Synthetic Antibody Neutralises Deadly Snakebite Toxin
01 Mar 2024 under Focus
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute and the Evolutionary Venomics Lab (EVL) at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a synthetic human antibody that can neutralise a potent neurotoxin produced by the Elapidae family of highly toxic snakes, which includes the cobra, king cobra, krait and black mamba. […]
The “Eyes” Have it: Demystifying Gaze and Attention
01 Mar 2024 under Focus
Two new studies from the Centre for Neuroscience (CNS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) explore how closely attention and eye movements are linked, and unveil how the brain coordinates the two processes. Attention is a unique phenomenon that allows us to focus on a specific object in our visual world, and ignore distractions. When we […]
Cracking the Structure of a Crucial Neural Transport Protein
13 Jul 2023 under Highlights
Using Cryo-EM, a powerful microscopy technique, researchers at IISc and collaborators have decoded the molecular architecture of a transporter protein controlling the movement of a key neurotransmitter. Neurons or nerve cells communicate by releasing chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Each neurotransmitter can activate specific sets of proteins called receptors that in turn either excite or inhibit […]
Computational analysis shows how dengue virus evolved in India
08 Jun 2023 under Focus
A multi-institutional study on dengue led by researchers at IISc shows how the virus causing the disease has evolved dramatically over the last few decades in the Indian subcontinent. Cases of dengue – a mosquito-borne viral disease – have steadily increased in the last 50 years, predominantly in the South East Asian counties. And yet, there are […]
Neuromorphic Camera and Machine Learning aid Nanoscopic Imaging
21 Feb 2023 under Focus
In a new study, researchers at IISc show how a brain-inspired image sensor can go beyond the diffraction limit of light to detect miniscule objects such as cellular components or nanoparticles invisible to current microscopes. Their novel technique, which combines optical microscopy with a neuromorphic camera and machine learning algorithms, presents a major step forward […]
Record-breaking Radio Signal Detected from Distant Galaxy
16 Jan 2023 under Focus
Astronomers from McGill University in Canada and IISc have used data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune to detect a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an extremely distant galaxy. The astronomical distance over which such a signal has been picked up is the largest so far by a large margin. […]
Kernel Issue 6, 2022
29 Dec 2022 under Newsletter
Plasma‐activated-water to Combat Multidrug‐resistant Pathogens
29 Dec 2022 under Highlights
Researchers from IISc have demonstrated the generation of plasma-activated water containing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species such as H2O2, NO2−, and NO3− in high strengths (hs-PAW). This hs-PAW was found to be capable of inactivating even hypervirulent multidrug resistant pathogens. The study, led by Lakshminarayana N Rao and Dipshikha Chakravortty, also shows that plasma-activated water […]
Protein synthesis in cells without a nucleus
29 Dec 2022 under Highlights
Translation, or protein synthesis, is the final step in the central dogma of molecular biology, where an mRNA carrying information from DNA synthesises proteins. It is an indispensable process that is performed by almost all living cells. An exception where translation was believed to be absent is red blood cells (RBCs). Now, a team led […]
Enhanced water evaporation from nanoporous graphene
29 Dec 2022 under Highlights
With growing global water stress, there is a pressing need to develop potable water technologies with a lower carbon footprint. Enhancing the kinetics of liquid–vapour transition from nanoscale confinements is an attractive strategy for developing evaporation and separation applications. The ultimate confinement limit for evaporation is an atom-thick interface hosting Angstrom-scale nanopores. Researchers led by […]
In the Wake of a Cylinder at Mach 6
29 Dec 2022 under Highlights
Air gusts or currents in the wake of a fast-moving object like a car or truck is a common phenomenon that many among us have experienced. In such ‘wake flows’, air typically moves around in an unsteady and whirling manner. This motion of air presents very interesting patterns in space, with a certain associated periodicity […]
Kernel Issue 5, 2022
11 Oct 2022 under Newsletter
Kernel Issue 4, 2022
12 Aug 2022 under Newsletter
Compact Nanopositioning Stages with Large Range and Multiple Degrees of Freedom
12 Aug 2022 under Highlights
Precision positioning stages are often central to science and technology at the micrometer and nanometer length scales in diverse fields such as microscopy, robotics, automation and metrology. These stages are used to hold in place, or move in a specified manner, a piece of equipment or a sample. Therefore, compact multi-degree-of-freedom stages with large dynamic […]
3D Bioprinting of Tissues Using Natural Biomolecules
14 Jun 2022 under Highlights
Tissue engineering focuses on tissue and organ regeneration by creating scaffolds using biomaterials called bioinks. Bioinks comprise of cultured cells and biocompatible materials like a hydrogel, and are specific to the tissue being transplanted. The scaffolds are 3D printed, maintaining structural and functional compatibility with human tissues ranging from soft tissues to bone. In the […]
Kernel Issue 3, 2022
14 Jun 2022 under Newsletter
Kernel Issue 2, 2022
25 Apr 2022 under Newsletter
Using Protein Dynamics to Study Role of Water in Biological Reactions
25 Apr 2022 under Highlights
Water is generally regarded as the “matrix of life”. But how exactly does water help in biological reactions? This question has perplexed researchers for years. In recent work led by Biman Bagchi at the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit (SSCU), researchers have attempted to understand this issue by focusing on three different proteins: myoglobin, […]
RapidET: A Mems-Based Platform for Rapid Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
25 Apr 2022 under Highlights
Conventional diagnosis of breast cancer involves the histological and immunohistochemical analysis of tissue sections obtained through clinical biopsy. For surgical margin assessment within the operating room, the standard technique is frozen section examination, which takes between 30 min to two hours to give results. Technologies for rapid and label-free diagnosis of malignancies from breast tissues […]
Kernel Issue 1, 2022
04 Mar 2022 under Newsletter
Breakthrough Result in Computational Geometry
04 Mar 2022 under Highlights
Maximum Independent Set of Rectangles (MISR) is a fundamental problem in fields such as computational geometry, approximation algorithms, and combinatorial optimisation. In this problem, given a set of (possibly overlapping) rectangles on a plane, one needs to find the maximum number of non-overlapping rectangles. MISR finds numerous applications in practice, such as in map labeling, […]
Kernel Issue 9, 2021
21 Dec 2021 under Newsletter
Kernel Issue 8, 2021
15 Nov 2021 under Newsletter
Issue 7, 2021
14 Sep 2021 under Newsletter
Fighting COVID-19 Viral Variants With a Heat-tolerant Vaccine
14 Sep 2021 under Highlights
A ‘warm’ COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by an IISc and Mynvax team was found to trigger a strong immune response and protection in mice and hamster models, in results published recently in ACS Infectious Diseases. Crucially, the vaccine formulation also triggered neutralising antibodies – those that bind to the virus and prevent infection – […]