The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
a landfill in the East Kolkata wetland area has emerged as a treasure trove of useful microbes that could be tapped for various biotechnological purposes. Researchers from the Dr B C Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and the department of biochemistry at the University of Calcutta, and the …
using a bug that is believed to have existed and evolved in human stomachs for millions of years, scientists have unearthed fresh evidence to support the hypothesis that Indians and Europeans had the same ancestors. Their finding lends support to the assumption of a possible gene flow into India with …
pesticides have so far been touted as protectors of plants. For the first time, a new research says some of them may actually be harming the very crops they are supposed to protect. Reason: many of them cut off the communication between crops and nitrogen fixing bacteria and are a …
scientists from Nagpur-based National Environment Engineering Research Institute have discovered hundreds of hitherto untapped friendly bacteria from Common Effluent Treatment Plants (cetps). This, they say, could completely revolutionise the way industries currently treat their wastewater. It would also help create a valuable meta-genomic library of
a soil bacterium that helps deposit calcium carbonate (calcite) on sandy soil could hold the key to protect buildings against earthquakes. Researchers at the University of California unravelled the wonder property of the bacteria, Bacillus pasteurii, while trying to precipitate calcite on sandy soil. They found that calcite precipitation in …
To identify the presence and degree of bacterial contamination on stethoscopes used by physicians and physician assistants in an outpatient setting, the researchers swabbed and cultured 60 stethoscopes. They defined the degree of contamination as follows: minimal contamination, 1-2 isolates; moderate contamination, 3 isolates; and severe contamination.
mobile friendly: Researchers have found no link between mobile phone use and cancer. They used mobile-phone companies' records to gauge phone usage. They tracked subjects for an average of 8.5 years, and some followed up to 21 years. Joachim Schuz of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Copenhagen, looked at more …
research carried out by scientists of the Washington University, Missouri, usa, has shown that microbes are responsible for obesity. It's a good news, because the research indicates that manipulating microbes can control obesity. The study was published in the December 21 issue of the journal Nature (Vol 444 No 7122). …
The influenza virus can survive for thousands of years in frozen lakes and might be picked up and carried by birds to reinfect animals and people. After their release, these viruses can cause new infections and spread pandemics, researchers recently reported in the Journal of Virology. "We have found viral …
is life possible without oxygen? As far as a particular kind of bacteria are concerned, the answer is an unambiguous yes, according to scientists of the Princeton University, us. In a paper published in the October 20 issue of Science (Vol 314, No 5798), scientists have revealed that a bacteria …
endosulfan, the deadly pesticide, now has a destroyer. Scientists at iit Madras have found a bacterial mixture that can break it down to environment friendly inorganic chemicals. Ligy Philip and Mathava Kumar studied the action of a bacterial culture consisting of Staphylococcus Sp, Bacillus circulans-i and ii on endosulfan-contaminated soil. …
conversation stoppers: Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US have developed a new strategy to fight bacterial infections. They have designed a group of small organic molecules that block the chemical signals that the bacteria use to communicate in an effort to stop their spread. Called
how do microbes adjust to wide variations in temperature? To understand this, a team of scientists led by Avigdor Scherz of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel compared two different kinds of photosynthetic bacteria
bacterial hold: Bacteria have hair-like protrusions with a sticky protein on the tip that enables them to cling to surfaces. The coiled, bungee cord-like structure of the protrusions helps the bacteria hang on tightly, even under rough fluid flow inside the body, claim a group of researchers at the University …
a team of Kolkata-based researchers mapping the microbial population of the East Calcutta Wetlands (ecw), has isolated 22 easy-to-culture strains that can help clean up toxic soil and water. The bacteria can help remove metals such as chromium and lead, while some of the strains can degrade oils like petrol, …
scientists at the Directorate of Oilseed Research (dor), Hyderabad, have developed the world's first microbial insecticide in solid form. According to D M Hegde, project director, dor, "The product is made from Bacillus thuringiensis (bt) bacteria of the kurstaki strain isolated from Mahboobnagar and Nalgonda districts in Andhra Pradesh.' Knock …
outsourcing is a gut feeling, literally. A team of biologists has found that a sizeable amount of critical functions that keep humans ticking are performed by millions of beneficial bacteria that exist in the human gut, or colon. Scientists led by Steven Gill of the Institute of Genomic Research in …
The accelerated growth of finfish aquaculture has resulted in a series of developments detrimental to the environment and human health. The latter is illustrated by the widespread and unrestricted use of prophylactic antibiotics in this industry, especially in developing countries, to forestall bacterial infections resulting from sanitary shortcomings in fish …
