Regulating Fatty Acid Uptake in Cardiac Muscle Cells
15 Nov 2021 under Focus
Study shows how a protein called SIRT6 regulates genes responsible for the formation of key transporter proteins in heart muscle cells Fatty acids are formed when the fat in our diet breaks down during digestion. While many of the body’s organs use glucose as their primary energy source, the heart derives most of its required […]
Taking the Quantum Leap
14 Sep 2021 under Features
A new initiative at IISc envisions a crucial role in India’s quantum quest Quantum mechanics – the physics of subatomic particles – underlies all that we currently know about atoms, what they are made of and why they behave the way they do. But it is not just a physicist’s tool to try and understand […]
Novel Insights into the Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
16 Jul 2021 under Highlights
The SARS-CoV-2 S proteins, which appear as crown-like spikes on the viral surface, mediate the entry of the virus into the host cell. They are also the site where neutralising antibodies produced by the host cells bind to the virus to inactivate it. Understanding the protein’s detailed structure is therefore important. Most previous studies on […]
Novel Synthesis of Difficult-to-Make Indole Derivatives
16 Jul 2021 under Highlights
Indoles and compounds derived from indoles are found in many natural substances. These compounds have extensive applications in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. A research team from the Department of Organic Chemistry led by Santanu Mukherjee has now developed an efficient method to synthesise cyclopenta[b] indolones – an important class of indole derivatives. These molecules are ‘chiral’ […]