Alzheimer's affects a large section of our aged population. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, shed some light on how the disease can be identified in its early stages. 

Termites are known to be efficient farmers who farm a kind of fungus in their colonies to digest the wood that they feed. Scientists from the Indian institute of Science, Bangalore and École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, Montpellier, France, explore whether the termites prefer a certain species of fungus and if they can identify weed fungi and remove them.

Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Biotechnology, India and Professor Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge,  along with other researchers from the University of Cambridge and from various Indian research institutions met today in New Delhi to formalise the launch of TIGR2ESS – an acronym for “Transforming India’s Green Revolution by Research and Empowerment for Sustainable food Supplies”.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Earth Sciences, Govt. of India visited the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) at Hosakote. He was welcomed by Prof. P Sreekumar, Director of IIA and Prof. G C Anupama, Dean and Professor-in-charge of CREST and others at CREST.

Scientists from the Central University of Gujarat (CUG), Gandhinagar, use computers to design the most efficient drug against TB. They apply pharmacophore modelling approach to understand the interactions between proteins found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and the compounds which can suppress the bacteria. 

Scientists from Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, uncover the mechanism behind how plants tolerate and grow in soils with high salt content. The study also explore the role of the bacteria Enterobacter cloacae, which is a known plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in a rare study combining biology and paleontology show how different climatic factors over evolutionary time have affected the evolution of fan throated lizards.

The whole world is struggling with the problem of antibiotic resistance developed by disease causing organisms. The epidemic of Tuberculosis especially plagues countries like India. In their recent research scientists from the Central University, Punjab have identified a new target drug to beat the bacteria’s defense against antibiotics.

In an interdepartmental collaborative study, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, study live cells under the microscope. Using a novel experimental setup to stretch cells, the scientists are able to observe cellular phenomenon like mechanotransduction.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati have developed a genetically modified variety of cowpea resistant to Mungbean Yellow Mosaic India Virus. Since the legume grain is one of the major sources of protein for a section of the country’s population, this discovery is important to ensure that the yield of the crops is not affected.