Biotechnology is most briefly defined as the art of utilizing living organisms and their products to produce food drink medicine or other benefits to the human race or other animal species. Technically speaking humans have been using biotechnology since they discovered farming with the planting of seeds to control plant growth and crop production. Animal breeding is also a form of biotechnology. More recently cross-pollination of plants and cross-breeding of animals were macro-biological techniques in biotechnology used to enhance product quality and/or meet specific requirements or standards.
Combinations of plants and other organisms were used as medications in many early civilizations. Since as early as 200 BC people began to use disabled or minute amounts of infectious agents to immunize themselves against infections. These and similar processes have been refined in modern medicine and have led to many developments such as antibiotics vaccines and other methods of fighting sickness.
The discovery of microorganisms and the subsequent burst of knowledge related to the causes of infectious diseases antibiotics and immunizations could probably be counted among man%27s most significant life-altering discoveries. However the most modern techniques in biotechnology owe their existence to the discovery of DNA and several techniques essential for gene cloning. Current scientific methods are more specific than historical techniques as scientists now directly alter genetic material with atomic precision using techniques otherwise known as recombinant DNA technology.
Courses are designed in significant Biotechnology fields such as agriculture biology environment microbiology and biochemistry.
General Goals:
• Contribute to sustainable development in society through the development and increase of the effectiveness of its institutions.
• Servicing the Community by providing it with qualified cadres capable of building institutions and active participation in various activities.
• Supplement community cadres capable of dealing with contemporary problems facing specialization and contributing to the solution.
• Contribute to the communication and integration between higher education institutions and the community interested in various relevant areas.
• Contribute to raising the scientific level in the Community.
Specific Goals:
• Qualify students for careers in the private and governmental sectors that require solid analytical and quantitative skills.
• Provide students with opportunities to acquire knowledge of other relevant inter-disciplines.
• Provide students with the knowledge communication management skills and research capacity building which in turn allow them to become efficient researchers.
• Gain theoretical and practical knowledge in the different areas of biotechnology in crop protection environment plant genomics and gene technology molecular biology biochemistry biophysics gene technology and molecular breeding related to crop production and safety.
• Train agricultural biotechnologists who have competed in biochemistry microbiology physiology traditional and molecular genetics transgenic breeding reproduction biology and dissemination biology and are familiar with practical laboratory skills.
• Identify and respond to scholarly literature in different fields of biotechnological science.
• Develop practical applications, especially in biotechnology.
• Assist students in thinking critically and analytically on a wide range of personal academic scientific and social issues and develop their decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Provide students with opportunities to achieve excellence both within their fields of study and in terms of how they pursue their studies.
This program has been developed in agricultural sciences biosciences biotechnology general microbiology and environmental sciences. Graduates of the master%27s program will be able to work in agricultural research agricultural management or executive positions or consultants and specialists in diverse agricultural and biotechnology fields in Commercial and farming industries biological biology and laboratories or government sectors agricultural and biological research centers and in academic institutions private sector or teaching.
The program will offer a great opportunity to study advanced courses and acquire theoretical as well as practical knowledge of basic biotechnology science:
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Biotechnology
• Biotechnical Approaches
• Biochemistry
• Genetic Manipulated Organism
In addition, they get thorough training in basic laboratory techniques. Graduates of the master%27s program will be able to work a career in different organizations such as:
• Consultants and specialists in various fields of the agricultural and biotechnology industries.
• Researchers and scientists in the agricultural industries food-related laboratories and other agricultural research centers.
• Academic institutions.
• Managers and supervisors in public and private sector organizations related to Biotechnology.