The passing of scientific threads

India lost two eminent scientists last fortnight. While Yash Pal was a scientific communicator par excellence, P M Bhargava laid the foundation …

Chemistry Nobel for discovery of receptors that help cells respond

American scientists Robert J Lefkowitz and Brian K Kobilka get recognition

Science & Technology - Bytes

Increasing green cover could trigger the release of carbon trapped in soil

Happily never after

Caste bar on marriages fuelling genetic disorders in India

Masters of survival

Greet the oldest living being on its 250 millionth birthday

Offshore windfarms could offer new habitats for lobsters – new research

Increasing scour rocks might help to increase ecological value and maximise fishing opportunities within these sites

Chemical protectors

Flowers' chemical compounds shield the plants from herbivorous insects

Cuckoo gets an image makeover

Study spread over 16 years shows cuckoos may be helping crows survive better

David Attenborough solicits people’s support to save African elephants, rhinos from extinction

Wildlife broadcaster says poaching will wipe out the animals completely within the next decade

Noise pollution a life threat to eels

Eels exposed to noise from ships were too slow or did not respond to predators, finds study

Ancient GPS? Older, evolutionarily unchanged part of the brain guides lost fish back home

This part of the brain might perform a similar function in other vertebrates, including humans

Gut microbes can cause severe malnutrition

Study on Malawian children suffering from kwashiorkor establishes the link

Extreme weather: Understanding birds’ response can help conservation efforts

All birds respond differently to different extreme weather events; long- and short-distance migration bird species are impacted differently …

Natural source of fire retarding chemical identified

Presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used in insulation among other things, in the environment was till now attributed to human activity

Genetic mapping of cancer cells raises hope of improved treatment

Researchers say better understanding of how cancers start and evolve can help improve efficiency of targeted treatment of cancers

Human cell ‘membrane on a chip’ can fast track COVID-19 drug testing

The research aims to know how SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks human cell membranes and how it can be blocked

Blocking science

When will Indian scientists unbolt?

Are Indian scientists really too busy to answer emails and phone calls? wonders Dinsa Sachan

One test to detect different types of cancers

Test distinguishes between healthy patients and those with cancer, based on the damage done to the DNA present in their white blood cells

Indefinite moratorium on GM field trials recommended

Supreme Court’s expert panel of scientists for ban on herbicide tolerant crops for India

Indefinite ban on GM field trials recommended

Supreme Court’s expert panel of scientists also against herbicide-tolerant crops for India  

Indian researchers decode function of non-coding part of human genome

Simple sequence repeats punctuate genome; discovery will help improve gene therapy

The many ways of GM contamination

Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in the food and environment programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), is among the most …

Elsevier retracts study on rats fed GM food

Two-year animal feeding study showed that rats fed Monsanto's genetically modified maize NK603 or water containing roundup died much earlier

Science and Technology - Briefs