Achievements
Certificate of Merit Awarded to Hasmeet Kaur for Excellence in Ph.D. Coursework
Ms. Hasmeet Kaur, Research Scholar at the Department of Biotechnology, SET, MRIIRS, was awarded a Certificate of Merit for her exemplary performance in the subject Research and Publication Ethics during the Ph.D. Course Work Examination held in May 2024. The recognition was conferred on March 8, 2025, highlighting her strong academic commitment and understanding of ethical research practices, a critical foundation for responsible scientific inquiry.
First Prize at TRIBS 2.0 Conference
Ms. Hasmeet Kaur, Research Assistant, MBRC participated in the 2nd International Comference on Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences (TRIBS 2.0) held from February 19–21, 2025, at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. Organized by the Centre for Drug Discovery and Development in collaboration with the University of Westminster, UK, the conference brought together experts from academia and industry. Hasmeet’s participation was marked by notable achievement, winning First Prize in the poster presentation competition. She also took part in the pre-conference workshop on CRISPR Gene Editing, gaining valuable hands-on experience. The event provided a rich platform for learning, networking, and exploring current trends in biotechnology and healthcare innovation.
Second Prize at ICECSSD-24 for Innovation in Synthetic Biology
Dr. Kapila Kumar and Smriti Prajapati participated in the International Conference on Environmental, Chemical, and Synthetic Biology towards Sustainable Development Goals 2024 (ICECSSD-24) held at Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, from November 21–23, 2024. The event featured expert talks on synthetic biology, including genetic circuits and metabolic engineering. They presented a poster on Biological engineering of E.coli for detection of nitrosamines, earning second position in the competition. The final day included a hands-on workshop on designing guide RNAs for CRISPR-Cas13a, offering valuable practical insights.
Team Abhyuday Recognized for Innovative Project on Mitigating HABs at Climate Hunt Hackathon.
Team Abhyuday, consisting of four students and one professor, participated in the Climate Hunt Hackathon, organized by Semantic Climate in collaboration with MRIIRS. During the event, the team focused on collecting data on mitigating Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) using the IPCC database. Their project received high praise from the panel for its innovative approach and well-researched solution. As a result, Team Abhyuday was given the opportunity to publish their findings from the hackathon, contributing valuable insights to the field of climate action and sustainability.
Manav Rachna team “Li-Koff” wins Second Prize at SUSTAINATHON 2023 organised by GLOBAL PEACE FOUNDATION and hosted by Manav Rachna University.
Attending the Sustainathon competition organized by the Global Peace Foundation and hosted by Manav Rachna University was an inspiring experience. The event brought together students, professionals, and experts from various fields to brainstorm and develop innovative solutions to address sustainability challenges. 50 teams across the India participated in Sustainathon, 2023. The participants had the opportunity to learn from each other, network, and collaborate on projects that have a positive impact on the environment and society. The competition was so tough that it was a tie for 1st and 2nd positions. We, team “Li-Koff” won the 2nd prize with the prize money of INR 15,000. Iit was a great learning experience that enriched our knowledge and perspective on sustainability.
Project ‘Li-Koff’ by Biotechnology students won First Prize at Anveshan 2021-2022
The team of two students- Somya Sharma, B.Tech Biotechnology (Sem IV) and Abhilansh Pandey, B.Tech Biotechnology (Sem VIII) participated in the National Student Research Convention “Anveshan” organized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) in association with the Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET) University in Chennai recently.
Manav Rachna team displayed their project “Li-Koff- A cost-effective method to detect Nitrosamines. The team was awarded First Prize in Basic Sciences Category in the valedictory function of Anveshan 2022. The team has been awarded a cash prize of 50,000 Rs along with a Trophy and Certificates. The award was bestowed by the President, AIU and VC, AMET University, Dr. Thiruvasagran in the esteemed presence of Joint Director (Research), Dr. Amarendra Pani and Dr. Velraj, VC Anna University along with other distinguished guests.
The team earned this award under the mentorship of Dr. Kapila Kumar, Associate Professor Biotechnology Department and Director, Molecular Biosciences Research Cluster.
Manav Rachna team wins Bronze at INTERNATIONAL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MACHINES 2020 organised by MIT, Boston, USA.
A team of twelve students (10 from Dept of Biotechnology, FET, MRIIRS & 2 from the Dept of Computer Science & Engineering) under the mentorship of Dr. Kapila Kumar, Associate Prof., Department of Biotechnology, FET represented Manav Rachna at one of the biggest international competitions in Synthetic Biology- iGEM (INTERNATIONAL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MACHINES) 2020 organised by MIT, Boston, USA. Their project Li-Koff that detects nitrogen-based pollutants using genetically engineered bacteria was selected by the DBT, Govt. of India through a rigorous selection process across the sub-continent. The team won iBEC (INDIAN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING COMPETITION) and was, therefore, fully sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India for representing India at the International platform iGEM). The team is being led by Dr Kapila Kumar as the Principal Investigator. After all the hard work, the team secured a Bronze medal in the competition. The work, idea and proposed implementation by the team have been well appreciated by many scientists. The team story has been covered by The Better India, The Hans (publishing Media) & Radio Manav Rachna earlier.