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Recent Columns

Understanding interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity
Madhumitha Krishnan
In education, research and innovation, we often hear the terms “interdisciplinary” and “multidisciplinary”. Many of us may use these terms without understanding what exactly they mean. In this article Madhumita Krishnan, a consultant Ayurveda paediatrician at The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru unravels the meaning of these terms and explores the significance and need for a newer term called “trans-disciplinary”.
Posted on Sep 20, 2021 in Teaching, Research & 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

Conversations Older →
- 10 Leaders, 10 Questions: Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
  Shreya Ghosh
  Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay is currently the director of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata. Among other accolades, she received the Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science in 2017 and was the second woman scientist to receive the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Engineering Sciences (2010). We recently had the opportunity to chat with her regarding her thoughts on leadership.
  Posted on Jul 16, 2021 in Advice & Leadership
- Science as a community enterprise: In conversation with Mriganka Sur
  Shreya Ghosh
  Mriganka Sur is the Newton Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT. He has also acted as the jury chair for the Infosys Prize in the field of life sciences for the past several years. IndiaBioscience recently had the opportunity to chat with him about the current status of life science research in India, some of the common challenges, and the road ahead for the community. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
  Posted on Jun 21, 2021 in Policy, Advice & Research
Education Older →
- Understanding interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity
  Madhumitha Krishnan
  In education, research and innovation, we often hear the terms “interdisciplinary” and “multidisciplinary”. Many of us may use these terms without understanding what exactly they mean. In this article Madhumita Krishnan, a consultant Ayurveda paediatrician at The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru unravels the meaning of these terms and explores the significance and need for a newer term called “trans-disciplinary”.
  Posted on Sep 20, 2021 in Teaching, Research & Interdisciplinarity
- Common misconceptions in biology: What are habitats, microhabitats and niches?
  Abhijeet Bayani
  Speak of comfort zones! In this article, Abhijeet Bayani, a field biologist and an educator at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, disentangles the meanings and purposes of three terms commonly used in ecological studies to discuss the space in which an organism thrives – habitats, microhabitats and niches.
  Posted on Aug 30, 2021 in Ecology, Wildlife Biology & Education
Exploring Science Older →
- Why do we have so many different tests for COVID-19?
  Somdatta Karak
  From RT-PCR to rapid antibody kits to sewage surveillance - It is easy to become confused by the variety of different tests currently available for COVID-19. In this article, Somdatta explains the different ways in which each of these tests work, the pros and cons of each method, and the nuances involved in interpreting the results obtained from each of these tests.
  Posted on Nov 20, 2020 in Biotechnology & COVID-19
- Open Science responses during the COVID-19 pandemic
  N Rajendra Prasad
  The COVID-19 pandemic, while affecting the lives and work of scientists all over the globe, has also enabled an outpouring of generosity and innovation when it comes to rapid and open sharing of research outputs. During the International Open Access Week 2020, we examine some of the initiatives taken by various national and international organisations to improve global access to COVID-19 research.
  Posted on Oct 20, 2020 in COVID-19, Intellectual Property & Database/Resource
Indian Scenario Older →
- Call for a national strategy to make biomedical research more human-relevant
  P Surat
  Scientists are increasingly lobbying for non-animal models for biomedical research, given that subtle genetic differences between humans and animals can lead to pronounced differences in disease severity. Advanced technologies such as organs-on-chips are showing potential to make biomedical research more human-relevant. Surat reports on a recent virtual event that initiated a dialogue on the possibilities and challenges of implementing human-relevant models and frameworks in India.
  
  Posted on May 10, 2021 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Policy & Events
- Impostor syndrome - not just a feeling
  Divya Vishwanath
  Many successful academics continue to be plagued by feelings of “not belonging” or “not being good enough”. Some even hold an implicit belief that they have defrauded everyone around them into believing in their capability. In this next article in our mental health series, Divya delves into the “impostor syndrome” and some possible solutions for this pervasive mental health challenge.
  Posted on Apr 29, 2021 in Advice & Mental Health
Journey of a YI Older →
- Research in the interdisciplinary domain: benefits and challenges in India
  Dhaval Patel
  Dhaval Patel is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gujarat. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about pursuing interdisciplinary research, and the hidden advantages and hurdles he faced while setting up his independent lab.
  
  Posted on Jul 09, 2021 in Personal Experience, Advice & Young Investigators
- Roots before wings: Setting up a laboratory as a new investigator
  Himanshu Shekhar
  Himanshu Shekhar is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about the importance of learning and applying strategic management skills when a researcher is first setting up their independent lab.
  Posted on Feb 03, 2021 in Personal Experience, Advice & Young Investigators
Opinion Older →
- 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
- Public engagement with science in India: Making the whole greater than the sum of its parts
  Sarah Iqbal & Banya Kar
  Over the last year and a half, we have seen a burgeoning of efforts at communicating (COVID-19 ) science to the public. But, did we have a pandemic-ready science communication machinery in the first place? In this article, Sarah Iqbal and Banya Kar, authors of a recent survey report by India Alliance on public engagement with science in India, make a case for the why’s and how’s of engaging public with science before the next health crisis hits us.
  Posted on Sep 06, 2021
@IndiaBioscience Older →
- 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
- IndiaBioscience: knitting together the life sciences community
  N. Ramakrishnan
  How a dinner meeting between a cell biologist on a sabbatical in India and three young faculty members at the NCBS sowed the seeds for what is now IndiaBioscience.
  Posted on Jul 26, 2021
PhD Cafe Older →
- 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
- An Introvert’s Guide to Networking
  Vanshika Singh
  Vanshika Singh is a PhD student at the National Centre for Brain Research (NBRC), Manesar. In this next article in our PhD Cafe series, she writes about why networking can be challenging for an introverted graduate student and the strategies that one can employ to derive the benefits of networking while remaining true to their personality.
  Posted on Oct 04, 2019 in Networking and Collaboration
Stories from Scientists Older →
- Researchers post-lockdown: Finding the silver lining in a dark cloud
  Karla P. Mercado-Shekhar
  Previously in this series, we have asked scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Karla P. Mercado-Shekhar, Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar writes about the process of adjusting to the new normal, and some positive changes in the way we communicate and collaborate that may have resulted from this experience.
  Posted on Feb 19, 2021 in COVID-19 & Personal Experience
- Researchers in Lockdown: Breaking boundaries, building bridges
  Mayuri Rege
  In this series, we ask scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Mayuri Rege from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai, writes about how the lockdown has transformed scientific networking, especially for those for whom international travel was always a barrier. This article was first published on COVID Gyan.
  Posted on Sep 05, 2020 in COVID-19, Career Development & Networking and Collaboration
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
Featured Authors
- Anil Kumar Challa
- Asim Auti
  - Talk, blend and perform: tackling the Lab courses
    Posted on Jul 17, 2017 in Environmental Sciences, Teaching
  - Talk, blend and perform: my adventures in the classroom to engage students
    Posted on Jul 10, 2017
- Urvashi Bhattacharyya
  Urvashi (Raheja) Bhattacharyya is a Senior Research Analyst with StudyMode with a Ph.D in Neuroscience from NCBS, Bangalore. She loves writing about education and health care and has been associated with IndiaBioscience since 2015.