May 18, 2026---Dr. Muhammad Tariq, Professor at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, LUMS, along with Dr. Amir Faisal, Associate Professor at SBASSE-LUMS, visited the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, for discussions on research and industrial collaboration opportunities.

Prof. Moazur Rahman, Director CEMB, warmly welcomed the visiting scientists and introduced them to CEMB faculty members and their ongoing research projects. During the visit, Dr. Muhammad Tariq (PI) and Dr. Amir Faisal (Co-PI) presented their startup company, Biotech Innovation Gateway (BIG), established under a Technology Development Fund (TDF) project. The company specializes in the development and production of high-quality polyclonal antibodies for research applications.

The visiting team shared that BIG has successfully produced around twenty highly characterized antibodies. Their Tubulin and GAPDH antibodies against housekeeping genes have been fully validated through western blotting and immunostaining and are now ready for commercial use. Other antibodies are currently in the characterization stage. The team highlighted that the antibodies exhibit very high titers and can be effectively used at dilutions up to 1:5000, making them highly cost-effective for research laboratories.

The visit also included detailed discussions on potential collaborative avenues between CEMB and BIG in the areas of biotechnology product development, diagnostics, and research support services. The delegation further toured the Agriculture biotech labs, Virology, Forensic research, Genetics and Genomics labs, Stem Cell Facility and Biopharma Facility at CEMB, where ongoing translational and industrial biotechnology initiatives were showcased.