The University of Calicut, while submitting the developmental proposal to the UGC, put a proposal to establish a new department of Life Sciences to teach Physiology, Biochemistry and Microbiology in an integrated manner during the fifth plan period. The UGC review committee strongly recommended for the same and consequently this department came into being, towards the fag end of the fifth plan period in February 1978. The department was started with three Readers, one each in Physiology, Biochemistry and Microbiology and has grown into eight in terms of staff strength. Initially M.Sc. Courses in Microbiology and Physiology were offered. Msc in Life Sciences was run for a few years and, on recognizing the significance, specialisation in Physiology,Biochemistry and Microbiology were introduced subsequently. At present, along with the three M.Sc. Courses, Mphil is also offered in these subjects. Students getting M.Sc. Degree in these areas from this Department have been finding employment and research placements in academic/professional institutions such as Medical colleges, apex institutes such as the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences,Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences as well as Pharmaceutical industries. Also considerable number of our students had obtained admission to M.Tech. through entrance examination, after their MSc. Many students of this department have attained their Ph.D degrees from reputed Universities and Research Institutes within the country and abroad. At a time, 6 of them had been working in various Institutes of Germany in subjects like Neurophysiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and all are engaged now in Post-doctoral research work in thoseInstitutes.

This department was instituted by the special direction of the University Grants Commission  for  integrating,  learning  and  research  in  the advanced areas of Life sciences.

Thrust Areas

Biochemistry, Mocrobiology and Human Physiology.