CloneGen Biotechnology, an Ann Arbor, USA based company founded in 2001 by Dr Ajit Srivastava, focuses on marketing molecular biology-related products, antibodies,Liquid handling products, Molecular Biology Instruments, Chemicals & reagents and providing services to academia and industries. CloneGen Biotechnology also organizes workshops and short courses in biotechnology, molecular biology, and bio-informatics worldwide.

In order to expand the business, CloneGen Biotechnology opened its subsidiary in Noida, India to market molecular biology-related products and to initiate advance training in biotechnology and molecular biology.

In view of increasing demands for trained research associates and scientists in India as a result of economic liberalization and investments from foreign pharmaceutical industries, CloneGen Biotech has developed a proprietary 4 months rigorous high content course for those with B. Tech Biotech, M.Sc.,M.Tech, M.Phill and Ph.D in life sciences. This course, started in India in 2005, has been developed by experts in the US who have been in research and teaching for more than 2 decades. The course comprises 22 lectures and one to three months of lab project covering advanced techniques in molecular biology, and is designed for those with basic knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology. Since the inception of this course, it has immensely helped trainees gain knowledge and obtain hands-on lab experience to enable them obtain research scientist position in reputed pharmaceutical companies. Because of the rapid advancements in science, this course is updated every year and hand-outs in the form of two books are revised at least twice a year, so that the trainees obtain up-to-date knowledge and experience. Instead of teaching materials from books like traditional Universities do, this training course is based on the materials from research papers and research data from the laboratories of the course developers. Many of the topics covered are not taught in the Universities. The main objective of the course is to develop critical thinking, design experiments, interpret research data, develop presentation skills, and gain hands-on experience on advanced methods in biotechnology and molecular biology in the form of a research project. Feed-back from the trainees has been so encouraging that CloneGen Biotechnology is gearing towards launching a formal Institute of Biotechnology in India to provide state-of-the art education and research training leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in collaboration with Universities in India, and to enhance industry-academia collaboration for applied research. This will result in producing World-class leaders in research and development and help retain the best talent in India.

A large number of colleges in India provide M.Sc. Biotechnology education, but many of them are not well equipped for adequate lab training to students. For students from such colleges/universities, CloneGen Biotechnology has developed several one month to three months projects for hands-on training to fulfill the requirements for their MS (Biotechnology/Molecular Biology/Microbiology/Biochemistry) & B.Tech (Biotechnology) degree, and at the same time train them in advanced lab techniques in biology.

 

Ajit Srivastava, Ph.D., FAHA, MBA: CloneGen Biotechnology was founded by Ajit Srivastava, a former Director at Esperion Therapeutics Inc. Ann Arbor, USA. Dr. Srivastava has 33 years of research experience in the area of industrial enzymes, molecular biology, recombinant protein production, and for the past 18 years in the field of molecular biology of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis that includes transgenesis and knockout technology. After serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Washington University. Dr. Srivastava joined Esperion Therapeutics Inc. to lead the drug discovery efforts for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. At Esperion, he served as the Director of Pharmacology. He also worked as Head of the In vivo Pharmacology to lead preclinical studies in the area of metabolic disorders at Tularik Inc (now Amgen), as head of the in vivo group in the Dept of Atherosclerosis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, USA and as Executive Vice President and Head of the Pharmacology Department, Piramal Life Sciences, Mumbai, since April 2008. Dr Srivastava has published more than 70 research paper in the peer-reviewed international journals, several invited book chapters, and has given many invited talks world-wide. He has been involved in the discovery and development of several NCEs for the treatment of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Srivastava also serves as an adjunct Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Visiting Professor at the University of Palermo, Italy, and an editorial board member on international journals. A complete resume of Dr. Srivastava can be found by Clicking Here.

Salman Azhar, Ph.D. - Dr. Azhar has about three decades of research experience in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology, and is an expert in antibody production and characterization. He is currently Director of lipid biology program at the Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.

Avinash Kumar. B.Sc, MBA - Mr. Avinash Kumar is responsible for project management, human resources and business development.