ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will provide financial assistance worth Rs4 million to Bahauddin Zakria University (BZU) to conduct two research projects.

The projects 'synthesis of metal-based sulphonamide derived novel antibacterial, antifungal and anti-viral compounds' and 'some studies to improve meat and milk production of sheep in and around Multan by gonadotropin supplementation' would be conducted under the supervision of Dr Zahid Hussain Chohan, Department of Chemistry and Dr Tasawar Hussain Khan, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology of the BZU.

The full amount for both the studies to be conducted at the BZU would be provided by the HEC which was over and above financial assistance for the university other than its budget allocations.

The main objectives of the studies are to include the development and design of new products with the potentials of their use as biologically active compounds which has recently become a burgeoning topic within the biological sciences and chemistry in particular.

The first project is aimed to synthesize various novel sulphonamide-derived compounds and their transition metal complexes such as cobalt, copper, nickel and zinc and to bring more insight into the metallo-organic chemistry and biological activity of these newly synthesized compounds.

The second research project aims at studying the oestrus cycle in sheep and determining the embryonic loses as well as demonstrating the effects of chorulon on ovarian functions.