Science 
Pure science with potential applications
Scientists Cotton on: Reducing noise inside vehicles
A R Mohanti and Sneha Singh from IIT Kharagpur gives tips on reducing the aerodynamic noise of the air-conditioning units in vehicles.
Water and hydrogen sulphide: Similarities in bonding
Oxygen and sulphur are found in the same column in the periodic table. But when they bond with hydrogen to form water or hydrogen sulphide, they seemed to have different properties. Now E Arunan from IISc explains why
Particulate Matter Matters: How five cities breathe
Atmospheric pollution by particulate matter of 2.5 microns higher in North Indian cities, say researchers. Out of five metros Delhi has the most suffocating air.
Arrest that Biofilm! Starring the Spider Lily
The beach spider lily, Hymenocallis littoralis, has medicinal benefits. It has anti-viral properties and is useful in tumour or cancer cases. It also inhibits biofilm formation – important in overcoming pathogens. Biofilms make cells impermeable to antimicrobials and can cause antibiotic resistance. However, we lack studies on the active compounds that inhibit biofilm formation. Last… Read More ›
Targeting Malaria: Nutrient nanoparticles carry the drug
Out of the four species of malarial parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, is most deadly. Nearly one million people die, every year, from P. falciparum infections. When the parasite enters red blood cells, it ingests their haemoglobin and deposits it in a digestive vacuole. Here, hemoglobin is broken down to heme and peptides. While peptides are useful to… Read More ›
Mapping Kerala’s mangoes: MangoDB
If you plant a seed from a tasty mango, it does not necessarily give you a tree that produces tasty fruits. That is because of extensive cross pollination in mango. This cross pollination itself is the basis of large genetic variability of mango seen in India. Interestingly, our country is the centre of origin as… Read More ›