Several researchers at IISc are working on technological solutions to tackle some of the causes of climate-induced disasters, and reduce carbon emissions A sizzling heatwave across North India, prolonged power outages, and 20 million dead. Fortunately, this is a work of fiction, the setting in the first chapter of The Ministry for the Future, […]
The study of model organisms is the key to unlocking mysteries about life on earth When I first started working with the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster after my Master’s, many of my friends and family members were greatly amused. After 17 years of education, I had finally admitted that all I was doing was […]
The small mouse has enabled giant leaps in biology research Claudius Galen (129-199 CE), a prominent physician in ancient Greece, obsessively studied anatomy – the science of how our bodies are structured and how our organs function. Since the ruling Roman government prohibited working with human cadavers, he dissected animals instead, to gain knowledge. […]
Self-organisation is the emergence of order in an initially disordered system and is observed from microscopic to astronomical levels Spiral galaxies. Honey bees. Proteus mirabilis, the urinary-tract-infection-causing bacteria. What do they all have in common? A phenomenon called self-organisation. It transcends scale – from the formation of galaxies to the arrangement of lipids in […]
Researchers at IISc are using novel technologies to add to existing materials and to understand material properties About 2.5 million years ago, our ancestors discovered that striking two pieces of rock against each other produces rough edges and stone chips that could be used to break animal bones and scoop flesh off carcasses. And […]
From simple combinations of lenses, microscopes have evolved into complex tools giving us unparalleled insight into cellular secrets January 1665 saw the publication of Robert Hooke’s Micrographia. The beautiful illustrations of fleas, flies and other insects in it gave humanity an insight into the sheer beauty of the hitherto unobserved world of small creatures. […]
A behind-the-scenes look at the transformation of an empty space into a full-fledged research lab Setting up a new lab can be an exhilarating episode in the career of a faculty member. But it can also be a long and arduous journey, one that needs fellow travellers — often this caravan includes graduate students, […]
A peek into the Central Animal Facility, which supports research in almost 70 labs Prashant and his three colleagues set out for work in the small hours of the morning. Gauribidanur, their hometown, is 80 km from Bangalore, and the train ride and the short walk after that to reach the Central Animal Facility […]
Pankaj Sekhsaria is an associate professor at the Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas at IIT Bombay. In October 2020, he gave a talk based on his book Nanoscale: Society’s Deep Impact on Science, Technology and Innovation in India as part of Paraspar, a lecture series organised by the Office of Communications at IISc. […]
Studying the brain to understand human behaviour involves elaborate experimental set-ups. Researchers at IISc describe how they design these experiments Ever walked into a room and forgot why you went in there? Or struggled to keep your New Year’s resolutions? We have all shown such behaviours at some point or the other. The field […]
