The department of Biotechnology was established in 2003 with a view to develop a Centre of Excellence in Education and Research in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics. In so doing, the M.Tech programme in Biotechnology was initiated with the students who qualified in the Combined Entrance Examination in Biotechnology (CEEB) conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. It is pertinent to mention that the M.Tech programme at U.Tech and Anna University, Chennai are only two supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. The course has got a national character. In addition, the department runs three other programmes namely M.Tech in Bioinformatics, Post B.Sc. Integrated Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Post B.Sc. Integrated Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. The curriculum of the course (four semesters) comprises Chemistry, Microbiology, Genetics, Genetic Engineering, Protein Engineering, Downstream Processing, Bioethics and Intellectual Property Right (IPR) among others. Each semester has got 25 credits. The department has got updated infrastructure and a team of excellent faculty members. Their expertise encompasses various facets of frontier areas in science.