The Government College University, Lahore has appointed eminent biotechnologist Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nauman Aftab as the new director of its Institute of Industrial Biotechnology.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi said: Our Biotech Institute is a premier centre of teaching and research in Pakistan. Each year, we receive applications of a large number of students who aspire to get admissions to the Institute. It has started showing its popularity to international students as well. Currently, the focus of our Institute's research is to improve the efficiency, productivity and cost-effectiveness of the processes related to industrial and agriculture biotechnology. We are also working on new alternatives to scarce natural import substituting resources. I strongly feel that this Institute can become our nation's lifeline. Considering its significance, the Institute requires a committed, honest and highly competent leadership to meet the emerging challenges.

The new Director, Prof. Aftab, has a dual PhD. He earned one PhD in Bioinformatics from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His second PhD is in Biotechnology. He also did a post-doctorate in Biotechnology/Cancer Biology from the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, Florida. Prof Aftab has more than 60 academic publications to his credit and is proficient in Chinese and Russain languages.

Prof Aftab said: "I am taking the charge of Director with a highly ambitious plan. I want this Institute to train immensely competent experts who will be instrumental in developing in-house technologies for the global biotechnology market, worth more than $752.88 billion at the moment. It requires a major expansion in our infrastructure and academic programmes. In the first phase, we will establish new laboratories and increase the number of classrooms. We also intend to launch an MPhil programme in morning for full-time scholars."