MSU’s instrumentation facility gets Rs10 crore grant

Vadodara: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has sanctioned Rs 10 crore grant to M S University’s Faculty of Science for Dr Vikram Sarabhai Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, the university’s high-end central instrumentation facility.
DBT which had earlier helped the university set up the facility and start the five-year integrated MSc programme in cell and molecular biology in 2012, has sanctioned this extension grant.
“We have received the highest category grant from DBT under the builder programme, which is an extension of inter-disciplinary lifescience research and education,” said professor Sarita Gupta, coordinator of the project.
“This grant will not only help in upgradation and maintenance of minor and major instruments, but it will also provide employability to junior research and post-doctoral fellows,” she said.
Apart from Gupta, ten other investigators will be conducting research with the help of this grant. “DBT had earlier sanctioned Rs 13 crore in 2010 for setting up the facility. A major portion of the Rs 10 crore grant sanctioned now is non-recurring (it will go towards upgradation of old, minor and major instruments),” she said.
“With the new grants, we can invite visiting scientists to provide better training to our students,” said Gupta, adding that the instrumentation facility is not only used to MSU but also by industries in and around Vadodara.
Since 2012, when the five year integrated programme in cell and molecular biology was started, students enrolled in the programme have got opportunity to finish their dissertations at reputed national and international institutions.