The School of Life Sciences at Pondicherry University is advancing the frontiers of biological sciences through excellence in teaching, cutting-edge research, and impactful community engagement. Our interdisciplinary programs span biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology, ecology and environmental sciences, food science and technology, microbiology, and marine biology. With state-of-the-art laboratories and strong industry and research partnerships, the School of Life Sciences nurtures future scientists, researchers, and leaders who are equipped to address the challenges of human health, agriculture, and the environment. Our focus on holistic development ensures that students gain technical expertise and develop critical thinking, ethical values, and a global perspective.

The School of Life Sciences at Pondicherry University has seven departments, including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Food Science and Technology, and Microbiology at the main campus, and Ocean Studies and Marine Biology are located at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  Considering the growing impact of climate change and the requirement for a climate change discipline under the School of Life Sciences, a new Centre for Sustainability and Climate Studies has recently been established under the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The departments offer a 4-year UG program for B.Sc. Hons in Life Science under the framework of NEP2020, 7 Postgraduate programs in Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Ecology and Environmental Science, Food Science and Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Marine Biology, Microbiology, and an MTech program in Computational Biology. Among these, the M.Sc. Biotechnology and MTech Computational Biology are sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, and recently, similar funding was approved by the Ministry of Earth Science for the M.Sc. Marine Biology program. Our Departments have established National and International MoUs for Student Exchange and Research, particularly we have active MoUs with ICRISAT, Wildlife Institute of India, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), National Pintung University of Science &Technology (NPUST), Taiwan, Universite Paris-Est Creteil (UPEC) France, University of Bremen, and University of Pavia, Italy etc.

Faculty members from the Departments of Biotechnology and Microbiology contributed to the first two most highly cited publications in the Vidwan database.  Our faculty has collectively produced over 2600 publications in high-impact journals, accumulating more than 60,000 citations as per the Vidwan database.  Furthermore, according to Stanford University rankings, five of our faculty members have been recognized among the top 2% of scientists globally. Regarding innovation, the School has filed 19 patent applications in the last five years, with three technologies already commercialized by industry partners. Departments such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Microbiology and Biotechnology have together secured FIST funding of approximately ₹7 crores.

I extend my best wishes to all our students, faculty members, and stakeholders for their continued success and contributions.