Does neurodegeneration start when blood vessels are damaged?

Our brain depends on a finely tuned network of neurons, signals, and protective barriers to function seamlessly. This intricate setup underpins every thought, memory, and movement we make. But as we age, or under certain conditions, this system can break down. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) slowly damage neurons and … Read more

Antimalarial agents sidestep insecticide resistance by fighting parasite

A mother holds up a mosquito net treated with insecticide in Amhara region, Ethiopia, October 2017. | Photo Credit: Public domain Researchers reported in Nature on May 22 that they had identified compounds that could target the deadly malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its developmental stages in Anopheles mosquitoes, potentially enhancing efforts to control malaria … Read more

Eight mice and a magic drug

There are some inventions and discoveries that have an instant impact, changing our ways immediately and having a marked effect quickly. There are others that take time to make their presence felt so as to say, time during which we humans figure out the actual usefulness and put it to action in a better way. … Read more

Research scholars upset over DST’s delay in release of stipends

Image for representation only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock For several weeks, research scholars spanning a range of Central and State universities and scientific disciplines across India, have been pleading with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for their research stipends. The forum for their complaints are primarily X and LinkedIn, and their prime … Read more

Daily quiz: On Nuclear science

Daily quiz: On Nuclear science In 1954, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, a Soviet facility became the world’s first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid (about 5 MW). START THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | The ___ and the _________ methods are both used to generate supercriticality in a process known … Read more

Why does cheese form flowers when scraped?

Tête de Moine cheese. | Photo Credit: Tête de Moine AOP, Fromage de Bellelay (This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Subscribe now!) The Tête de Moine cheese from the Bellelay region of Switzerland is iconic because of the … Read more

As we continue to tackle the challenges of antimicrobial resistance, time to factor in newer, emergent issues

In 2020, 58-year-old Viswanathan, recovering from a stroke, sought physiotherapy from an Ayurvedic practitioner, hoping to regain mobility. However, this treatment caused wounds on his leg. As a diabetic with an already weakened immune system this marked the beginning of his battle with antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  After a year of battling infections, he was given … Read more