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Artificial electric nose made which can detect emissions of hydrogen sulfide gas from sewers Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) India,in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have developed an electronic nose with biodegradable polymer and monomer that can mimic olfactory receptor neuron, which enables us to detect the smell of various substances. During the microbial degradation of organic matter under anaerobic conditions in the sewers, hot-springs and during the production of crude-petroleum products, as well as while refining natural gases hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is produced.  H2S is a poisonous, corrosive, and flammable gas which at concentrations (less than 10 ppm) cause eye irritation and fatigue, and exposure to levels higher than 100 ppm results in severe neurological damage and cardiovascular conditions.  This artificial nose can protect humans from the harmful impact of this gas while working under such conditions. The total size of the device is 5…

The year 2020 Nobel prize in Medicine or Physiology has been awarded jointly to 3 scientists Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice from America and Michael Houghton from United Kingdom for their discovery of Hepatitis C virus.  Harvey J. Alter, Charles M. Rice, and Michael Houghton (From left to right)   According to the World Health Organisation, there are 70 million people infected across the globe and 400,000 mortality each year due to the chronic virus. The disease caused by the virus is responsible for liver failure and liver cancer.  How was the Hepatitis C virus discovered? Hepatitis B virus was already discovered in the 1960s and was considered to be responsible for blood transmitted hepatitis, therefore, blood used to be tested for the virus before blood transfusions to avoid blood transfusion-related Hepatitis B disease.  Although the number of patients infected through blood transfusion was reduced post Hepatitis B screening, but a large group of individuals were still contracting the disease after…

The emergence of Coronavirus and Diagnosis Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has emerged as that superstar who needs no introduction. Coronam is the Latin term for crown, and coronavirus has the crown-like appearance. As of now, global Covid-19 deaths have exceeded over 8 lakhs with total cases at 25.1 million and still counting. There was only one lab for testing on January 23, 160 labs on March 23 and 1370 labs by August, in India according to the health ministry.  Previously known as a 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was officially renamed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) on February 11, 2020. This name was selected because the virus is genetically related (70% similarity) to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2002. Diseases are officially named by WHO in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) while viruses are named by the ICTV.   Diagnosis of COVID-19 involves multiple phases from sample collection…

1. Mosquitoes and their incessant buzz From vexatious buzz to itchy bites and their exceptional ability to escape from our murderous actions and buzzing around again as if chanting what a loser we were.  Yes, mosquitoes have been a threat to humans as they are vectors or carriers of deadliest diseases that have affected people across the globe. There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes in the world and at least 400 of them can be found in India.  Before the female mosquito dies, it can produce up to 500 eggs. The only pleasant thing about mosquitoes is that they do not live long, but in the meantime, they contribute to the death of millions of individuals over the world. Yes, millions you read it right, according to World health organization every year mosquitoes result in deaths of over 1 million people around the world. Fun fact- Only female mosquitoes feed on blood, without…

Why do the majority of Indians seek to do a PhD?  The answer is a better-secured career, money, social status and so on, it’s unfortunate that research enthusiasm and the love for science has somewhere lost on the way. As a biologist, it’s disheartening to speak that the Indian education system has become an industry whose sole purpose is to manufacture PhDs. This has dramatically affected the law of supply and demand, which in turn has left hundreds of PhD scholars jobless. PhD in India has become more of a social flaunting rather than their own interest in research. This has collectively led to the decline of the research standards and research output.  The entrance to the PhD program is no more than a joke Our education system has always put us before a test and encourages those minds who can immaculately memorize the maximum number of jokes and pen down before missing out…