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.

Behind the now-popular story of cockroach milk are ten years' of efforts by researchers to decode the structure of heterogeneous protein micro-crystals taken from the roaches' guts—a technologically difficult exercise that has never been done before.

Biomaterials research in India has many potential clinical applications, with success stories like a low-cost artificial heart valve developed in 1990. Translating theory into practise, however, still remains a challenge.

Chaitanya Athale, Associate Professor at IISER Pune, shares his experience as a mentor to a team that participated in iGEM 2015, an international competition for students interested in the field of synthetic biology.

A biosensor is an analytical device, which combines a bioreceptor - a biological recognition element - and a transducer. The bioreceptor can be organisms, tissues, cells, enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, etc and detects the target analyte while the transducer can be electrochemical, optical, thermal or mechanical in nature and converts the recognition event into a measurable signal. This is where the interaction between disciplines, like materials, electrical engineering and physics, … More