Decoding the Universe, One Discovery at a Time: Your Daily Dose of Indian Science From ISRO's groundbreaking missions propelling India to new heights in space exploration, to indigenous innovations tackling pressing climate challenges, abtak.com brings you the latest in science and technology shaping our nation and the world. Are Indian scientists unlocking the secrets of personalized medicine? How are advancements in AI impacting our daily lives, from agriculture to healthcare? Dive into cutting-edge research, breakthroughs in biotechnology, and the minds revolutionizing our understanding of the planet and beyond. Stay informed about the implications of scientific advancements, ethical considerations, and the future of technology right here in India. Explore the mysteries of the cosmos, delve into the intricacies of the human body, and witness the transformative power of scientific inquiry. Join us as we unravel the complexities of science and its impact on our future. What breakthroughs await us tomorrow?
New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Researchers have for the first time studied how behaviour of an electron in a molecule differs based on chirality -- a property that is crucial for developing effective drugs, among other purposes. Biological molecules, including those that form proteins and DNA, are said to be chiral, which is crucial in designing drugs that act specifically at the target to produce only the desired treatment effect without causing other physiological changes -- or 'specificity'. A drug can therefore, be rendered ineffective if its chirality is not in line with that of the molecule it is designed to target. The researchers, led by those at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, said that little research has been done in how movements of an electron -- which is among the smallest building blocks of an atom -- differ in molecules that are chiral, or have a non-superimposable mirror image of themselves. Considered a fundamental property of matter, chirality of a molecule reveals its 'handedness' -- right or left. Similar to human hands, molecules in nature can exist in two mirror-image versions -- that is, not entirely identical, despite closely resembling each other. Being chiral means having a non-superimposable mirror image. The study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to describe a method to manipulate how electrons are being emitted from a chiral molecule, thereby helping visualise and observe electrons' behaviour. The team used a circularly polarised light -- or light that rotates in a spiral manner resembling a corkscrew. In the first few moments following light hitting a molecule, an electron is emitted. However, depending on the chirality of the molecule in question and the direction in which the light is rotating, the electron is emitted in the direction in which the light is approaching the molecule or against, the researchers said. While chirality is perceived as a structural property of a molecule, lead researcher Hans Jakob Wörner, professor of physical chemistry at ETH Zurich, said, "Recently, however, there has been growing evidence that the adoption of the structural approach is not sufficient to fully understand (the) chiral phenomena." The authors added that observing the specific electron behaviour was made possible by a unique device they developed for studying the particles -- it creates circularly polarised pulses for an attosecond, which is a billionth of a billionth of a second. "Such endeavours have so far been hampered by the lack of characterised circularly polarised attosecond pulses, an obstacle that has recently been overcome," the authors wrote. This is what is needed to observe electron dynamics on their natural attosecond time scale, they said. PTI KRS NB NB
Hyderabad: Overdependence on white rice, refined grains and added sugars is fuelling a surge in diabetes and obesity among Indians, according to an ICMR-INDIAB survey. Telangana reflects the same dietary risks as the rest of the country. The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that more than 62 per cent of daily calories in Indian diets come from low-quality carbohydrates, while protein intake remains low and saturated fat consumption exceeds recommended levels in most states. In Telangana, high reliance on refined cereals and inadequate protein has been linked to an elevated risk of t ...Read More >
62% calories comes from carbs, added sugar intake higher than recommended India's rapidly changing eating habits are fueling an alarming spike in diabetes and obesity with at least 21 states and UTs exceeding the national recommendations of less than 5%E (total energy) for added sugar intake while overall protein intake was suboptimal averaging 12% of the daily calories, according to the findings of the survey as part of the study by Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB ...Read More >
In a groundbreaking achievement, India's Chandrayaan-2 has successfully made history by being the first to directly observe the influence of solar Coronal Mass Ejections on the Moon's delicate atmosphere. This pivotal discovery not only deepens our understanding of the lunar exosphere and the effects of space weather but also serves as a vital resource for future lunar exploration. The Chandrayaan-2 mission, launched in 2019, has made the first-ever observation of the effects of the Sun's Corona ...Read More >
People from Indigenous communities do not show the same link between chronic inflammation and age-related illness seen in industrialised societies, a study that looked at nearly 3,000 adults in four countries has found. Inflammation is an important part of the immune system's response to infection -- but long-term inflammation can cause damage. The latest findings, published in Nature Aging on 30 June, show that chronic inflammation -- which has been long considered a hallmark of aging -- could ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 19 (ANI): India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter on Saturday made the first-ever observation of the effects of the Sun's Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on the Moon, with one of its scientific instruments, Chandra's Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2), onboard. Observations from CHACE-2 showed an increase in the total pressure of the dayside lunar exosphere (fragile atmosphere) when the CME impacted the Moon. The total number density (number of neutral atoms or molecules present in an environment per unit volume) derived from these observations showed an increase ...Read More >
New Delhi [India] October 23 (ANI): Google has achieved a major milestone in quantum computing as the company's Willow quantum processor has achieved what Sundar Pichai termed the first-ever verifiable quantum advantage, which will pave the way for new applications in drug discovery and materials sciences. According to Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Google, Quantum Echoes can explain how atoms in a molecule interact using nuclear magnetic resonance, a development that could pave the way for new applications in drug discovery and materials science. In a post on social media plat ...Read More >
Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former minister Gayatri Prajapati was attacked by a fellow inmate inside Lucknow Jail on Tuesday. The scuffle took place within the jail premises, after which prison authorities launched an internal inquiry. According to a statement issued by Dr Ramdhani, DIG Prisons, Lucknow Range, the incident occurred after Prajapati allegedly used abusive language towards another inmate, Vishwas Rajput. In response, Vishwas attacked Prajapati using a sharp object inside the cell. DIG Prisons clarified that the incident was not premeditated and dismissed any spec ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Glacier loss around the world could peak in 2041 with about 2,000 disappearing every year under a global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, a study has projected. After 2041, as smaller glaciers would have already disappeared, yearly loss would see a decline, researchers led by those at ETH Zurich and other institutes in Switzerland and Belgium explained. Under a global warming of 4 degrees Celsius, the peak occurs in 2055, but around 4,000 glaciers might be lost every year, the authors projected in the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, adding that in ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 6 (ANI): As part of an initiative by the Department of Forest and Environment, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday attended the World Environment Day event held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. He flagged off 129 vehicles allocated to the Forest and Environment Department to support ongoing environmental protection efforts. He also launched a dedicated web portal and distributed arms to the commandos of three battalions of the Assam Forest Protection Force. CM Sarma said that, Assam in line with global observance, is marking Worl ...Read More >
Guwahati, Sept 26: Scientists have reported the golden haired tube-nosed bat from two localities in Mizoram, thus bringing a fresh addition to the bat fauna of India and South Asia as a whole. With this latest addition, the confirmed tally of Indian bat species currently stands at 136. The findings have been published in the September 25, 2025 edition of zoological megajournal, Zootaxa. While undertaking a systematic assessment of the bat fauna of Mizoram, bat researcher Dr Uttam Saikia of Zoological Survey of India, Shillong, stumbled upon this rare bat in the forest of Hmuifang village in ...Read More >
Union Minister of State (Independent) for Science and Technology, and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, on Sunday, called for a "synergised, inclusive and futuristic healthcare ecosystem" in alignment with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat @2047'. Union Minister of State (Independent) for Science and Technology, and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, on Sunday, called for a "synergised, inclusive and futuristic healthcare ecosystem" in alignment with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat @2047'. Addressing a gath ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India's rapidly changing eating habits with high consumption of refined carbohydrates like wheat and white rice and saturated fat are fuelling a dramatic rise in diabetes and obesity, a latest ICMR study said. The study by the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) recommended that Indians should replace these diets with plant, milk and animal-based proteins. The study, published in Nature Medicine, also revealed that while there was significant diversity in nutrient intakes across the states, most Indians get a staggering 62% of their calories from carboh ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a simple, glowing paper sensor that could help detect liver cancer early -- using the green glow of a rare earth metal called terbium.The sensor works by detecting an enzyme called "β-glucuronidase", which is found in many living organisms. While it has normal biological roles, high levels of this enzyme are linked to liver cancer, as well as colon, breast, and kidney cancers, and even infections and AIDS."Traditional detection methods often struggle with background noise or low sensitivity," said Ananya Biswas, a for ...Read More >
While the presence of residual viral fragments is well-documented, it remains uncertain whether live virus continues to exist in some individuals and whether this contributes to long COVID. Approximately 5-10% of individuals infected with COVID-19 experience lingering symptoms for three months or more, a condition known as long COVID. Researchers have explored various biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon, but a perspective article in the Medical Journal of Australia argues that the virus's ability to persist in the body could be a primary cause. Early in the pandemic, it became evid ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Imagine a routine blood donation quietly holding evidence of a future cancer diagnosis. A recent study published in Cancer Discovery suggests that could soon be a reality: scientists have found cancer-linked DNA mutations in blood plasma collected years before patients showed any signs of disease.In a groundbreaking analysis, Dr Yuxuan Wang and her team at Johns Hopkins University examined plasma samples donated as part of an unrelated study decades ago. By analyzing free-floating DNA fragments, the genetic leftovers from dying cells, they were able to spot warning signs of cancer a ...Read More >
NIT Rourkela decodes sugar molecules and bone protein complex to boost bone regeneration technology image credit- shutterstock Scientists at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Odisha have uncovered how natural sugar-like molecules in the human body can alter the behaviour of Bone Morphogenetic Protrin-2 (BMP-2), a protein responsible for bone formation and repair. Published in the journal Biochemistry, the findings of this research can be used for advanced treatments in bone and ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) A study that analysed India's dietary consumption in relation to risk of metabolic disorders has estimated that 62 per cent of the country's total daily energy intake comes from low-quality carbohydrates, including white rice and processed whole grains. About a fourth of the world's diabetics are estimated to be living in India, significantly higher than other countries. Researchers from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), among other institutes also found high levels of saturated fat and a low intake of protein contri ...Read More >