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Recent Columns

Spreading the word about the Narcondam Island and its beautiful hornbills
Joel P. Joseph
Narcondam Island of Andaman is the only home for the Narcondam hornbills. Rohit Naniwadekar and his team ran a science outreach project to spread awareness about the vulnerable island ecosystems and sensitise communities who live and work around these areas. The team is also an awardee of 1^st IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant. In this article, Joel uncovers the journey, experiences, logistics, highs and lows of running an outreach program intended for on ground stakeholders.
Posted on Jul 04, 2022 in Outreach & Science communication
How do people perceive nanotechnology? View through a sociological lens
Ankita Rathore
Ankita Rathore, a research student, is studying how people perceive the rapidly emerging field of nanotechnology. In this opinion article, she shares some aspects of her ongoing research and her views on why it is essential to factor in public opinion before implementing new technologies for their benefit.
Posted on Jun 27, 2022 in Nanotechnology & Interdisciplinarity

Conversations Older →
- A balanced team asking interdisciplinary, fundamental, and venturous questions wins HFSP
  Mohit Rajabhoj
  Tamal Das is the Head of the Collective Cellular Dynamics (CCD) Lab at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Hyderabad. He has been awarded the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) grant for the year 2022. In this interview, Tamal discusses his work and how his team won the HFSP funding.
  Posted on Jun 20, 2022
- Let’s not miss the grasses for the trees: In conversation with Mahesh Sankaran
  Yashada Kulkarni
  Mahesh Sankaran is Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru where he heads the Community and Ecosystems Ecology lab. He is the recipient of the Infosys Prize 2021 for Life Sciences, the first ecologist to have won this prestigious award. In this interview, he talks about his work on grasslands and climate change, and on winning the Infosys Prize. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
  Posted on Mar 07, 2022 in Ecology, Policy & Advice
Education Older →
- Everything you need to know about framing a research hypothesis
  Adita Joshi
  Students of science tend to learn about scientific breakthroughs through textbooks and scientific journals, with a focus on the end result – the main discovery. But most of the research work underlying a discovery begins with a hypothesis – a key element of the scientific process that is often neglected in a classroom. So what is a hypothesis and how to frame one? This article shares some key points.
  This article was first published by Editage Insights, Cactus Communications.
  Posted on May 23, 2022 in Education, Advice & Research
- Massive open online course-inspired education
  Lakshmy Ramakrishnan
  Experiments and practical lab work, considered indispensable for training in biology, came to a standstill when educational institutions and laboratories shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, researcher and educator Lakshmy Ramakrishnan describes how Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, could offer students exposure akin to lab work, even looking beyond the pandemic.
  Posted on Apr 25, 2022
Exploring Science Older →
- Diverse communities of bacteria and humans – lessons learnt
  Jithin Sunny & Bins Sebastian
  Do bacteria derive benefits by living in diverse communities? How is this important for ecological balance? Jithin Sunny, a PhD scholar in the Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, has often wondered about the philosophical takeaways from his research on bacterial population study. Together with Bins Sebastian, assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, Madras Christian College, Chennai, he discusses a vital question ‘Can an invisible yet significant group of living organisms give us lessons on our society and the interactions within?’
  Posted on Feb 14, 2022 in Research & Interdisciplinarity
- Free-floating DNA in precision medicine
  Ambika Kurbet
  The levels of nucleic acids are enhanced in the blood of individuals affected by certain diseases. This understanding can be used for non-invasive diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, genetic conditions in the fetus, and neurological disorders. In this article, Ambika Kurbet gives an overview of the use of cell-free circulating DNA in diagnosis.
  Posted on Jan 10, 2022 in Molecular Biology & Research
Indian Scenario Older →
- Spreading the word about the Narcondam Island and its beautiful hornbills
  Joel P. Joseph
  Narcondam Island of Andaman is the only home for the Narcondam hornbills. Rohit Naniwadekar and his team ran a science outreach project to spread awareness about the vulnerable island ecosystems and sensitise communities who live and work around these areas. The team is also an awardee of 1^st IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant. In this article, Joel uncovers the journey, experiences, logistics, highs and lows of running an outreach program intended for on ground stakeholders.
  Posted on Jul 04, 2022 in Outreach & Science communication
- Bridging the gap through WhatsApp
  Rupsy Khurana
  Misinformation and its spread like wildfire is one of the greatest challenges we face. WhatsApp plays a big role in spreading information, disinformation and misinformation. In this article, Rupsy talks about a WhatsApp group set up to bridge the gap between journalists and scientists thereby curbing the spread of misinformation.
  Posted on Jun 13, 2022 in Outreach & Science communication
Journey of a YI Older →
- A lab that I can truly call my own
  Chandana Basu
  In the fourth article of our JOYI 2022 series, Chandana Basu, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellow at the Centre for Genetic Disorders, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, speaks about the different challenges she faced on her journey as a young investigator, and the lessons and navigational skills learnt.
  Posted on May 11, 2022 in Personal Experience & YIM
- My melodious academic duet
  Divya Prasanna Kumar
  In the third article of our JOYI 2022 series, Divya Prasanna Kumar, Assistant Professor, Liver Metabolism and Diseases Laboratory, JSS Medical College, Mysuru, shares her experiences of navigating through science as part of an academic couple.
  Posted on May 06, 2022 in Personal Experience & YIM
Opinion Older →
- How do people perceive nanotechnology? View through a sociological lens
  Ankita Rathore
  Ankita Rathore, a research student, is studying how people perceive the rapidly emerging field of nanotechnology. In this opinion article, she shares some aspects of her ongoing research and her views on why it is essential to factor in public opinion before implementing new technologies for their benefit.
  Posted on Jun 27, 2022 in Nanotechnology & Interdisciplinarity
- Choosing a scientific journal for publication: My modus operandi
  Divya Singh Tapaswi
  A de facto consideration among scientists is that a research project is not ‘finished’ until it is published in a scientific journal. However, with the spectrum of journals available, each with its own standards, expectations and targeted readers, choosing the ‘right’ journal for publishing the work is a skill in itself. Developing this skill is necessary to save time and avoid (too many) rejections. In this article, Divya Singh Tapaswi offers some tips for honing this skill and narrowing down the choices, based on her own experiences. What is your approach to choosing a journal?
  Posted on Sep 13, 2021 in Personal Experience, Research & Networking and Collaboration
@IndiaBioscience Older →
- YIM 2022: A message from the organisers
  Geethanjali Monto
  The 14th Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM 2022) is being held in a virtual format from 4 – 12 May. We asked the organisers of YIM 2022 (Felix Bast, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda; Megha, The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru; Mohit Kumar Jolly, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Shantala Hari Dass, IndiaBioscience, Bengaluru) a few questions about the upcoming meeting. Here is what they had to say.
  Posted on May 04, 2022 in YIM & Young Investigators
- My science journalism internship with IndiaBioscience: Five things I learned
  Sumeet Kulkarni
  Internships provide a first-hand experience to those stepping into a career while providing a safe and stable environment to test and hone their skills. Sumeet Kulkarni got his feet wet in the writing world with a three-month internship program in science journalism offered by IndiaBioscience. Here, he shares a few pointers from his learning that ignited his career as a science journalist.
  Posted on Aug 23, 2021 in Personal Experience & Science communication
PhD Cafe Older →
- A PhD for the love of wisdom
  Jithin Sunny
  What is a PhD – is it a certificate or a way of life? What is the significance of adorning the black robe? Is there a connection between science and philosophy? Is there a historical background to it? In this article, Jithin pays tribute to the doctorate and how it can drive away naive realism and bring substantive reasoning into our lives. He pays homage to the great minds —Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Whitehead and Einstein —true lovers of knowledge.
  Posted on Dec 06, 2021 in Personal Experience
- Choosing to be a mother while pursuing a PhD
  Enam Reyaz
  Enam Reyaz, a student at the Jamia Hamdard Institute of Molecular Medicine (JH-IMM), recounts her physical and emotional roller-coaster of experience embracing pregnancy and motherhood while pursuing a PhD degree; what helped her challenge the taboos and what more can be done by research institutions to support expectant mothers.
  Posted on Aug 02, 2021 in Women in Science, Policy & Personal Experience
Stories from Scientists Older →
- Stories from the community: Small grant with a big reward for Ben Barres Spotlight Award
  Geetanjali Chawla
  In the seventh article as part of community voices for international grants and fellowships, Geetanjali shares her journey towards and experiences with eLife's Ben Barres Spotlight Award.
  Posted on Jun 15, 2022 in Career Development, Funding & Personal Experience
- Stories from the community: Rhodes Scholarship
  Ritika Mukherji
  In the sixth article as part of community voices for international grants and fellowships, Ritika shares her experiences of international collaborations and path to winning a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford.
  Posted on May 18, 2022 in Career Development, Funding & Undergraduate
Funding Older →
- 10 pointers for the MSCA application
  Bhawana George
  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funding programme is an opportunity for researchers to acquire new skills through international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships' call for proposals is currently open until October 2021. Here, Jaishree Subrahmaniam, who has been awarded a Fellowship in 2020, shares 10 pointers for the application process with Bhawana George.
  Posted on Jul 19, 2021 in Career Development, Funding & Research
- 10 pointers for the last mile of the EMBO-YIP application
  Arun Shukla & Shantala Hari Dass
  The Young Investigator Programme (YIP), offered by the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), is open to young investigators in the life sciences who have started their independent research groups within the last 4 years. YIP facilitates and supports the career advancement of these early-career scientists via opportunities to network and collaborate. Arun K. Shukla, Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and an EMBO YI shares his 10 pointers for the last mile of the application process
  Posted on Mar 10, 2021 in Career Development, Funding & Young Investigators
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