Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
Encyclopedia
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) is a premier research
institute in India, exclusive devoted to research in Molecular Biology
and Biotechnology
. It is located at Thiruvananthapuram
(Trivandrum), the capital city of the state of Kerala
in India
. This centre runs as a 'grant in aid' institute of the Department of Biotechnology of the Govt. of India. It is an R&D centre under Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment
.
The centre was inaugurated on November 18, 2002 by then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
. The institute has highly focused research departments working on medical biotechnology (Molecular Medicine
, Molecular Reproduction, Molecular Microbiology
, Cancer
Biology & Neurobiology) and plant genetic engineering
. The Center has a regional facility for Genetic Fingerprinting
, which provides DNA analysis services for forensic & criminal investigations, paternity disputes, identification of wildlife remains, authentication of plants and seeds besides a battery of molecular diagnostics for genetic and infectious diseases. RGCB is also a major provider of laboratory and infrastructure services to other academic and research institutions.
RGCB has a strength of 25 scientists, 120 Ph.D.
students and around 100 research project staff. The centre has good infrastructural facilities for carrying out cutting-edge research in the field of Biotechnology. Monetary support of Rs. 100 crores sanctioned by the Govt. of India in 2008, for a period of 3 years, apart from the yearly allocation of Rs. 25 crores, aims at making RGCB a world class research centre in the near future.
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
institute in India, exclusive devoted to research in Molecular Biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
and Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
. It is located at Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
(Trivandrum), the capital city of the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This centre runs as a 'grant in aid' institute of the Department of Biotechnology of the Govt. of India. It is an R&D centre under Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment is an autonomous body constituted by the Government of Kerala in November 2002 to encourage and promote science and technology-related activities in Kerala State...
.
The centre was inaugurated on November 18, 2002 by then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...
. The institute has highly focused research departments working on medical biotechnology (Molecular Medicine
Molecular medicine
Molecular medicine is a broad field, where physical, chemical, biological and medical techniques are used to describe molecular structures and mechanisms, identify fundamental molecular and genetic errors of disease, and to develop molecular interventions to correct them...
, Molecular Reproduction, Molecular Microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
, Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
Biology & Neurobiology) and plant genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
. The Center has a regional facility for Genetic Fingerprinting
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
, which provides DNA analysis services for forensic & criminal investigations, paternity disputes, identification of wildlife remains, authentication of plants and seeds besides a battery of molecular diagnostics for genetic and infectious diseases. RGCB is also a major provider of laboratory and infrastructure services to other academic and research institutions.
RGCB has a strength of 25 scientists, 120 Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
students and around 100 research project staff. The centre has good infrastructural facilities for carrying out cutting-edge research in the field of Biotechnology. Monetary support of Rs. 100 crores sanctioned by the Govt. of India in 2008, for a period of 3 years, apart from the yearly allocation of Rs. 25 crores, aims at making RGCB a world class research centre in the near future.