expertise in Marine Microbiology, Mycology, Marine Bioprospecting, Aquaculture, Marine Live Feed Technology, Marine Underwater Monitoring, Coral Reef Ecology, Marine Molecular Taxonomy, Aquatic Ecotoxicology and Pollution, and Socioeconomics.
  • The Department has established state-of-the-art laboratory facilities to support research across these fields, with financial assistance from government agencies such as the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
  • Publishes a biannual journal, the Journal of Marine Biosciences, to showcase cutting-edge research in Marine Biotechnology.