It is a well-known fact that many of innovations made within academic labs fail to make the leap into the market and general circulation. We approached Praveen Vemula, a researcher-entrepreneur whose team has recently developed a face mask with germicidal properties, to learn about some of the key factors that influence successful translation of a technology developed in the lab.

Some of those most active in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic are also the ones most vulnerable to its devastating consequences on mental well-being. In this article, Raddur, an undergraduate student who volunteered at the frontline during the pandemic, writes about the effect of this unprecedented crisis on our mental health and a few small steps we can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Academic hierarchies have existed in more or less the same form since the beginning of modern scientific exploration, with students often constituting the bottommost rung of the ladder. In this article, Madhuri examines how such hierarchies can induce and exacerbate mental distress, as well as perpetuate a culture of bullying and silence, especially for those lower down in the hierarchy.

Uploading scientific studies to preprint servers before sending them off to journals for peer-review has become a standard practice in the physical and mathematical sciences. However, biologists have been slow in embracing the trend. In this article, Divya examines the advantages offered by as well as the risk associated with the widespread use of preprints during the time of the pandemic.

Some of the most pressing global concerns of today can only be addressed if disciplinary barriers are breached and a nurturing environment is created to enable free and open exchange of ideas. The echo network is an initiative that aims to facilitate this process by creating a network of like-minded thinkers and bringing them together on a common platform to brainstorm solutions to issues related to human-environment relationships in India.