Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq
Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (IIIB)

Facilities & Resources

Highly qualified and experienced teaching faculty is present to instruct and supervise students in the latest fields of Microbiology and Biotechnology. All the faculty members are engaged in R&D activities in addition to teaching and other activities. The research is focused on various disciplines of Microbiology and Biotechnology particularly Fermentation Technology, Enzymology, Bioprocess Technology, Molecular Biology, Bioenergy, Tissue Culture, Protein Purification and Bioinformatics. Besides six lecture rooms, one conference room and one committee room, there are three General Labs and six Research Labs in the Institute. Another Lab is available for Autoclaving and Sterilizing Chambers like Incubators, Ovens and Ice Cold Machine, etc. Soon a Cold Room will also be established for culture collections and some other related activities. All the equipment and facilities at Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology are available to students and researchers. Students from other universities and organizations also benefit from these facilities. A Life Sciences Library has been established in Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology which has a collection of more than 10,000 books related to various fields of Microbiology and Biotechnology. A number of reference books are also available. Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology is also running a computer lab for faculty and students with internet facility. Facilities and resources available at present include the following equipment:-

  • Stirred Fermentors (3 L, 7.5 L, 25 L & 30 L)
  • Temperature Controlled Rotary Shaking Incubators
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) System
  • Saccharification vessel (50 L)
  • Storage Tanks (100 L)
  • Scanning Spectrophotometer (UV/Vis double Beam Scanning System)
  • Gel Electrophoresis & Documentation System (Gel-Doc)
  • Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) System
  • Thermocycler (PCR machine)
  • Ultra Heat Sonicator
  • Freeze Dryer
  • Low-Pressure Chromatography
  • Multiporator
  • Cool Lab
  • Growth Chambers (Bacteria & Fungi)
  • Temperature Controlled High Speed
  • Centrifuges
  • Basket Centrifuge
  • Rotary Vacuum Filter
  • SpeedVac Concentrator
  • Spray Dryer
  • Laminar Air Flow Cabinets
  • Rotary Vacuum Concentrator
  • Ultra Freezers (−80ºC, -20), etc.
R&D, Labs and Research Groups

All the faculty members are engaged in R&D in addition to teaching and other activities. The research is focused on various disciplines of Microbiology and Biotechnology particularly Fermentation Technology, Enzymology, Bioprocess Technology, Molecular Biology, Bioenergy, Tissue Culture, Protein Purification and Bioinformatics. Besides six lecture rooms, one conference room and one committee room, there are three General Labs and six Research Labs in the Institute. Another Lab is available for Autoclaving and Sterilizing Chambers like Incubators, Ovens and Ice Machine, etc.

  • The University encourages foreign training of faculty members. In this context, 4 faculty members have availed Fulbright Scholarships for pre-and post-doctoral studies in USA and two have specialized in enzyme preparations from China.

  • Faculty Members of Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology regularly attend National & International Conferences/Seminars/ Symposia / Workshops in the country and abroad to share their work with their peers.

  • The students of Biotechnology & Microbiology receive stipends/scholarships from HEC and PEEF every year to support their studies. The University also provides support to deserving students in the form of financial aid. Some of the students have won Fulbright scholarships to study in the USA for one semester.

  • Teachers also guide students in matters of employment/placement.

  • Several prestigious awards such as the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Fellowship of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Best University Teacher award, Productive and Active Scientists of Pakistan have been awarded to the faculty of Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology.

  • Large numbers of research students are being supervised by faculty members. The researchers have produced around 400 theses and published more than 600 research papers in national and international journals of high repute.

Twelve Research Projects sponsored by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Pakistan, Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), HEC, GCU & Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) have been completed successfully. And 10 projects are in progress in the institute.

Since 2005, faculty members of the Institute of Industrial Biotechnology have published more than 600 publications in the journal of national and international repute.

Life Sciences Library was established in Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology in 2009 which has a collection of more than 10,000 books related to various fields of Microbiology and Biotechnology. A number of reference books are also available.

Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology also has a well equipped computer lab which has internet facility available to all research students at BSc (Hons), MPhil and PhD level in addition to the faculty members.

A number of academic and research links have been developed with Universities, Institutes, Research Organizations, Hospitals and Industries at national and international level. Some of the links are as follows:

  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
  • Institute of Microbiology Hebei Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
  • Hebei Research Institute of Microbiology, HRIM, Baoding, China.
  • Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, Orlando, USA
  • Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
  • Iowa State University, Ames Iowa, USA
  • The Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
  • University of Siegen, Germany
  • Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia
  • University of Selangor (UNISEL), Malaysia
  • NIBGE, Jhang Road, Faisalabad
  • NIAB, Jhang Road, Faisalabad
  • PCSIR Labs Complex, Ferozepur Road, Lahore
  • NARC, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad
  • National Feeds (pvt.), Ltd., Sheikhupura
  • Alpha Chemicals, Multan Road, Pattoki
  • Children Hospital, Lahore.
  • Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
  • University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
  • School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore
  • Institute of Molecular Sciences and Bioinformatics, Lahore
  • Armed Forces Institute of Nutrition

Microbiology and Biotechnology are rapidly developing fields of science, covering a wide range of industrial processes. Successful graduates from the institute have career opportunities in a number of multinational and national industries. In addition, they also have employment opportunities both in teaching and research in different universities and research organizations of national and international fame. One of the main interests of the institute is microbial technology related to the sustainable development of human society, especially on the engineering of microbial strains with the diverse physiological functions using gene engineering, protein engineering, metabolic engineering and other advanced technological techniques. The development of new processes and approaches for microbial products by studying the metabolic activities of the newly reconstructed strains is also the main research field. The research aims at the microbial conversion of agricultural and industrial waste into fuel, feed, and chemicals; the microbiology studies on resources exploration and environmental improvement; development of new fermentation technology and bio-products.

The Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology has established Research Groups in the following area:

a) Research Groups
  • Fermentation/Bioprocess Technology
  • Enzymology
  • Industrial Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biofuel / Bioenergy
  • Bioinformatics and Proteomics
  • Immunology & Medical Microbiology
b) Research Strength

Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Institute of Industrial Biotechnology has been able to develop the infrastructure for performing lab and pilot-scale projects in a very short span of time. The students and young faculty members are the main strengths who are further guided by highly qualified scientists. The industrialization of Biotechnology for the biosynthesis of products is based on bioprocesses by making use of indigenous resources (agro-industrial). These include organic acids, biofuels, enzymes and antibiotics. Some of these projects were funded by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).