The basis of the formation of the Department of Biotechnology and Life Safety was the work of Professor Ya.M. Obukhivskyi and associate professor VI Yakovlev in the 70’s on the basis of the Department of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.

In 1985, the Department was headed by associate professor O.P. Kulyk The main scientific direction of the Department was development in the field of biotechnology on the basis of waste processing of the agro-industrial complex. In connection with the expanding subject of scientific research on the issue of environmental protection and increasing attention to environmental issues, the Department was renamed the Department of Occupational Safety and Environment.

In the educational process were included disciplines: “Life Safety”, “Fundamentals of ecology”, “Environmental protection”. The development of research projects and their implementation in the industry of Ukraine, the emergence of numerous biotechnological industries has caused the need for training specialists-biotechnologists. In 1997, the Department of Biotechnology and Life Safety was established on the basis of the Research Institute of Biotechnology and the Department of Occupational Safety and Environment, and trained specialists in the field of “Biotechnology.

Scientific developments of the Department are widely used at the enterprises of coke-chemical industry, food industry, biotechnology and agriculture.

The educational and research complex of the Department has laboratories of microbiology, biology, biochemistry, mycology, vermetechnology, a complex of laboratories of instrumental analysis (liquid phase and gas-liquid chromatography, atomic-adsorption spectrophotometry, etc.), a department of sterilization, autoclaving, rock piles, a museum of cultures.

In 2016, in order to optimize the educational process and use of scientific and pedagogical staff, the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Labor Protection and Life Safety were created on the basis of the existing Department.