Overview

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (IIAB), Ranchi, established under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is a national institute for agricultural biotechnology, which envisages harnessing the immense potential of the advanced technologies in all aspects of agricultural biotechnology for enhancing the agricultural productivity and growth of the country. The chief mandate of the institute is basic and strategic research in agricultural biotechnology and imparting excellence in academics through improving the quality human resource. The institute works at the interface of plant, animal, fish and microbial biotechnology while integrating high-quality basic and applied research as well as conducts teaching and training programmes at master, doctoral and post doctoral levels in all these frontier areas of agricultural biotechnology to form the mission of the institute. ICAR-IIAB aims to enhance agricultural development of the country at a revolutionary pace, through application of modern scientific tools and techniques for cutting-edge research in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

ICAR-IIAB conducts need-based research and can make paradigm shifts in its research agenda to address the pertinent constraints in the field of agriculture and to primarily focus on achieving self-sufficiency in food production with enhanced income for a self-reliant farming community. The research programmes of the institute encompass marker-assisted selection (MAS), identification of novel genes/alleles and promoters or cis-regulatory regions of genes from the vast and diverse biological resources in the country and to genetically engineer crops with novel traits for tolerance or resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, enhanced productivity and nutrient-use efficiency.

Development of molecular diagnostics for identification of diseases in plants, animals and fish and prophylactic measures for their management as well as generation, management and analysis of biological resources such as high throughput genomic/sequence data of biological organisms also are areas of research activities of the institute. Nanotechnology and its immense potential to develop detection systems for pests, and for nano-delivery of pesticides, vaccines, nutrients or hormones and genes, shall be explored. The institute shall also provide technical support and service in terms of tools, techniques and protocols in biotechnology, sequencing, bioinformatics, database management, safety studies, products and knowledge, thereby serving as a biotech hub under the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES). The institute has shifted to its new sprawling campus located at Garhkhatanga, on Ranchi Ring Road during 2021.

MANDATE

1) Basic and strategic research in agricultural biotechnology
2) Development of quality human resources for academic excellence in agricultural biotechnology and policy support