CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) is planning to go ahead with the next stage larger-scale trials of the indigenously developed mRNA vaccine technology for tackling Chikungunya. “Chikungunya is a serious, major debilitating disease in India and it does not yet have a vaccine. We have already demonstrated the ability to … Read more
A view of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft being lifted from water and placed onboard the recovery vessel Shannon after it splashed down successfully off the coast of San Diego on July 15, 2025. Photo: YouTube/ Axiom Space Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom-4 mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members returned to earth on … Read more
The impending collision of two black holes is seen in this still image from a computer simulation released by the LIGO collaboration in 2016. | Photo Credit: Reuters A: A black hole merger happens when two black holes — extremely dense objects with gravity so strong that not even light can escape — get close … Read more
Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) Group Captain Shukla and crew on track to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down today: SpaceX Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members who departed from the orbiting laboratory on Tuesday (July 14, 2025) onboard the SpaceX Dragon are on track to re-enter the … Read more
Varghese, A., Gusarov, I., Gamallo-Lana, B. et al, ‘Unravelling cysteine-deficiency-associated rapid weight loss’, Nature (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08996-y In the 1930s, when scientists were beginning to uncover the molecular basis of nutrition, they already knew that proteins were a vital part of the diet, but they didn’t fully understand why. More specifically, they didn’t know whether all … Read more
Axiom-4 mission, featuring Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Crewmates — veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson (U.S.) as commander, Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian researcher Tibor Kapu pose for a picture ahead of undocking from the International Space Station, on Sunday (July 13, 2025). Photo: X/@NASA via ANI Video Grab Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) Group Captain … Read more
Seeds of two rice varieties, horse gram, tomato, sesame and brinjal were sent to the ISS. Photo: Special Arrangement With Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the Axiom-4 crew expected back on earth on Tuesday, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) here is preparing for post-flight field studies using the … Read more
Human societies have struggled to fend off locust infestations for millennia. The insects’ destructive effects persist to this day, especially when they collect in large swarms and eat through thousands of hectares of crops in a matter of days. Such swarms have occurred once every few years of late. Most recently, in 2019-2020, a record … Read more
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is headed back to earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS), has completed all seven microgravity experiments. Photo credit: X/@ISROSpaceflight Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is headed back to earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS), has completed … Read more
Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species. On July 8, Colossal Biosciences … Read more