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.

People from all walks of life are contributing to science. They volunteer to join forces with researchers to help in collecting vital scientific data, analyzing large volumes of data and answering important scientific questions. This trend is gaining popularity in India, with several new initiatives being launched to drum up public involvement in scientific endeavors.