New research shows that ‘microbes stranded in the International Space Station (ISS) have different genes from the equivalent bacteria on earth. While there have been many concerns about these microbes forming a new generation of ‘superbugs’, it now appears that the differences are making the bacteria more able to withstand …

Last year, the World Health Organisation said approximately 1.5 billion people globally were at risk of contracting soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections — or roundworms. That is, 270 million pre-school children and 600 million children of school-age live in areas where these parasites are intensively transmitted. India accounts for a quarter …

A study based in the U.S. looks at what the heart tells us Many middle-aged marathon runners and other endurance athletes are familiar with concerns from their loved ones — and occasionally their physicians — that they might be exercising too much and straining or harming their hearts. For all …

India’s power woes have shifted from generation to distribution What happens if you don’t pay your electricity bill? The power company cuts you off (unless you happen to be a politician, slumlord or goon), right? Now what happens if you happen to be the power company, and haven’t been paying …

Around the world with a bagful of books Ruskin Bond never tires of describing Landour, a little settlement high in the hills above Mussoorie in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal where he’s made his home for many decades; and his readers never fail to find something new in his descriptions as they fill …

Among the gimmicky installations and concept artworks at the India Art Fair, some pictures take you towards your north pole Every year, Delhi’s art season throws up all sorts of odd things. Nowadays there are art events in the NCR all across the year but the so-called season is in …

As the sins of the creator are foisted upon their work, writers craft a public persona superior to their own artistic creations A few days ago, I translated a verse by a mighty Indian poet — a sprawling banyan tree of literary consciousness — from his mother tongue to English. …

Medical leaders and associations must take the lead in issuing effective and clear messages countering fake information Along with the Hippocratic oath, the MBBS curriculum has a mantra: bar God, all must provide data. A good physician treats patients based on scientific principles derived from solid evidence. The physician’s personal …

Hydrothermarchaeota, or microbes living in extreme environments may hold clues to the evolution of early life. These microbes use carbon monoxide and sulfate as sources of energy – chemosynthesis. Published inThe ISME Journal, the study used genomic approaches to unravel the secrets of its survival. It may help predict about …

The abundance of 86 proteins were altered It is well known that TB bacteria can actively manipulate the degradative pathway of macrophages (cells responsible for detecting, engulfing and destroying pathogens) such that instead of getting destroyed, the TB bacteria can actually multiply inside the macrophages. Now, researches at the Institute …

By studying the faecal samples of over 100 healthy people from Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have decoded the Indian gut microbiome and have created a gene catalogue. Constructed using multiple omics approaches such as genomics and proteomics, the …

Ethmostigmus centipedes dispersed across peninsular India to form new species Fossils and advanced genetic methods to study relationships between species now tell an intriguing story about a group of tropical centipedes. Continental drift (the moving apart of continents) almost 100 million years ago created many species of Ethmostigmus centipedes in …

13 drug targets for treating retinoblastoma have been identified Based on computational modelling, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have identified the biochemical pathways that eye cancer (retinoblastoma) preferentially chooses for growth and survival. The pathways chosen are very different from the ones that normal, healthy cells …

The majestic table of elements that hangs on the walls of chemistry classrooms across the world has turned 150 years old in 2019. The ‘Periodic Table of Elements’, or simply, ‘The Table’ for many, was written by Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev on 17th February 1869. Looking back, the Table opens a …

Sunderland, a city near the prosperous northern English city of Newcastle, had for many years been the place that won the race to first declare general election results, though its results rarely surprised, it being a firm Labour stronghold. However, when it came to the June 2016 referendum, the city …

States in the U.S. have the practice of emblazoning their vehicle license plates with their mottos. New York plates have ‘Empire State’ on them, California’s have ‘Golden State’ on them and New Jersey’s, ‘Garden State’. And then there is the rather incongruous ‘Taxation without Representation’ license plate from Washington DC. …

It takes around three hours to fly from Tokyo to Naha, the southern tip of Okinawa island in the East China Sea. Naha’s subtropical charm can be mesmerising. At the airport, the sight of giant-sized phalaenopsis orchid — in shades ranging from deep pink to crispy white — are a …

Earlier this month, the Taliban met with a group of Afghan politicians in Moscow. While the government was not included in the talks, prominent Afghan leaders like ex-President Hamid Karzai, former National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar, Deputy-Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Opposition leader Atta Mohammad Noor were among those present. …

King had expressed displeasure at his sister’s bid to contest general election Thai Princess Ubolratana’s unprecedented attempt to become the country’s next Prime Minister was abruptly nixed on Saturday after her party agreed to comply with a command from the King opposing the plan. The party’s announcement, effectively blocking Ubolratana’s …

Varadkar says U.K.’s future ties with EU could be discussed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday that he was open to discussing how to save Britain’s exit deal with the EU ahead of talks with Theresa May, but repeated that the text itself could not be reopened. He …