MBB HISTORY
The Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) is engaged in teaching, research and consultancy in the fields of Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
Tanzania has recognized the importance of science and technology for fostering social and economic development. The strategic steps taken to achieve this included the establishment of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education in 1990 to meet the demand for human resources. This was followed by the transfer of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology into the Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Technology as a public institution to coordinate and promote the transfer of science and technology. The formation of these government's organs to foster scientific and technological development in Tanzania was followed by the formulation of the "Science and Technology Policy" to charting out plans to enhance the transfer of science and technology.
In implementing this policy the University of Dar es Salaam established AMU in 1987, to perform research and teaching in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology in areas that are relevant to the country needs in agriculture, industries, food production and processing, health, environment protection, biodiversity conservation and renewable energy production. AMU was established as joint initiative of the Departments of Botany and Zoology and Marine Biology. Both departments contributed academic and technical staff, and later other members of staff were recruited to fill the positions set for AMU. The unit and its staff were housed in the Botany Department, and for administrative purpose all the staff and all the Unit activities are administered under Botany Department. The Head of Botany appointed the Unit Coordinator. The Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) was established in September 2005 in order to expand teaching and research to conform to the strategy of promoting marketable academic programs that are science and technology-based as stipulated in the University of Dar es Salaam's Five Year Rolling Strategic Plan of 2002/2-2007/8. MBB is engaged in teaching, research and consultancy in the fields of Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. The establishment of a department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology out of the Applied Microbiology Unit (AMU) in the department of Botany was proposed and discussed at Faculty of Science management level.
The idea was then taken up by Botany Department and its implementation was included in the departmental Five Year Rolling Strategic Plan of 2002/2003-2007/200 Worldwide, biotechnology is a tool of technological development in agriculture, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, environmental management, industrial processes and production, production of pharmaceuticals and disease diagnosis. It is therefore of strategic importance for Tanzania to develop capacity in using and developing modern biotechnological tools relevant to the country developmental needs
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