Media Release

Mangaluru, May 19: Adding yet another feather in the cap of St Aloysius College (Autonomous) in its research credentials, the college has been sanctioned DBT- BUILDER (Level-1), Ministry of Science & Technology Government of India.

A sum of Rs 2.39 crore was sanctioned under the BUILDER Scheme (Boost to University Interdisciplinary Life Science Departments for Education and Research) Programme (Level-1) by the department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology Government of India.

The grant is intended to invigorate the interdisciplinary modern Bioscience research through the up-gradation of the postgraduate teaching and training laboratories; evolving a comprehensive curriculum without gaps and overlaps; and enhancement of the hands-on practical training to students so that they develop expertise in the field of Life Sciences.

St Aloysius College (Autonomous) intends to carry out Bioprospecting of marine macroalgae for value-added products from Dakshina Kannada and the Udupi coast.

The main objective of the project is to survey, isolate and identify marine macroalgae for their cultivability and potential uses. In-vitro and in-vivo toxicity studies of the algae will be carried out to assess their usability in the food industry. Biochemical profiling of the algae will be conducted to aid in the development of value-added products. The outcome of the research would provide alternate sources of income to the fishermen community in addition to an increased public demand for macroalgae-based products.

The postgraduate departments of Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Food Science & Technology will collaborate with the Physical Sciences as well as Humanities for the execution of the project.

The management and principal have commended Dr Asha Abraham, associate professor of the department of Biotechnology (PG), the project coordinator for submitting the proposal on behalf of the research team and presenting it before the task force. The research work is expected to be carried out in an interdisciplinary manner with three research groups:

• Research group 1, headed by Shashikiran Nivas (research coordinator, LAB) will carry out the Bioprospecting and culture of macroalgae from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi coast 
• Research group 2, led by Dr Lyned Dafny Lasrado (HoD, Biochemistry, PG) will carry out the Biochemical profiling and evaluation of in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity and immunological capacity of selected macroalgae
• Research group 3, headed by Dr S N Raghavendra (HoD, Food Science & Technology, PG) will carry out Product Development & Technology Transfer

The management and the principal have congratulated all the research group heads for their meticulous work and expressed their deep sense of gratitude to Professor Cletus D’Souza, the External Advisor and Fr Dr Leo D’Souza, SJ, the internal advisor for their valuable guidance.

Taking note of the excellent research promotion activities of the college, DBT, the Government of India selected the college under its STAR College Scheme in 2011 recognizing some select departments in Sciences and the college has been upgraded to STAR STATUS in 2016. The college has been able to receive a grant to the tune of Rs 1.75 crore under the scheme.

From 2020, the college has been recognized as the Centre for Research Capacity Building by being a recipient of the newly constituted UGC-STRIDE, Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy, Component 1. A sum of Rs 84 lac has been sanctioned under the UGC Scheme.

The recent announcement regarding the selection of the college under DBT-BUILDER (Level-1) has come as the icing on the cake to the consistently upgrading research credentials of the college. This distinction happens to be one of the rarest of accolades the institution has received in the recent past.