Department of Biochemistry

School of Biological Sciences

(University with Potential for Excellence)
Centre of Potential in Genomic Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
Madurai Kamaraj University,
Madurai 625 021

Prospectus - M.Sc. Biochemical Technology 2012-2013

1  A. The University :

The Madurai Kamaraj University was established in the year 1966 as a public institution of higher education located about 12 kms west of Madurai city. Numerous expansions have produced a campus of nearly 800 acres which accommodates over 19 Schools, comprising 72 Departments and 19 Chairs/Centers. It is widely recognized and respected for the high quality of its programs.

B. Faculty :

A team of faculty members along with the faculty of School of Biological Sciences and visiting scientists will train the students exclusively in various courses both in theory and practical.

Biochemical Technology :

In recent years, traditional biology has crossed over several frontiers and emerged into a multidisciplinary area with a lot of potential for a commercial exploitation. The development such as plant and animal breeding, vaccine production, hybridoma technology and gene therapy has revolutionized many of the concepts in the area of agriculture, public health and medicine. The new arrivals of the techniques such as recombinant DNA technology, hybridoma technology, construction of expression vectors and gene therapy have brought in tremendous changes. Now the time is ripened enough to introduce these modern and frontier areas in the biology curriculum, which will immensely benefit our younger generation of students who can contribute to the welfare of our Nation.

In the last ten years Department of Biotechnology is trying with the concepts of Biotechnology course at all India level in a few centres and this leaves with little choice for the students from various parts of the Nation. Apart from this, the present biotechnology course may not completely fulfill the needs for basic as well as applied aspects of Biology and prepare the students for corporate sector. It is with this intension the present course has been designed to prepare the students of Biology for equipping themselves to the future needs of corporate biology, along with the basic and applied knowledge of modern biology.

The new program has been titled as “Biochemical Technology”. The first two semesters are to cover all the basic approaches in the modern areas of biology. For example, the following are the courses offered in the First semester: Basic Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics, Cellular Biochemistry and Virology.

The Second semester includes Enzyme Technology and Molecular Diagnostics.

The Third and Fourth semester courses cater the need of Modern Biology which include Recombinant DNA Technology, Biochemical Technology and Bioengineering, Gene Regulation in Growth and Development and Functional Genomics.

The use of computers in these areas becomes an integral part of the course and so a course on Bioinformatics and computers is included in the Second semester. The practical aspects in this course has been designed from the thrust areas like basic and molecular biochemistry, molecular biology , microbial biochemistry, animal cell culture, molecular diagnostics and gene technology . With the help of these practical courses, the students are given a good exposure to basic and modern techniques like enzyme assays, protein purification methods, gene cloning, electrophoretic separation of DNA and proteins, DNA- protein interactions, in vitro and in vivo gene expression methods and gene delivery into specific tissues and DNA sequencing by conventional and automated methods.

A project work is suggested so that the students are able to understand and appreciate the direct impacts of modern biology. This will help to reshape their thinking in applying the knowledge they have gained in the laboratory, so that they become capable enough to transfer these technologies from a research laboratory to the corporate world for the benefit of our Nation.

C. Research activities :

The School of Biological Sciences has the finest infrastructure facilities in Asia for research in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering and this is currently being used by a number of Ph.D. Students.

D. Department library :

Apart from Dr. TPM library, the School of Biological Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and the School of Biotechnology have their own library with modern books and research journals in various fields of life sciences. The Bioinformatics centre in the university also provides ample opportunity to the students for higher learning.

E. Project :

As a part of the curriculum, the students will be taking up project work during the Fourth semester of the course.

F. Academic Details :

Subjects offered in M.Sc. BIOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY

The following subjects are taught in this course

The regulations, scheme of the examination and the syllabi for the course are as prescribed by the university from time to time

1. Duration of the course :

M.Sc. Biochemical Technology is a two-year course. The course is organized on a semester basis, with four semesters first semester beginning in July, and the second semester in January. The project work would be carried out during and fourth semester.

2. Course requirements :
A. Eligibility for Admission

Candidates with a Bachelor Degree is Science (55% marks in Part III) in any branch of Life Sciences (Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Biotechnology or equivalent), Physics, Chemistry, Medicine.

For SC/ST candidates a pass in Bachelor Degree in Science/ B.Tech Biotechnology, Computer Sciences, Information Technology and Bioinformatics is the required minimum qualification.

B. Processing of Application and Mode of Selection :

Applicants are expected to take an entrance test and selected candidates have to appear for a seminar presentation. Selection of candidates will be based purely on merit and the Tamil Nadu Government Reservation policy will be followed.

C. How to apply :

1. Procedure for obtaining prospectus and application form:
    Prospectus and application can be downloaded from the following     websites
    http://www.bctmku.org
    http://www.mkuniversity.org

Xerox copy of the downloaded application may also be used :

2. SC/ST candidates need not send the Demand Draft. An attested     Xerox copy of the community certificate has to be sent along with     application form :

    The Demand Draft should have been obtained after the date of notification     and before the last date for receipt of filled-in application.
    Note: Chalan’s, cheques, postal orders, money orders and cash will not be     accepted.

    The filled-in application may be returned to The Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj     University, Madurai-625 021, Tamil Nadu, India.

3. Procedure for Submitting filled-in application form

    Applicants are requested to read carefully the rules of eligibility and other     instructions given in the prospectus. Applicants who are willing to apply for     more than one course should use separate application form for each     course.

A. Instructions for Filling-up the Application

1. The entries in the application form should be made by the applicant in their     own handwriting in ENGLISH legibly.

2. Details of the xerox copies of the certificates submitted along with the     application should be furnished in the relevant column of the application.

3. Entrance Test: The entrance test will be conducted in 1] Madurai, 2]     Chennai, 3] Bangalore, 4] Kolkata, 5] Hyderabad, 6] Mumbai, 7] New Delhi,     and 8] Thiruvananthapuram. The University reserves the right to cancel any     centre without any prior intimation. The candidates opted the cancelled     centres will be allotted other centres according to their preference     mentioned in the application form.

4. The Entrance test will cover: the areas of Microbiology, Biochemistry,     Molecular Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science and     Mathematics at the under graduate level.

5. Hall Ticket: [1] The candidates are requested to fill-up the hall ticket     attached to the application and send it along with the application to the     Course Coordinator. [2] Hall ticket and timetable for the entrance test will be     sent to the candidates by post.

B. Enclosures to be sent along with the filled in application form:-

    The eligible candidates have to submit only xerox copies of the following     certificates duly attested by a Gazetted officer along with the application     form.

ORIGINAL CERTIFICATES NEED NOT BE SENT

1. Mark statement / grade certificate and Provisional certificate of the      undergraduate degree course.

2. Community certificate, obtained either from the Thasildar or Deputy      Thasildar concerned. Otherwise it will not be taken into account.

3. SSLC / +2 marks statement for age proof.

4. Two self addressed stamped envelopes for Rs.10/- each. This should be      sent along with the application.

5. Recent photographs of the applicant in the passport size affixed on the      column provided one in the application and another in the hall-ticket. The      signature of the applicant must be affixed along the margin at the top and      that of the certifying officer with seal at the bottom.

6. Demand draft for Rs.600/-

4. Duly filled down loaded application should be sent to

     The Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021 along with a      Demand Draft for Rs.600/- (towards the application and registration fee)      drawn in favour of “The Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University”, Payable at      Madurai by affixing the required postage. Applications without draft will be      rejected. Covers sent with less postage will not be accepted. Students are      advised to write their name, complete address, and course for which      applied in Block Letters on the reverse side of the Demand Draft and the      envelope should be super scribed, “Submission of Application form for      M.Sc., BIOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY”.

5. Selection Procedure

a. The selection is the candidate is based on the marks secured in entrance      test and seminar presentation. The short-listed candidates will be called for      interview and seminar presentation only at Madurai.

b. Selection of candidates would be based purely on merit following the      Government of Tamilnadu Reservation Policy.

c. No seat will be reserved for the candidates from foreign countries and other      states of India. They should compete in the open category for selection.      Foreign candidates should produce the valid VISA for the whole period of      the course of study at the time of admission failing which their admission      will stand automatically cancelled.

d. Selected candidates will be intimated individually by post. A list of Register      number of candidates selected for the course will published in the leading      dailies and in our websites http//www.bctmku.org and      http//www.mkuniversity.org.

e. Candidates selected will have to submit the following original certificates      along with Xerox copies of the certificates only to the coordinator, Center      for Excellence in Genomic Sciences at the time of admission.

     1) Statement of Marks / Grade certificate and Provisional certificate.

     2) Conduct certificate from the Head of the Institution last studied.

     3) Transfer certificate.

     4) Community certificate.

     5) In the case of candidates who have passed the qualifying examinations          from other Universities, they should produce the Eligibility certificate          obtained from the Madurai Kamaraj University at the time of admission.

     6) Any other certificates, as may be required by the University.

     7) All admissions made will be provisional till the certificate, statement of          marks / grades etc., submitted by the candidates are scrutinized and          accepted. If any candidate is found to have got admission on false          claims, the admission will be cancelled without any prior notice.

     8) FEES DETAILS: On receipt of intimation of provisional selection,          candidates should pay the prescribed fees immediately. Selected          candidates who do not pay their fees within the time specified on the          admission intimation will forfeit the seats offered. Fees once paid will not          be refunded or adjusted or transferred.

a) TUTION FEE : Rs. 25,000/- per year
                             (if paid in two Installments, Rs. 12,750/- (per semester)

b) LAB FEE : Rs. 25,000/- per semester.

SPECIAL FEES( Whole Year)

The fee may be paid in the form of Demand Draft or Banker’s Cheque in any bank drawn favour of "The Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai" payable at MADURAI.

Remittance of Fees

The candidates should remit all the fees within the date as mentioned in the admission intimation.

NRI / Foreign candidates:

A limited number of seats are available under NRI/Foreign student’s category

Students who wish to apply under NRI/Foreign student’s category may download the prospectus and application form. Duly filled-in downloaded application may be forwarded to the Course Coordinator by paying US$ 200 /- Draft drawn in favour of THE REGISTRAR, MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY payable at MADURAI towards the application and registration fee.

NRI students may also request the Course Coordinator for the hard copy by paying US$ 200 towards the application and registration fee.

Selection of NRI candidates will be based on the marks secured from qualifying examination.

The following certificates are to be produced by the candidates under the NRI foreign students category.

     1. Valid passport with foreign visa of the sponsor (should be related)

     2. NRI Status certificate in the country of stay of the sponsor

     3. NRI Statement of Bank account / Bank pass book of the Sponsor

Fee Details for NRI category : US$ 12,000 (FOR 2 YEARS)
                                                     US$ 6,500 (FOR 1 YEAR)

6. GENERAL

a. No candidate can undergo more than one course at a time during the     academic year and no one can take more than one examination at the     same time.

b. All the communications should be addressed to “The Registrar, Madurai     Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021”.

c. The application form without Xerox copies of certificates will not be      considered.

d. Certificates other than those required need not be enclosed.

e. Eligibility certificate should be produced if the candidate belongs to other     than Madurai Kamaraj University

f. The university reserves the right to suspend any course if sufficient number    of applications are not available

g. The university will not be held responsible for any delay or loss in postal     transit

h. The decision of the university shall be final in all cases of admission

i. All the columns in the application should be filled-in. Incomplete application    will be rejected.

7. HOSTELS:

    Separate hostel facilities are available for men and women candidates in     the university campus at Palkalai Nagar, Madurai – 625 021

    Those who need accommodation in the University hostels, may approach     the warden of respective hostels after securing admission.

    Application forms for hostel accommodation will be available in the     respective hostel office during the office

    For more details please visit our website “http//www.bctmku.org”

    The Registrar
    Madurai Kamaraj University
    Palkalai Nagar
    Madurai – 625 021
    Phone : +91-452-2458471 (5 Lines)