The research on ‘Plant Biotechnology’ at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana started during the year 1977 with the establishment of small tissue culture laboratory in PG building in the erstwhile Department of Plant Breeding. The research was further strengthened with the sanctioning of state funded plan scheme ‘Plant Biotechnology and Tissue Culture Centre’ in the same department during 1986 under which a separate new building was constructed and during October 1989 tissue culture laboratory from PG building was shifted to this new building. During February 1992 an independent ‘Biotechnology Centre’ was established under the direct administrative control of the Vice-Chancellor. But during January, 2000, it was made a ‘Department of Biotechnology’ under the College of Basic Sciences & Humanities. Further during February, 2000 it was merged with the Department of Genetics and was named as Department of Genetics & Biotechnology. Later the building was named as Gurdev S. Khush Laboratories in March 2002. During September 2003, this combined department was further merged with the Department of Plant Breeding and new department was named as Department of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Biotechnology.
During the year 2006, a mega project from Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GOI as a DBT programme support for establishing ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Agricultural Biotechnology. Realizing the tremendous potential of biotechnology in increasing agricultural productivity, improving human and animal health and providing safe and clean environment, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana then established an independent ‘School of Agricultural Biotechnology (SAB)” on April 24, 2008, under the College of Agriculture. A total of 20 competitive R&D projects are operative in the school focusing on major field, vegetable and fruit crops. SAB faculty sequenced and analyzed genome and transcriptome of major field (Wheat, Rice, Maize, Mugbean, Uradbean etc.), fruits & Vegetables (Mango, Guava, Tomato, Potato, Sugarcane, Okra, Bittergourd, muskmelon etc).