The Chemistry department of the Anna University, Chennai has recently remodeled its M.Sc. Applied Chemistry two-year postgraduate course by introducing computational chemistry as a core subject to equip the students cope with the demands of the modern day pharma industry.

In a communication with Pharmabiz, Dr.Banumathi Arabindoo, Professor and Head, Department of Chemistry, said computational chemistry would help the students learn the intricacies of molecular modeling, molecular recognition etc.

The curriculum and syllabi of the course, started since 1975, were revised every four years taking into account the need of industries like pharmaceutical, fine chemicals and other related industries. The course is a blend of theory and practical with a project work in the fourth semester. Over the period, some of the obsolete subjects in theory and practicals were deleted, and subjects like analytical chemistry, molecular spectroscopy and modern topics in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry are introduced. The students were also given exposure and hands on training with analytical equipments like UV-Vis spectrophotometer, IR, GC, HPLC, AAS etc.

The institution was looking forward to pharmaceutical firms for campus recruitment, informed Dr.Banumathi Arabindoo.