LA HORE: Eminent chemist Prof Dr Muhammad Akhyar Farrukh will be the director of a nanochemistry laboratory established at the Government College University (GCU).

An announcement to this effect was made by GCU Vice Chancellor Khaleequr Rahman at a ceremony on Wednesday.

The new laboratory has been established to advance research in the fields of solar cells, nanocatalysis, nanofiltration, nanoforensics, nanodrugs, nanofertilizers and wastewater treatment.

Prof Rahman said a plan was under way to initiate new postgraduate programmes in nanochemistry for which this new laboratory was necessary.

The GCU had won Rs10m high tech equipment for thenew laboratory under three highly crucial international projects on nanotechnology by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Science Foundation and TWAS, The World Academy of Sciences. The university has also spent a large amount of funds on equipment and establishment of the laboratory, said Prof Rahman.

He said that the university had also published 34 papers in reputed journals on nanotechnology besides four booksin thelastthree years, adding that the GCU faculty would continue their work for new inventions.

Prof Farrukh said the vice chancellor, being an international expert on nanotechnology having scores of research papers in international journals to his credit, had shown great trust in him. Staff Reporter