Hitchhiking Synthetic Antigen Stimulates Antibody Production against Cancer Cells
03 May 2024 under Focus
Researchers at IISc have designed a synthetic compound (antigen) that can latch on to a protein in blood and hitchhike a ride to the lymph node, where it can boost the production of antibodies against cancer cells. The approach gives a new direction to develop vaccine candidates for a variety of cancers, the researchers say. […]
AI Tool Aids in Screening for Nerve Disorder
12 Jan 2024 under Focus
Researchers at IISc, in collaboration with Aster-CMI Hospital, have developed an AI tool that can identify the median nerve in ultrasound videos and detect carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The study was published in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control. CTS arises when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, is […]
Fully Indigenous Gallium Nitride Power Switch
29 Sep 2023 under Focus
Researchers at IISc have developed a fully indigenous gallium nitride (GaN) power switch that can have potential applications in systems like power converters for electric vehicles and laptops, as well as in wireless communications. The entire process of building the switch – from material growth to device fabrication to packaging – was developed in-house at […]
Tailing the Chromosome
29 Sep 2023 under Features
Mahavir Singh’s lab seeks to unravel mysteries behind complex protein-nucleic acid interactions Mahavir Singh likes to experiment, both in the lab at work and in the kitchen at home. When he tries out new recipes for his children to taste, he sometimes feels like a contestant on MasterChef. “They are very hard to please,” he […]
Synthetic peptide to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria
04 Aug 2023 under Focus
Researchers at IISc have designed a short peptide capable of poisoning a key enzyme in disease-causing bacteria, including some of most deadly and antibiotic-resistant species. Made from a short stretch of about 24 amino acids, the peptide mimics the action of a natural toxin which inhibits a class of enzymes called topoisomerases. These enzymes play […]
Veterinary Antibiotics Used on Livestock Can Affect Soil Carbon and Climate
27 Apr 2023 under Focus
Soils are reliable sinks for trapping carbon, which is key to mitigating the effects of climate change. Grazing by large mammals favours soil carbon storage in grasslands, but around the world, wild herbivores are gradually being replaced by livestock. In the Spiti region of the Himalaya, researchers at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), IISc, […]
Grazing Animals Key to Long-term Soil Carbon Stability
29 Dec 2022 under Focus
Large mammalian herbivores like the yak and ibex play a crucial role in stabilising the pool of soil carbon in grazing ecosystems such as the Spiti region in the Himalayas, a 16-year-long study reports. It was carried out by researchers at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) and the Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC), […]
Novel Strategy to Make Fast-Charging Solid State Batteries
12 Aug 2022 under Focus
Researchers at the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit (SSCU) and their collaborators have discovered how next-generation solid-state batteries fail, and devised a novel strategy to make these batteries last longer and charge faster. Lithium-ion batteries – the kind that you might find in your smartphone or laptop – contain a liquid electrolyte sandwiched between […]
Paper Discs That Can Pick Up Hydrogen Peroxide
14 Jun 2022 under Focus
A paper-based sensor developed by IISc researchers can help detect even tiny volumes of hydrogen peroxide. This chemical is used widely in household and healthcare products like hand sanitiser as a disinfectant, in rocket fuel as a propellant, and is also found in biological cells. The technique they used involves preparing a gel from a […]
Math Model to Predict COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
25 Apr 2022 under Focus
COVID-19 vaccines have been a game-changer in the current pandemic. Several vaccine candidates have conferred a high degree of protection, with some reducing the number of symptomatic infections by over 95% in clinical trials. But what determines this extent of protection vaccines confer? The answer to this question would help optimise the use of available […]
Tracking Quantum Phenomena in 2D Graphene
04 Mar 2022 under Focus
In recent years, a phenomenon called the quantum Hall effect has emerged as a platform for hosting exotic features called quasiparticles, with properties that could lead to exciting applications in areas like quantum computing. When a strong magnetic field is applied to a 2D material or gas, the electrons at the interface – unlike the […]
Modular Device for Extra-Terrestrial Experiments
21 Dec 2021 under Focus
A self-contained lab-on-chip platform for studying how bacteria could grow and divide in outer space Understanding how microbes behave in extreme environments could provide valuable insights for human space missions such as ‘Gaganyaan’, India’s first crewed spacecraft set to be launched in 2022. To aid such explorations, researchers at IISc and ISRO have developed a […]
Visualising Oxygen Movement in Ferroelectric Materials
16 Jul 2021 under Focus
State-of-the-art microscopy has helped scientists unveil the mechanism behind an unusual phenomenon A new study by an international team of researchers, including those from IISc, reveals how an unusual form of ferroelectricity arises in certain nano-sized materials. The team includes Pavan Nukala, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc, and […]
Nanozymes That Can Block HIV Reactivation
26 May 2021 under Focus
Researchers at IISc have developed artificial enzymes that can successfully block reactivation and replication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the host’s immune cells. Made from vanadium pentoxide nanosheets, these ‘nanozymes’ work by mimicking a natural enzyme called glutathione peroxidase that helps reduce oxidative stress levels in the host’s cells, which is required to […]
How Hitchhiking Worms Choose Their Vehicles
09 Mar 2021 under Focus
Even tiny organisms like worms are capable of making complex decisions Tiny worms that live inside fig trees use the fig wasp as a ‘vehicle’ to hitch rides from one tree to another, by crawling into the wasp’s gut without harming it. This relationship has existed for millions of years. But how do these worms […]
Printed Gas Sensor to Detect Toxic Nitrogen Dioxide
08 Feb 2021 under Highlights
A fully inkjet-printed gas sensor to detect very low levels of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas, has been developed by researchers in the Department of Materials Engineering and Materials Research Centre led by Subho Dasgupta. The sensor is based on thin films of mesoporous tin oxide. To create the “ink” for printing, they combined a […]
Software Platform for “Smart” Video Tracking
08 Feb 2021 under Focus
Anveshak allows apps and algorithms to intelligently track and analyse video feeds Researchers at IISc have developed a novel software platform from which apps and algorithms can intelligently track and analyse video feeds from cameras spread across cities. Such analysis is not only useful for tracking missing persons or objects, but also for “smart city” […]
Droughts in India Influenced by North Atlantic Air Currents
05 Jan 2021 under Focus
Atmospheric disturbances from the midlatitudes appear to derail the Indian summer monsoon Nearly half of the droughts during the Indian summer monsoon in the past century may have been driven by atmospheric disturbances from the North Atlantic region, finds a new study published in Science. It was conducted by researchers at the Centre for Atmospheric […]
ARTPARK: Innovation at Play
05 Jan 2021 under Features
New tech hub for AI and robotics at IISc aims to address socially and economically relevant problems “I hope patients will be comfortable in speaking with me, and would consider me not just as a machine, but as a friend,” announced Asha, a first-of-its-kind robotic nurse in the country, making its debut at the Bengaluru […]
Grappling With Deadly Viruses
01 Nov 2020 under Features
Researchers at an IISc lab and start-up are working on effective vaccine strategies against two deadly viruses – SARS-CoV-2 and HIV In the midst of the raging pandemic, hope bloomed this November. Two research groups announced within days of each other that their COVID-19 vaccine candidates were more than 90% effective at preventing infection. The […]
Indigenous ICMR-approved COVID-19 Diagnostic Kit
01 Oct 2020 under Highlights
Equine Biotech, a startup incubated at IISc, has developed an indigenous diagnostic kit called “Global diagnostic kit” for accurate and affordable diagnosis of COVID-19. The test kit, based on Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, has been approved for use in authorised COVID-19 diagnostic labs by the Indian Council […]
Low-cost, Drop-on-demand Printing Technique
01 Oct 2020 under Focus
Using water-repellent nanowire meshes instead of traditional nozzles whose pores can clog, a research team has developed a versatile printing technique
Research in the Fast Lane
01 Oct 2020 under Features
SahasraT, India’s first petascale computer housed at IISc, is powering diverse research pursuits across campus
Tracking Aerosols During Eye Surgeries
01 Aug 2020 under Focus
Are aerosols generated during routine eye procedures posing a risk to healthcare workers? Doctors at Narayana Nethralaya worked with IISc researchers to investigate There is growing evidence that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, could spread through aerosols – tiny droplets that can remain suspended in the air for hours in closed spaces. Aerosols can be generated […]
Riding the 5G Revolution
01 Aug 2020 under Features
Is India ready for the 5G revolution? Researchers at IISc and institutes across the country are developing and testing new technologies that could fundamentally transform the way we communicate with each other Radically immersive virtual reality experiences. Self-driving cars steered over mobile networks. Robots that seamlessly talk to each other on a factory floor. This […]