In a pathbreaking research on anencephaly, a fatal birth defect where a baby is born without a major part of the brain and the skull, researchers from IISc and BMCRI have identified a genetic mutation that is responsible behind this condition. Technically called Tripartite Motif Containing 36 (TRIM36), this gene is responsible for the development of the nerve cells in a foetus. A modification to this, the scientists say, is to be blamed for anencephaly.
Coastal erosion and the proliferation of seawalls, exacerbated by climate change and human activity, are rapidly eliminating critical nesting habitats for sea turtles along the Karnataka coast.