Predatory bacteria may fight antibiotic resistance In a bid to fight back against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers are now developing germ-eating microbes that will attack all sorts of nasties, including bacterial lung infections, plague and deadly germs that have developed resistance to antibiotics. They studied Bdellovibrio, which bores into bigger bacteria …
Read More »IISER Bhopal develops organic solar cell using vitamin B12 derivative
The synthesised material absorbs light much like porphyrin in natural chlorophyll Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have developed cheaper and more flexible organic solar cells using a synthetic derivative of vitamin B12. An organic solar cell is made up of acceptor and donor …
Read More »JNCASR: Electrochemical sensor detects dopamine, paracetamol
The sensor could detect levels of the analytes in spiked human serum and urine Developing electrochemical sensors to detect dopamine and paracetamol in the body is an active field of research. A team from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, has come up with a nanocomposite material made …
Read More »Fuel from air and water
Why not convert CO2 into solid carbonate rocks? As we have kept on burning more and more of organic fuel, such as coal and crude oil, over the last century across the world, the amount of the oxidation product, carbon dioxide (CO2), in the atmosphere has reached alarming levels, causing …
Read More »Aptamer inhibits TB bacteria entry into cells
Despite being an attractive drug target, designing inhibitors against HupB protein has been largely unsuccessful till now By using a small single-stranded DNA molecule (DNA aptamer) that specifically binds to a single protein (HupB) present in TB bacteria, researchers have been able to achieve 40-55% reduction in the bacteria’s ability …
Read More »Indonesia can best defend the rupiah by staying calm
Indonesia’s best defence of its currency may be a cool head. A dramatic sell-off in emerging markets has pushed the rupiah to its weakest level against the dollar since the 1998 Asian crisis. Policy-makers appear rattled, but measured approaches are available.Jakarta is better placed to defend the rupiah than it …
Read More »Lehman Weekend: the biggest bankruptcy in American history
The collapse of the financial institution took the world by surprise leaving well over $600 billion in debt as well as 25,000 employees in shock It was “Lehman Weekend.” The moment in September 2008 when the 150-year-old investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, precipitating the worst global economic crisis since the …
Read More »is outbreak of fever a worry in Kerala?
What happened? Public health officials had warned of the likelihood of outbreak of infectious diseases in the aftermath of the Kerala floods, and the State is battling a disease called leptospirosis, commonly known as ‘rat fever.’ Officials have confirmed 143 cases, with six deaths in the first four days of …
Read More »Tilonia’s ‘solar mamas’ are glowing
Diplomats praise new skills ofrural women A group of 45 women from 10 countries, ‘solar mamas’ who learnt the skills needed for the fabrication of solar panels, lights and photovoltaic circuits in a six-month-long training programme, were felicitated at a ‘graduation ceremony’ at the Barefoot College here on Saturday. Diplomats …
Read More »DD Free Dish to get a second wind
Ministry, board to break impasse Seven months after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the state broadcaster Prasar Bharati locked horns over DD Free Dish, there is hope that the Ministry and the board will soon reach a solution. DD Free Dish reaches 2.4 crore households, which get 80 TV …
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