On 9 August 2023, the Parliament of India passed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill 2023. The foundation, first proposed in the National Education Policy 2020, was envisioned as an autonomous body coordinating research funding in the country, especially for the research funding-starved universities and colleges. The foundation is built along the lines of the United States’ National Science Foundation and borrows from other national science councils.

The vision and the proposal

As articulated in the bill, the foundation purports to provide “high level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship” in the sciences, engineering and technology, health and agriculture, and the interface of technology with social sciences.

The foundation primarily aims to seed, grow, and facilitate research in Indian universities and colleges with low research capacity by providing research grants and infrastructure. It plans to provide a conducive research environment through different programmes, including fellowships and academic chairs. In essence, it seeks to bridge the gap between teaching and research in Indian universities and colleges.

Subhash C Lakhotia, Distinguished Professor and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Distinguished Fellow, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), described this goal as “an essential requirement.”

NRF also seeks to prepare a roadmap for research in the country, enhance international collaborations, support the translation of research to technologies, document research expenditure and output, and encourage the private sector to invest in research.

The proposed budget for NRF is INR 50,000 crores for a period of five years, with ~28% of it (INR 14,000 crore) coming from the government and the remaining ~72% (INR 36000 crore) being the private sector’s share.

Shailja Vaidya Gupta, Chief Project Director, India-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Ind-CEPI), described the “overall idea as it was conceived” as a “ground-breaking” one. She said,

NRF will definitely help the research and development ecosystem because there is additional money available, and its basic aim of bridging the gap between research and education is another very positive thing.

A not-so-independent body with the same financial administration struggles?

Although scientists and policy analysts laud the idea of having an autonomous body to guide research, the caveats are critical. With the finer details of NRF still being unavailable, there have been important questions about the autonomy, finance, and governance of the foundation in the minds of the stakeholders.

While both Lakhotia and Gupta agree that it is a terrific idea to have an autonomous body to govern research in the country, they soon point out that it would not be possible for NRF to be an independent body given the composition of its constituent members.

Lakhotia explained that it is unlikely that the NRF would achieve the stated autonomy because of the constitution of its regulatory board with the Prime Minister and two ministers at the helm and several government secretaries as members.

“The present organisational structure is very different from SERB, which was established in 2008 as an autonomous regulatory body, and which largely remained so,” Lakhotia said. He illustrated the point by citing the example of the zero-balance system of funding the research projects under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which according to him, has crippled disbursement and utilisation of the limited research funds. “Fortunately, as an autonomous body, SERB did not have to follow this practice,” he said. He added that the autonomy of NRF in developing and supporting diverse research programs remains uncertain with the ‘top-heavy’ structure.

Gupta also concurs that the organisational structure makes it challenging for the body to be autonomous. Furthermore, she explains that the NRF is no longer independent as the body is now under DST. In fact, this year’s INR 2000 crore allocation that the union government made in its budget for NRF was not as a separate organisation but as part of the DST.

Gupta also explained that this lack of autonomy makes it difficult to solve the biggest challenge that Indian research ecosystem faces today: the problems of financial administration of research funds. “If NRF could structure its own governance and financial rules, it would have been the biggest initiative of the government,” she said.

The “how” questions

Apart from concerns about the autonomy of the foundation, there is also the concern about how the proposed objectives would be fulfilled and the money for the same would be raised. Although the bill addresses the “what” and the “who” questions, it does not answer many of the “how” questions.

“The modus operandi for supporting research in colleges and universities is unclear,” Lakhotia said, expressing concern that spreading limited resources thin would actually have a negative impact. “Private institutions may succeed in ‘cornering’ a greater proportion of the grant because of their better ‘face’,” he added.

Binay R. Panda, Professor, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, raised some of these “how” questions with a roadmap to some possible answers in his article for The Hindu. He mainly addressed two broad areas at the heart of the bill: (i) How can NRF enhance the ease of doing science? (ii) How will the government raise the proposed amount from the industry?

Lakhotia also expressed similar concerns, particularly in terms of fund generation. “With the government’s commitment for the NRF budget being much smaller, we are not sure if the private sector will really contribute as much as proposed in the bill,” he said. If unsuccessful, it may in fact reduce the funds available for research in the coming years, he added.

In my perception, the government must support research and development (R&D) activities to a much higher level than at present, which already is a tiny fraction of gross domestic product (GDP).

NRF should have moved towards a significantly higher layout for R&D activities through public money rather than envisaging the present proposed level and that too relying on private funding.

In hopeful anticipation

At this point, the vision of NRF for what it was initially conceived to be in NEP 2020 seems to be highly appreciated, and deviations from this original idea seem concerning. Several questions arise around the execution of the plans proposed in the bill, the answers to which hold the key to its success.

What is carbon? “Which one of the Pancha Bhuta does this belong to?” asks an elderly gentleman. Sanjana Hegde, mediator, Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB), who was somewhat surprised by the question, explains that carbon could be any of them in different forms. The gentleman, however, doesn’t give in to this all-in-one identity of carbon. He thinks that’s preposterous! That can’t be true. He asks again, “No, you tell me, is it Vayu or Prithvi?” Further questions and answers take this discussion on for about 20 minutes at the Indiranagar Metro Station, where the Jīvāṇu exhibit of SGB’s exhibition CARBON has been placed for display from August to October 2023, Wednesdays to Sundays at 3-7 pm.

Science Gallery is a not-for-profit public institution that uses an interdisciplinary approach between science and arts to ignite questions in the minds of youth. They are located in seven places worldwide. SGB was established with the support of the Government of Karnataka and its three academic partners, the Indian Institute of Science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), and the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Later, in 2023, SGB intends to open its in-person exhibition, CARBON, for the public. Carbon, an element that has been the critical component of all we are and see around us, has been the namesake for this exhibition season of SGB.

In Carbon, SGB brings forth thought-provoking questions about the element from the beginning of this earth to the present day,

How do we understand carbon beyond the catchphrases and contradictions? Why does it behave the way it does—the elemental basis for life but equally a gas capable of suffocating life?

Origins of life

Life is thought to have arisen from non-living matter in a natural process using simple organic compounds formed from inorganic chemicals abundant in the prebiotic earth. In 1952, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey carried out an experiment to demonstrate that many of the “molecules of life” such as amino acids can arise in fairly simple laboratory conditions. In their study, the scientists used an oxygen-less mixture of gases, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water vapour inside a glass vessel, along with electrical discharges, demonstrating the formation of organic molecules like amino acids, which are building blocks of proteins. Alexander Oparin and JBS Haldane had earlier proposed (in the 1920s) that such molecules can concentrate into droplets, known as coacervates, which might have acted as precursors of present day cells (protocells) but there has been no such demonstration to date.

Around the same time that Miller and Urey were carrying out their experiments at the University of Chicago in the USA, two of their Indian contemporaries also started walking a similar path. In the 1950s, Krishna Bahadur and his wife, S Ranganayaki, at the Department of Chemistry, University of Allahabad set out to explore the possible emergence of life from a mixture of compounds, such as paraformaldehyde, ferric chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, water, molybdenum dioxide, sodium chloride, etc., performing the experiment under sunlight or artificial light. They found some spherical particles were created by keeping this mixture under light for days to weeks. These particles were dubbed as Jeewanu in the team’s publications in the 1960s, which also claimed that the Jeewanu could grow and divide. Using the analytical methods of the day, claims of the formation of amino acids and the ability of these particles to fix nitrogen, which is common among microorganisms, were also made. If indeed true, this would represent a real milestone in the quest for the emergence of life-like traits from simple chemical mixtures.

Over half a century later, Shashi Thutupalli, Associate Professor, NCBS and International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru, together with his students, Nayan Chakraborty and others, are revisiting this research project using modern analytical tools and microscopy. Their aim is to rigorously establish (or refute) the claims from the original experiments. The inquiries focus on these fundamental questions: Do the Jeewanu particles exhibit the claimed properties of growth and division? What are these particles composed of and are they indeed permeable compartments? Can they metabolise and produce more complex molecules such as amino acids?

“There is debate around the interpretations of the results of the Jeewanu experiments, and very few investigations have been carried out to follow up on Krishna Bahadur’s work. The original research project seems to have been either lost or forgotten or both. No labs around the world built up on that work,” says Nayan. While reviewing the literature, the Bengaluru team found that although a review from NASA questioned most of the claims of this work, it was not based on reproduced experiments but rather only on a reading of Bahadur and Ranganayaki’s published works. The report dismissed the results stating that the evidence provided was not sufficient for the claims and that the methods were not described in sufficient detail to allow for replication of the experiments. In sum, rigorous tests to either refute or confirm the claims by systematic replication have not yet been performed.

Past experiments vs. current findings

The initial goal of this project in Thutupalli lab was to check whether (and which of) Bahadur and Ranganayaki’s claims were reproducible. In a real tour de force, guided by the intuition of a chemist, Nayan managed to revive the experimental protocols and got the experiments running to establish the formation of Jeewanu-like structures.

Although Bahadur and Ranganayaki used multiple ingredients to create the particles, the NCBS scientists first wanted to zero down the minimal requirements for this experiment. They found that only some ingredients mentioned in the previous work were necessary to form the particles. As expected, the carbon source — paraformaldehyde, was essential, along with molybdenum, ammonium phosphate, and iron sulphate, to create the particles. Even light isn’t crucial, as it just catalyses the reaction, helping in the faster formation of the Jeewanu particles.

Armed with these results, the team is now moving ahead with various ongoing measurements and analyses to verify the various claims. The first two claims of Bahadur’s work were that these particles can grow and divide through budding. In biology, budding represents a form of asexual reproduction where one organism is formed from a bud of an existing organism. “When we tracked a few Jeewanu particles continuously under the microscope, we could see that they grow — in that sense, Krishna Bahadur was correct, but our experiments have not yet revealed budding. From our experiments we see when the particles grow at high densities, they grow into each other, producing structures like those in the images obtained by the Allahabad team which may have been wrongly interpreted as proof of budding,” says Nayan. As of now, Thutupalli’s team has only confirmed the growth of the particles, but not their budding or division. It is possible that Bahadur and Ranganayaki could have misinterpreted the images or there may indeed be other (as yet unexplored) conditions in which such budding is possible — after all, the claims of the Allahabad team were made on the basis of three decades of work, much of which may not be described in sufficient detail.

The third original claim was of metabolism by the Jeewanu particles. Bahadur used paper chromatography to claim that amino acids were being formed in the mixture. Instead of this low sensitivity analytical method, Thutupalli’s group has been using mass spectrometry to identify molecules in the mix based on their unique mass-to-charge ratio. “Very preliminary mass spectrometry results seem to suggest that the Allahabad team might indeed have been on the right track. We do see some signatures of amino acids and other small chemical molecules in our measurements,” says Nayan. However, as it is a preliminary result addressing an important claim, the results remain to be established beyond any doubt. The team is now performing such further experiments to unambiguously identify which compounds are formed and in what amounts.

Like all living cells, Bahadur and Ranganayaki claimed these particles also acted as compartments. For the particles to act as compartments, they must have a membrane or structure around them that is ‘permeable’ — some substances can go inside these particles, and others can be sent out. “It’s not typical that all spherical-looking objects be permeable. Precipitates — a highly condensed state — are not permeable, whereas lipid vesicles or micelles can be permeable,” explains Nayan. This brings us to the question of what makes up the Jeewanu particles. Experiments to investigate this are currently underway.

“If Jeewanu is indeed proven to be a primitive version of a protocell, it might be one of the simplest or minimal protocell to date, as all other protocell models in the field use complex molecules like polymers instead of simple molecules,” explains Nayan. For the moment however, the Bangalore team is moving ahead with a mix of caution and optimism.

Public engagement in Carbon

Pranav Bidare, a technology and law researcher who visited the Jīvāṇu exhibit at the Indiranagar Metro Station, says, “The primordial soup exhibit is not what I expected. Mostly, when people speak about carbon, they think of either carbon emissions and pollution or organic chemistry and things like that. But how essential it was in creating life itself is not something people think about.” He adds,

SGB is doing a good job of bringing both the positive and negative things to light. I am only hoping that whatever awareness or change in public opinion this creates will lead to something concrete that will change people’s policies or bring something good to the environment.

Puja Das, an SGB mediator for CARBON, finds it specifically “interesting that Science Gallery Bengaluru is bringing an ongoing experiment to the public. Most of the time, exhibitions are put forth when all the experiments of a project have been completed. Only then is it publicised. But right now, having this engagement where people get to know that it is an ongoing experiment makes it all the more interesting for conversations.”

Exhibits of CARBON are being showcased until October at Indiranagar, Majestic, MG Road, and Sandal Soap Factory Metro Stations before the final exhibition is unveiled later this year. Passengers of all ages from across the city come to visit these exhibits. “We see a mixture of crowd. On weekends, especially at the MG Road and Indiranagar Metro Stations, we primarily see a younger crowd. We see a slightly older crowd in other places like Majestic and Sandal Soap Factory Metro Stations. Still, it’s interesting that even they are curious about it,” says Parvathy P Sekhar, an SGB mediator for CARBON.

Since the 17th century, when the first scientific journals, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and Journal des Sçavans, were published, until today, the primary aim of research publications has not changed. It is to share information and learn by building upon the works of one’s colleagues; however, this is no longer the sole apparent reason today. “The publishing system has become somewhat undermined as a sort of research assessment tool primarily, but the real function is to share information properly, and this function is still very relevant,” said Bernd Pulverer, Head of Scientific Publishing at the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) and Chief Editor at EMBO Reports, in a YI Huddle webinar.

IndiaBioscience organises a series of monthly webinars called YI Huddle, which serves as a discussion series for Young Investigators (YI) in India. In the third YI Huddle titled To be noted: Research Documentation and Reproducibility for YIs, they discussed the importance of documentation and reproducibility of research, highlighting challenges and solutions, especially for YIs. This discussion questioned the purpose of publishing research findings in scientific journals and how that shapes science.

Research documentation and reproducibility of research findings go hand in hand. However, a news feature based on a survey organised by Nature, where 1576 researchers participated, mentioned, “More than 70% of researchers have tried and failed to reproduce another scientist’s experiments, and more than half have failed to reproduce their own experiments.” Rather than research integrity, the problem lies primarily in the detailed reporting of highly complex methods and data, as there have been numerous instances of researchers exchanging information and reagents and spending lots of money and time. Yet, they were unable to replicate the work of their colleagues.

Enhancing research reproducibility

Divya P Kumar, Assistant Professor, JSS Medical College, Mysore, and the moderator of the YI Huddle, asked, “Do we have a framework that young investigators can keep in mind or define that in their lab setting to have research reproducibility?” Pulverer emphasised the existing gaps that undermine research reproducibility. “The funders are not incentivising attempts to reproduce science or even to report in a reproducible way in the first place. Then there’s no incentives in terms of your research career — the research assessment doesn’t encourage it either.” He added that what matters most for publications is still often the journal name and impact factor instead of any framework to follow up on the funded work and to assess whether it is reproducible.

He further added, “At the journal level also, we’re really still publishing in the same way we did in the last century, which is focused on narrative-driven papers, where you basically describe in free text data that is shown typically in a flattened format such as a PDF, from where data cannot be extracted for further analysis. Figures are often seen more as pretty pictures that illustrate the textual interpretation of the data, rather than sharing proper ‘raw’ or ‘source’ data in a way that has associated metadata.” Such metadata could benefit the researchers in reproducing research done by their colleagues.

However, even before publishing research in a scientific journal, research documentation starts in the lab notebooks. Contemporary researchers adopt diverse approaches to maintaining these notebooks, ranging from handwritten records to digital documents equipped with hyperlinks and traceable features for accessibility. While electronic notebooks offer advantages such as legibility and prevention of misplacement, both electronic and handwritten formats are viable. Certain journals, like the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JOVE), allow scientists to submit their methods as videos. For complex experimental methodologies, besides keeping well-documented lab notebooks, scientists should also ensure filming their work. A simple ‘trick’ often does the job when we scratch our heads over months due to the lack of such documentation.

Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols (PRO-MaP) is an initiative that encourages new standards for protocols and methods. As protocols and methods are ‘living’ documents, editors, including Pulverer, recommend that they be updated as and when a change is incorporated into the process and versioned so that one can return to a version that worked for a specific set of experiments. Platforms such as protocols.io allow such versioning.

“When I was doing my research, we were still really pulling out primary data in lab meetings and sharing the autorads and stuff, so you could see the primary data that came out of the machines,” recalled Pulverer. “Now this has changed dramatically: what typically is exchanged in lab meetings is already highly processed data, sometimes even ready-made PowerPoint slides that are, in essence, figures that are on the way into a paper.” In contrast, Pulverer believes sharing primary data with the lab members is crucial for constructive discussion and uncovering mistakes early on. Kumar also enlightened us with a lab practice that she follows in her lab and recommends others to do so.

She believes that even after following all protocols correctly if scientists cannot replicate their own data or their colleagues’, it’s essential to discuss that in the lab openly without feeling offended and taking things personally — stressing the need for an open lab environment.

Sharing research using preprints

As opposed to peer-reviewed papers, preprints in biology started being increasingly used only about a decade ago. Still, they became a game changer in sharing new research and early research documentation. A preprint is similar to a manuscript without peer review and can be submitted to preprint servers and updated with new versions based on feedback and new advances (versioning). Several preprint servers host preprints in Biological Sciences, including bioRxiv and medRxiv. As they cut down on the time required for sharing work in a peer-reviewed journal, they are often the go-to-choice for researchers before sharing their work for publication in a journal.

“Preprints empower authors to share “works-in-progress”; manuscripts that are updated as experimental work progresses towards more traditional publication. These works-in-progress are a novel feature of preprints that would be impossible to achieve with traditional journal publishing and are much more representative of developing work,” explained Jonny Coates, Associate Director, Accelerating Science and Publication in Biology (ASAPbio). At the same time, since sharing early work is often met with reluctance from authors because of the chance of ‘scooping’, preprints can be the perfect platform to do so. Coates elaborated,

“Preprints provide a citable, permanent record of research, and can be posted, or updated, whenever the authors feel is appropriate. This allows authors to document the entire research process from early sharing of work as a preprint to the final version of a project.”

However, just the formal documentation of research using preprints might not always be sufficient to protect from scooping. Pulverer mentioned, “At EMBO Press, we have, therefore, a ‘scooping protection policy’: from the date of posting your preprint, our editors will not take other papers (or preprints) into account in their assessment of the conceptual advance of the manuscript once it is submitted to our journals.”

There’s a bag full of benefits in sharing work as a preprint. Not only does one have the chance to receive feedback through all different stages of the experimental process, but one can also publish negative data and replication studies, which are often not accepted in most peer-reviewed journals, although tremendous efforts go into such studies. “This also benefits the larger community who can replicate work, strengthening the claims made by authors, or correcting mistakes and false claims,” added Coates.

Role of institutes and individual labs

Institutes can play a crucial role in implementing proper research documentation. Pulverer presented one interesting example from the Center for Stroke Research at Charite, Berlin. “They have a unit of about 120 researchers, and they actually hired two professional data and resource managers that help the PIs to structure the information, at the level of operations, protocols and reagent tracking, and also they help them in writing the papers in a structured way including the protocols.” It would be beneficial if other institutes also professionalise their research management this way — it may even save money.

However, one cannot ensure research reproducibility only by documenting research in a better way. Pulverer mentioned that it’s best to think about reproducibility within the lab, “If you have an interesting finding, get another postdoc or student to try to reproduce it themselves.” He also mentioned that in a consortium, experiments should even be reproduced across collaborative labs, and they should be reported. “So, if I, as an editor, see that this level of work was done … [I would be] obviously very positive about a paper like that.”

“A child can ask a thousand questions that the wisest man cannot answer.”

~Jacob Abbott, children’s book writer

Every child is unique. Some love the outdoors and are in constant awe of the natural world around them, drinking in every natural element. Others love books and board games, create art or work on their little projects. Then there are those who combine the best of the both worlds—even while seemingly tucked away in a corner with a book or, or these days, an educational tablet, they traverse the entire world within their minds.

Every such bookworm dreams of writing a book at least once. It is the natural progression after devouring many books. Once in a while, such a dreamer meets an encourager, and a book is born.

The Origin

Shreyas Maiti, son of a Neuroscientist and Chemical biologist, grew up listening to the wonders of the biological world. Maiti has always loved animals, with fishes being his favourites. One of his hobbies has been building aquariums and sharing his enthusiasm about this hobby, any chance he gets. It was during one such exchanges that Mitali Mukerji, then a Chief Scientist at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, asked him “Have you ever wondered why each fish is unique?”

Maiti was, of course, familiar with the term genomics— the study of the whole set of genes, also called the genome. Mukerji, a genomics scientist for over two decades, nudged Maiti to think about how the genomes of the animals that so fascinated him could hold the answers to his curious queries about those animals. She invited Maiti to intern at her lab during the summer, introducing him to the concepts of genomics. Maiti was the youngest summer intern at Mukerji’s lab: he spent the hours in the lab completely unravelling his curiosity. At some point, Maiti pondered aloud if there could be a book on animal genomes. Mukerji took this as a cue, and encouraged him to write one, and she would of course partner with him to delve into the scientific literature and find the answer to his queries. Maiti even suggested dedicating the book to Samir K. Brahmachari, a pioneer in Indian genomics, and to Maiti himself, as the person who helped him understand many scientific concepts in the most interesting ways.

Putting the pieces together

And so began a journey, with this school-going teenager sifting through online articles, videos from the National Geographic channel, and sometimes even TED talks. They decided to name the book “Genome Jaunts,” somewhat inspired by the rather directionless yet organic exploration of animal genomes, led by Maiti. During the book launch a few summers later, Maiti confessed that he initially considered writing about these animals as a mere practice for his creative writing, and never anticipated it would evolve into a real published book read by teens like him, across the country.

As winter made way for spring in 2020, neither of them could have known that words like ‘genome’ or ‘sequencing’ would become mainstay in popular media. The pandemic and consequently the lockdown swept across the country. It was during this time, Mukerji reached out to Samatha Mathew, then a PhD student with Sridhar Sivasubbu at CSIR-IGIB, to gauge her interest in joining the adventure that was “Genome Jaunts”.

Hence the duo became a trio. “We,” the authors of Genome Jaunts got together- a curious animal-loving kid, a seasoned genomics scientist, and a young researcher with a penchant for science communication.

We worked remotely, with the fascinating and enthusing animal facts compensating for the horror of the pandemic and absence of in-person interactions. Soon, the book had taken its shape. We decided to confine the book to 50 animal descriptions by Maiti, each accompanied by its corresponding answers from genomes. By the end of the year, the book was compiled, with the gracious support from Maiti’s mother Beena Pillai, who also penned the foreword. Thus, the first version of “Genome Jaunts” was ready to be introduced to the world.

Packaging the right way

Now came the dilemma. We were uncertain about who would be interested in publishing such a book. We reached out to folks within our networks. Although everyone who came across the book lauded the idea of a teenager leading the project, we struggled to identify a clear path to publishing it. A fortuitous discussion with another graduate student from CSIR-IGIB gave a direction for Genome Jaunts: approaching the Environment Education department of World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)-India. The WWF is a not-for-profit organisation, doing exemplary work in the field of wildlife conservation.

We took our chance and reached out to their Environment Education team with the first compiled draft of Genome Jaunt. The response from the team was extremely positive; in all of their publications this would be the first time they would link genes to the behaviour and adaptations of animals. Our book draft of course had to undergo copyediting and Neha Raghav, now the head of Environment Education WWF-India promptly put us in touch with Bijal Vachharajani, children’s book author and editor, for very valuable critique for tuning our content to the right audience. We now set to work, once again entirely remotely, with the WWF-India team, for several rounds of copy-editing and of course, illustrations. Shreya Bhat, senior content and training manager with WWF-India used a fine-toothed comb and worked with us meticulously to clarify every point made such that our book could be palatable to anyone 10 years and above, without any particular exposure to advanced science topics. Surbhi Bhadani, our illustrator and design consultant with WWF-India, worked on the layout with the aim of transforming of our book into an entirely illustrated science book for our young readers. And deliver she did!

It was then time to find a suitable publishing house keeping in mind getting the widest reach possible- Neha putting her shoulders to the wheel for this endeavour. This is where we really did seem to hit a wall. All the regular publishers of children’s books had a set format in mind, and our book was a tad too unconventional. After encountering several closed doors, WWF-India decided they would publish it under their sole branding, along with other publications of theirs. This also meant that all the proceeds from our book would go to WWF-India, for their diligent efforts of wildlife conservation.

Releasing into the wild

When the date of the virtual book launch was fixed, we were beyond excited- it was also a mixture of disbelief and happiness. We had eminent guests including renowned scientists: Raghavendra Gadagkar, Santanu Chaudhury, Harini Nagendra and Samir K. Brahmachari himself, to whom the book is dedicated. The launch was exhilarating and at times emotional for us, owing to the many kind words of appreciation and the fact that the guests highlighted the greatest USP of our book- our young author with the curious questions and the senior authors answering those. That while we gradually grow up with our curious questions being snubbed by the current education system, an effort like Genome Jaunts was the alternative they would have suggested as an antidote so that many young curious minds question and critique things around them.

There are few take aways that us authors have had during the journey of putting this book together and publishing. Even when India has several biodiversity hotspots, our book highlights animals mostly found in or described by researchers in other countries.

This points to a gap and a potential opportunity for the animal behaviour researchers in the country to package their science more for a general audience. So the next time someone like Maiti searches for ‘fascinating animals’, animals found in the country also pop up on their screens.

From Mukerji’s perspective, ‘Genome Jaunts’ represents an apt approach for scientific problems- letting the younger generation to lead by asking the questions. A key realisation Mukerji had during all the discussions and till the writing of the book was how Maiti was never inclined to think of whether genomes could answer something about humans. To Maiti, all animals are intelligent. This completely non-anthropocentric view of Maiti, or any other kid his age, is a fresh take on asking questions for researchers. As someone pointed out once, we also hope that our book encourages many young curious minds to turn to science, especially girls, taking lead from Mukerji. WWF-India has given us a unique branding which makes sure our book reaches the right audience, and we are excited and in much grateful anticipation to see the ripples our book creates in the years to come.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we approach science, and the field of life sciences has been no exception. Over the last two decades, researchers have been using machine learning and AI-based approaches in research. But the emergence of new AI-based chatbots — ChatGPT, GPT4, and BioGPT — has not failed to start a new buzz. Researchers and educators are still exploring their way around the system, trying to understand how to effectively leverage these systems to ease pedagogy and build a learning framework around these tools.

Recently, certain areas of life sciences and medicine research have witnessed widespread adoption of AI. These include the use of AI in disease diagnosis, identifying disease-related markers (associated with disease conditions or recovery indicators), analysing medical images, repurposing existing drugs in the market for new applications, facilitating clinical trials, designing medical devices, and even developing new drugs.

AI in drug discovery

Researchers are still testing AI and building algorithms for more efficient and accurate use in biological systems. However, even this development of knowledge and outcomes has been much faster than traditional methods that rely on labour-intensive and expertise-reliant processes. For instance, this year, the first fully AI-generated drug entered clinical trials in human patients i.e., phase 2 clinical trials. The drug is being tested for the treatment of a rare, progressive chronic lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The drug was designed and clinical-trial-ready in just one year, a record improvement over the current average five-year timeline. AI played a crucial role in designing the drug and discovering the specific protein target that the drug binds to for alleviating the disease.

AI in disease diagnosis

Two other areas of life sciences research and application where AI can have a huge impact are medical image analysis and disease diagnosis.

Phaneendra K. Yalavarthy, Professor, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), develops AI based platforms for medical imaging. “AI has revolutionized biomedical imaging by enabling faster and more accurate analysis of medical images such as MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays,” he says. “It has significantly improved disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment planning, leading to better patient outcomes and reduced medical errors.”

In a country like India, where there is a severe shortage of radiologists to read medical images, AI in medical imaging is a need of the hour, Yalavarthy explains. This would help the radiologists shorten their image-reading times and provide better patient care. “AI is primarily an adjunct at this point of time and evolution of AI in the next decade will push it to driving the patient care,” he adds.

Another group of researchers at IISc combined AI with Raman spectroscopy to quickly detect bacterial pathogens present in different types of clinical samples in a study published last year. One of these groups also worked on using Raman spectroscopy and AI to detect COVID-19, in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, for which they won the Challenger Award at the NASSCOM AI Game Changer Awards in 2021.

Raman spectroscopy gives a unique spectrum for each bacterium based on how they scatter light shone on them as a laser beam. The subtle differences in the spectrum arising from the different molecular signatures in different pathogens is difficult to detect with human eye and would also take longer time. But AI helps in rapid and accurate detection of the spectra once trained.

Thus, AI-based tools can improve life and health when integrated in different areas, from research to diagnosis, drug discovery, and treatment. But there are also certain areas that one must treat with caution. For instance, Yalavarthy explains that the lack of generalisation across the patient population is one of the challenges in using AI. He adds that most AI algorithms do not perform consistently across patient populations, and it would take another decade for AI to have universal applicability. “That is why AI is still only a recommending system,” he says.

In my view, healthcare still requires human touch and AI-based technology alone will not provide the impact. The collaboration between AI and expert will be key for healthcare.

AI in life sciences education

Beyond research and diagnosis, AI is making significant strides in transforming life sciences education. Recent and popular developments in AI are the chatbots ChatGPT, GPT4, and BioGPT. These are large language models that are trained on huge amounts of text available across different domains and languages. For example, ChatGPT is trained on all the text available on the internet until 2021. So, when a text is given as a prompt, the tool taps into all the textual data that it has been trained on and returns answers. GPT4 is essentially an updated version of ChatGPT, which can also accept images as prompts. The explosion of these language models has got researchers and educators thinking about their appropriate use, misuse, and the ability to distinguish between human-written and machine-generated content.

Sachin Rajagopalan, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College, Mumbai, concurs that AI-based tools like ChatGPT have revolutionised education and can readily answer students’ queries and solve their problems. “But you need to have some prior knowledge,” he warns. “While the tools are good at paraphrasing content and enriching its language, one needs to be vigilant of the content.”

According to him, these are “good outlining tools” that students can use to plan “what they need to cover in their assignments, and perhaps generate some project ideas too.” He adds that some teachers also use this feature to prepare lesson plans.

In addition to these language models, there are AI-based tools that have proven to be useful in creating content for pedagogical tools. For instance, educators could use AI-based tools to convert text into PPT or search for images available under the creative commons license. “These are surely helpful, and several teachers are using this feature,” Rajagopalan says.

A word of caution

Although AI-based tools bring such tremendous benefits for students and educators alike, they also have downsides. One must realise that tools like ChatGPT are language models, and use them accordingly. The answers are as good as the prompts one would provide. In the context of its use in academic pursuits, the tool often returns non-existent reading material and references. Moreover, there are ethical considerations to bear in mind. To what extent should students use these tools? When they do, how best can they use it for their growth? These are questions that are plaguing educators and students. The former are now challenged to prepare questions that tools like ChatGPT cannot easily return, and many are now working on using the tool to their benefit.

As Rajagopalan worries, heavy reliance on AI could handicap the unique nature of human thought process, and therefore hamper intellectual progress. The usefulness of AI ultimately rests in the hands of its user. As Oren Etzioni, an American entrepreneur aptly said,

AI is a tool. The choice of about how it gets deployed is ours.

Amidst the debate surrounding the origin of COVID-19, one point stands clear as crystal: we are living in an era of unprecedented biological risks. As technologies in areas such as synthetic biology, virology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence advance at breakneck speed, the dangers of misuse or accidental release of harmful biological agents - pathogens, toxins, or genetically modified organisms (GMO) - are greater than ever. While there have always been challenges in ensuring biological safety and security, several new technological developments are now reshaping the entire landscape of biological risks. Comprehending the risk landscape in these areas will be crucial to effectively prevent or mitigate future biological disasters and the possible weaponisation of biological systems and biological data.

New frontiers and risks in synthetic biology and neurotechnology

Synthetic biology, the scientific field to design, develop or alter biological systems, is now at the forefront of these concerns. This field has created a seismic shift in our bioeconomy, intertwining molecular biology, biochemistry, engineering, and bioinformatics. The outcomes of this scientific revolution have far-reaching implications for gene therapies, biomanufacturing, vaccine development, climate-resilient crops, and advanced biofuels. However, this tremendous promise is accompanied by a spectre of risk. Imagine a world where pathogens can be made more lethal, toxins more potent, and new customised biological weapons can be created to suit malicious intent. The risks arising from advancements in synthetic biology are not limited to humans alone, as agricultural and ecological systems could also be equally threatened, with significant implications.

Similarly, the field of neuroscience, which has long captured the interest to defence agencies, presents its own unique set of challenges. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, which enables a direct connection between the human brain and digital devices, is making remarkable advancements in assisting individuals with specific disabilities. BCIs establish a direct interface between our most intimate organ, the brain, and external digital devices, potentially revolutionising healthcare and other fields. But, alongside this promise, there are real perils to consider.

These dangers include the risk of physical harm such as infection or tissue damage, the vulnerability of digitally connected devices to cyber-attacks, and the potential misuse of confidential neural data. Similarly, emerging techniques such as deep brain stimulation, neural modulation, and cognitive enhancement, primarily developed to modulate or enhance brain activities for therapeutic purposes, could be exploited to impair brain function and manipulate or implant memories. Furthermore, there are risks associated with the private industry in gaming, entertainment, and therapeutics, with the deployment of untested technologies in the absence of regulatory oversight.

Biological risks in the digital age

Artificial intelligence (AI) is yet another game-changer, collaborating with synthetic biology and biotechnology to amplify our capacity to decode DNA sequences, potentially aiding our fight against deadly diseases. However, this power can also be misused to enhance the lethal potential of pathogens. It is important to remember that an AI program, originally designed for pharmaceutical research, was able to generate over 40,000 potential new toxins within a mere six hours.

One of the most alarming implications of such technologies is the possibility of creating customised chemical or biological weapons based on genetic or physiological data. Also, the utilisation of AI in biometrics could result in surveillance and discrimination of individuals based on a wide range of biological traits.

Moreover, the increasing reliance on digital systems for the collection, storage, and analysis of biological data introduces a whole new array of cyber-biosecurity threats. This is particularly critical since the biological data gathered in research laboratories and hospitals are inherently personal and often contain sensitive information. Whether it involves patient records from hospitals, data from clinical trials, or even genomic sequence data, the risk of cyber-attacks is ever-present. This reality was starkly demonstrated by the significant cyber-attack on AIIMS, New Delhi earlier this year.

Cyber-attacks can also disrupt or compromise vital equipment and biological systems in hospitals and research facilities. Malicious actors with access to institutional digital systems may tamper with experimental data, modify research protocols, or interfere with data analysis algorithms, resulting in misleading or incorrect outcomes that can have profound consequences for the research conducted within the institute.

The path forward: managing biological risks in the era of democratisation of biology

In the rapidly evolving world of scientific advancements, the democratisation of biological research has led to an increase in Do-It-Yourself biology and small bio-manufacturing units. While this progress holds great promise, it also presents a paradox, as these very tools have the potential to trigger unforeseen catastrophes.

The accessibility of advanced biological technologies to a broader range of individuals and organisations is undoubtedly empowering and could foster groundbreaking innovations in various fields. However, it also introduces significant concerns regarding the responsible use and potential misapplication of these powerful tools. Striking the right balance between promoting innovation and ensuring safety will be crucial in navigating this complex landscape of democratised biology.

Some steps to manage such risks:

• Biological safety training and security practices: The current lack of comprehensive training on ethics, safety, and security among scientists is concerning. And addressing this challenge necessitates collective action at all levels. Scientists need thorough training in biological safety and security practices to ensure responsible conduct. Institutions should develop and enforce robust safety protocols, leveraging frameworks such as the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines. Regulatory bodies must establish guidelines that keep pace with the rapid technological progress, ensuring effective oversight and regulation of emerging biological technologies.

• Audits and risk assessments: Regular audits and risk assessments are essential to ensuring compliance and identifying vulnerabilities. Several countries, such as the US, the UK and Australia, have developed national strategies to prevent, manage, and mitigate biological risks. The US has also established a National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which advises the government on matters related to biological security and dual-use research. However, many countries in the Global South, including India, lack such strategies and institutional structures, highlighting a critical gap that demands immediate attention.

• Multilateral frameworks: On the global stage, reinforcing multilateral frameworks like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is of paramount importance to orchestrate a unified response to biological risks. In this context, the promotion and support of the WHO Global guidance framework for the responsible use of life sciences, along with relevant provisions of the Global Health Security Agenda, could play crucial roles. These international frameworks can facilitate collaboration, information sharing, and the establishment of guidelines and protocols to address the challenges posed by emerging biological technologies.

• 'One Health' approach: Further, adopting a 'One Health' approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and our shared environment, will enable the development of holistic strategies for managing these risks.

• Facilitating dialogue among stakeholders: Equally important is the cultivation of platforms that facilitate dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. For instance, engaging with the International Gene Synthesis Consortium, an industry-led group of DNA synthesis companies that screens gene orders to minimise the risk of DNA misuse, could be instrumental.

Despite the formidable challenges in managing biological risks, they are not insurmountable. The path to success lies in collective efforts that encompass improved education, robust institutional and regulatory mechanisms, strengthened international frameworks, and open dialogue. Through these endeavours, we can move towards a world that is significantly safer from biological threats.

“We only use ten percent of our brains!”

“Your brain rots by playing video games.”

How many times have we heard these statements? Umpteen! Myths like these have become so prevalent that many of us grow up believing they hold some truth. Undoubtedly, the brain is the most fascinating yet the least understood organ. As a society, we often turn to electronic media, sci-fi movies, and the news as convenient sources of information about the brain. Unfortunately, these sources often portray a distorted image of the brain and even propagate wrong information, fuelling one of the deadliest modern pandemics: misinformation.

The lack of neuroscience education at the high school and undergraduate levels in India also deprives students of the opportunity to learn about this beautiful organ from a scientific perspective. Our society's brain awareness remains considerably low despite the abundance of scientific and educational resources on the subject.

The technical nature of these resources contributes to the perception that neuroscience is a complicated subject, which dissuade many competent students from pursuing it as a field of study. However, it’s essential to acknowledges that the idea of neuroscience being complicated isn’t entirely unfounded.

Setting the stage

In September 2021, during an informal Google meet call, a group of individuals came together with a mission to address this crucial of encouraging Indian students to explore neuroscience. This collective brainstorming session gave birth to the concept of Mind Gala, a pan-India neuroscience outreach initiative that received funding from the 2nd IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant (IOG). The Mind Gala was co-founded by Poonam Thakur, the Principal Investigator of the Thakur Neurodegeneration Lab at IISER Thiruvananthapuram, and a team of passionate neuroscience enthusiasts from Project Encephalon.

The primary aim of the Mind Gala is to make the field of brain sciences more accessible and appealing to high school and college students. Through the engaging 'Bheja Fry' webinar series, led by various neuroscientists, the initiative seeks to unravel the complexities of the brain by presenting them in a comprehensible way. These webinars delve into daily-life neuroscience phenomena, offer lab tours, host panel discussions, conduct workshops, and provide numerous opportunities for students to explore and appreciate the wonders of neuroscience.

By offering such interactive and informative sessions, the Mind Gala aims to spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of the brain among the younger generation.

Reaching out to the community

The 'Science Communication Workshop', along with our 'Science Writing Mentorship Program', emerged as a major highlight of the Mind Gala initiative. This engaging workshop was specifically designed to introduce beginners to the art of science communication, providing them with an invaluable experience.

During the workshop, science communication practitioners delved into various relevant topics, covering everything from designing effective two-way science communication programs to utilising storytelling techniques for conveying scientific concepts. Also, they offered insights into developing low-cost science communication projects.

Through interactive sessions and practical exercises, participants had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in crafting compelling scientific narratives and communicating complex ideas in a clear and engaging manner. The workshop fostered a supportive environment that encouraged active participation, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas among attendees. One particularly special session was led by Pankaj Seth, General Secretary of the Indian Academy of Neurosciences (IAN). He appraised the students about the myriad of resources and opportunities provided by IAN.

The impact of our workshop was remarkable, as it garnered participation from over 100 students across the country.

Mentored approach

The Mind Gala's 'Science Writing Mentorship Program' was an outstanding opportunity for aspiring science writers to receive personalised guidance and mentorship from experienced professionals in the field. Participants had the chance to refine their writing skills, receive constructive feedback, and learn the intricacies of science communication in neuroscience through one-on-one interactions with mentors.

Out of a highly qualified pool of over 200 applicants, we carefully selected 69 talented aspiring science communicators. Each of them was paired with one of our 10 mentors, who either had a background in science communication or were early-career neuroscientists. Over the course of 10 weeks, the mentor-mentee teams collaboratively worked on writing articles that explained various concepts in neuroscience.

One of our mentors, Annapoorna PK, shared her experience, highlighting how she found the transition to teaching popular science writing to be a rewarding challenge. The exchange of ideas with her mentees provided unique perspectives and enriched her own understanding of the subjects.

The topics covered a broad spectrum, ranging from fundamental subjects like neural regeneration and brain aging to areas of brain health and disease, neurotechnology, and daily-life neuroscientific phenomena such as dreams, learning, and memory. Mental health topics were also included to ensure a well-rounded understanding of neuroscience's relevance in our lives.

Throughout the program, our mentees received invaluable guidance from their mentors, who shared their insights and expertise in effective science communication. By refining their writing pieces, the mentees learned to communicate complex neuroscientific concepts in the simplest way possible.

Nishtha Bhargava, a mentee during the program, appreciated the program's impact, stating: 'The best part of the whole experience was the intensity and depth of research that the program and mentors encouraged us to pursue for our chosen topics.'

The way forward

The Mind Gala initiative reached its culmination with the publication of the popular neuroscience book, ‘Tales of Neuroscience’, on April 27, 2023 at the IISER Thiruvananthapuram campus. The momentous event celebrated the collaborative efforts of 69 authors, 10 mentors, and a team of over 25 volunteers from Project Encephalon, all of whom worked tirelessly to ensure the flawless execution of our programs.

The book launch witnessed an enthusiastic participation from over 100 attendees, both in-person and virtually through hybrid mode. The excitement was further amplified by the presence of J.N. Moorthy, the Honorable Director of IISER Thiruvananthapuram, and Murty Srinivasula, the Deputy Director of IISER Thiruvananthapuram, who graced the occasion as the Guests of Honor.

The 'Tales of Neuroscience' book is a collection of engaging narratives that span a wide range of fascinating topics. From exploring the neurobiology of beauty to delving into a heartfelt memoir of a son who lost his father to Multiple Sclerosis, and even understanding depression from an evolutionary perspective, there’s in this book for everyone.

The stories in the book presents complex scientific concepts in an engaging and relatable manner with an hope to ignite curiosity, inspire learning, and foster a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the brain. Whether you are a student embarking on your neuro-journey and seeking the right resources, or an experienced neuroscientist looking to rekindle the curiosity of a beginner, this book promises to take you on an intriguing journey of discovery.

The Group of Twenty (G20), an international forum representing the majority of the world's economy and population, has expanded its focus beyond financial stability to global challenges like climate change and public health. For India, the G20 provides a platform to engage with major economies to shape international rules, norms, and standards. With its current G20 presidency, India has a pivotal opportunity to shape global science and technology (S&T) policies, underlining G20's significant role in its international strategy.

The emphasis on S&T policy dialogues cannot be understated, as G20 countries produce approximately 85% of global scientific knowledge. The G20’s ability to foster international scientific cooperation and set international standards for data sharing, research ethics, and scientific publishing may indeed hold the key to overcoming global challenges.

G20 working groups: Deliberating science in health, agriculture, and beyond

Several G20 working groups such as health, agriculture, disaster risk reduction, energy transition, and environment and climate sustainability have thematic focus areas that involve promoting scientific research and deploying relevant technologies. For instance, the 100th G20 meeting was the Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) organised in Varanasi. This meeting discussed a wide range of scientific issues, including food fortification, transboundary pests and diseases, and climate-resilient agriculture. MACS also launched the Millets And OtHer Ancient GRains International ReSearcH Initiative (MAHARISHI) with voluntary membership from G20 countries. The goal of MAHARISHI is to facilitate research collaborations on climate-resilient and nutritious grains, supplementing the ongoing efforts under the International Year of Millets (IYoM) program initiated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The MAHARISHI secretariat will be based at the Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, and will serve as a hub to connect researchers, exchange data, conduct capacity-building activities, and facilitate knowledge transfer.

Similarly, the Health Working Group under the Sherpa track has identified key priorities that include preventing health emergencies, improving preparedness and response strategies, tackling antimicrobial resistance, and promoting the One Health framework. Additionally, the group focuses on strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector to ensure access to safe and effective medical countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics. Also, the group recognises the potential of digital health innovations in enhancing universal health coverage. For instance, AI-based tools and telemedicine can extend healthcare services to underserved areas, thereby bridging health inequities. This group emphasises the significance of a scientific foundation for policy initiatives, signalling a clear path toward a stronger integration of S&T in its agenda.

There are also science-specific G20 work streams: the Science 20 (S20), the Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG), and the Chief Science Advisors' Roundtable (CSAR).

The triad of science at G20: S20, RIIG and CSAR

The S20 engagement group consists of representatives from the scientific communities of G20 countries, aiming to promote communication and scientific cooperation among them. It also provides scientific advice and recommendations to G20 leaders. Under the Indian presidency, the S20 is focusing on the thematic areas of 'Clean Energy for a Greener Future', 'Universal Holistic Health', and 'Science for Society and Culture'. The S20 is actively involved in outreach activities, with the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) as its official knowledge partner and organising various events in this direction. However, as an engagement group, the recommendations and declarations from S20 are not binding.

On the other hand, the RIIG, led by the science ministries, has the potential for more substantive outcomes in promoting research and innovation collaboration. Its goal is to foster international scientific cooperation and develop sustainable solutions for science-driven equity by sharing best practices, collaborating on research projects, and developing policies to ensure equitable access to the benefits of research and innovation. It proposes the establishment of a G20 working group on Research, Innovation, and Equity, which would bring together leading economic powers to address these challenges. The four priority areas of RIIG under India’s G20 Presidency are i) Materials for Sustainable Energy; ii) Circular bio-economy; iii) Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition; and iv) Scientific Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Blue Economy.

Distinctly, the G20-CSAR, a new initiative under the Indian presidency and led by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. It focuses on addressing larger structural and policy issues impacting the science ecosystems of countries. The thematic areas under this initiative include 'One Health', 'Access to Scholarly Scientific Knowledge', 'Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in Science and Technology', and 'Institutional Mechanism for the Global Science and Technology Policy Dialogue'. The CSAR has the potential to become a vital hub for science advisors from the G20 countries to share insights and engage in discussions on pressing global issues, with the aim of establishing a formal institutional mechanism.

Challenges of coordinating G20 science dialogues

However, the effectiveness of these science dialogues at the G20 is hindered by the inherent siloed nature of government activities. This can lead to fragmented discussions, duplicated efforts, and potential contradictions in outcomes. For example, One Health is a key agenda for the Health and Agriculture working groups, S20, and the CSAR, indicating overlapping efforts and potential lack of coordination. Similarly, clean and sustainable energy is a major theme in the Energy Transition working group, S20, and the RIIG, highlighting the potential for redundancy and inefficiency.

Further, geopolitical differences and diplomatic tensions among G20 members can impede the outcomes of science-focused discussions. Also, there are significant disparities in national policies and approaches regarding different agenda points. For example, in the area of “access to scientific knowledge” being discussed in the CSAR, several major countries have open access policies that significantly differ from one another. Similarly, there are substantial variations in national policies promoting technological innovations for energy transitions. Reaching a consensus on such issues will be challenging. Additionally, there are considerable differences in scientific capacities and resources among G20 members, which could result in more advanced nations leveraging their resources to drive the agenda in these meetings.

Harnessing science diplomacy: A long road ahead

Although progress has been made in international scientific cooperation through the G20, there is still much ground to cover. It is crucial to bridge the gap between scientific recommendations and policy implementation, ensuring that the recommendations have a binding nature. Also, there is a need to promote equitable global scientific collaborations.

Despite these challenges, the potential for transformation through these forums in the global science, technology, and innovation landscape cannot be denied. As India engages in these discussions, it becomes imperative to leverage this platform to align global priorities with India's national agenda. It is crucial to advocate for an equitable scientific order and to accelerate scientific and technological advancements through actionable and collaborative strategies. By doing so, India can contribute to the progress and development of science and technology on a global scale.

Science communication – commonly referred to as “SciComm” – has gained a lot of momentum in India over the last decade or so. It has transitioned from being (viewed as) an auxillary activity for promoting research in scientific institutions, to an increasingly sought after non-academic career in the country. This has also been accompanied by a gradual proliferation of multilingual SciComm efforts as well as more innovative approaches for engaging publics with STEM. SciComm as a field is thus slowly coming into its own.[1]

But there’s still a long way to go before it becomes an integral and inalienable part of the scientific process itself. A number of aspects merit urgent attention if we want to nudge this ‘adolescent’ field in India towards complete maturity. For instance, SciComm as a field could benefit from more rigorous evaluation and impact measurement metrics; better competencies for critical reflexivity and introspection; and a more systematic and locally embedded facilitation of multidisciplinary research in SciComm. Importantly, the discipline also needs to continue lobbying for improved access to funding, infrastructure, resources and positions; as well as ways to generate more value and appreciation for the field for people who still remain sceptical of its potential.

Need for dedicated communities of practice

An essential prerequisite for enabling these aspirations is the creation of dedicated spaces for discussing the state of Indian SciComm and ways to improve it further. While there have been many efforts to bring together Indian science communicators [2], most of these initiatives haven’t moved beyond conversations on job opportunities, infrastructure, funding, and capacity-building efforts. This is not necessarily a critique of these initial efforts – given how critical it is to sort out these foundational concerns in the field – but rather a call for going a step (or two) further.

I would argue that there’s now a critical mass of people, functionalities, opportunities and interest within Indian SciComm ecosystem that allows us to build on these foundational efforts, and engage in higher-order deliberations on the scope, modalities and future of Indian SciComm.

Creating a professional body of Indian science communicators (as many others have argued too) could be one way of coalescing and catalysing these conversations. But such a professional body has yet materialise fully and become functionally significant enough to drive change. Even if such a body were to be founded soon, several aspects of its day-to-day functioning would need to be ironed out, including legal recognition, funding, staff, executive functioning, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring it is truly representative of the breadth and diversity of SciComm professionals across the country.

Making a case for an Indian SciComm conference

Another alternative (or parallel) approach for nurturing such a community of practice could be the organisation of a dedicated SciComm conference(s) by, of and for the Indian science communication community. Such a conference should ideally be organised annually (or biennially) and be spread over a few days, rather than being restricted to a few isolated sessions within larger scientific conferences or science festivals.

An dedicated SciComm conference could create much-needed space and time to reflect and deliberate on various challenges facing the Indian SciComm community and come up with potential solutions for these. They could also help build an appreciation for the peculiarities of doing SciComm within Indian contexts [3], facilitate continuous professional development and capacity-building efforts, and allow for better theorisation and reflexivity in the practice of SciComm.

An exclusive science communication conference could therefore be a game-changer, enabling deeper insights, nuanced discussions, and lots of reflections on practices within the field, as well as serve as a platform for active networking and exchange of ideas that could accelerate the field of (Indian) science communication significantly.

In light of this proposition, I want to share some of my own experiences and learnings from attending the PCST 2023 conference in Rotterdam earlier this year, which is one of the oldest and largest international SciComm conferences organised biennially by the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network.

About the PCST Network

The PCST Network was established in 1989 in Poitiers, France, as an organisation aimed towards bridging the gap between researchers and practitioners of science and technology communication. Over the last 3 decades, it has significantly grown both in size and scope to become an international SciComm network with over 800 members spanning across 80 countries.

The network has organised an international SciComm conferences every two years since its inception, and also hosts several local symposia and online webinars. These events not only focus on original research in science communication and allied fields, but also create space for reflections on practice, skill-building workshops and demonstrations, as well as facilitate networking and mentorship events aimed at building a truly global community of practice, research and teaching in science communication.

PCST 2023 Conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands

Held between April 11^th to 14^th, 2023 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the 17^th International Conference of the PCST Network kicked off with a series of pre conference sessions, including a day of in-person workshops on April 10^th, as well as 3 days of virtual sessions from April 3^rd to 5^th to allow participants who couldn’t travel to Rotterdam to join in virtually.

With over 700 delegates from all over the world, the conference was an extraordinary logisitical symphony performed at the De Doelen convention centre in Rotterdam, and featured some excellent programming, catering and hospitality arrangements. The three-day meeting included an exciting array of events, including plenary sessions, panel discussions, visual and oral presentations, mini-workshops, and even some captivating live performances.

Under the overarching theme of “Creating Common Ground”, the conference focussed on 5 key sub themes summarised by the acronym ‘VOICE’: Values, Openness, Inclusivity, Collaboration and Expertise. The sessions at the conference explored and interpreted these sub themes both individually as well as in novel permutation and combinations.

The conference prioritised a number of diversity, equity, inclusivity and accessibility (DEIA) measures in its planning, programming and organisation (although there’s always potential for improving these further). For instance, the plenary sessions being recorded and having dedicated online pre conference sessions both helped in making these discussions more accessible to broader global audience. The conference featured an all-female line-up of 7 keynote speakers from across the globe, and was led by PCST’s first female President since its inception. The conference also instituted a number of bursaries and fellowships to try and make the costs of attending the conference more accessible.

My experiences at PCST

Having been a member of the PCST Network since 2020, I have greatly benefitted from its rich array of events, initiatives and networking opportunities, and have likewise, also contributed to many of its events and activities. For instance, I delivered two talks at the PCST 2020+1 conference (1, 2), was a part of three PCST webinars (in Oct 2021, Sep 2022, and Mar 2023, respectively) and been an active member of the PCST Teaching Forum since 2021. I also wrote a blogpost for the PCST website in November 2020, and helped draft an DEIA and territorial acknowledgement statement for PCST last year.

The PCST 2023 conference was a powerful experience for me, filled with many valuable learnings, as well as an opportunity to meet several friends & colleagues in person, who I had been interacting with virtually over the past few years . I was also fortunate enough to be one among the six people awarded the Rotterdam Fellowship for attending the PCST conference this year.

In addition to attending some really fantastic sessions, I also got a chance to collaborate with many exceptional colleagues to put together a variety of sessions for this year’s conference, including:

1. A pre-conference workshop helping participants prioritise and embed DEIA principles into their science engagement practices.
2. A roundtable specifically discussing the challenges faced by early-career SciComm practitioners.
3. A roundtable debating the potential structure and functions of a global centre on science communication as well as the challenges in building it.
4. A problem-solving workshop brainstorming on ways to make our SciComm practices more inclusive and equitable.
5. A roundtable deliberating on the challenges faced by Global South communities in effectively communicating their science.

While the 4 days at PCST 2023 were really hectic and jam-packed for me, they also ended on a high, as I was elected into the Scientific Committee of the PCST Network on the last day of the conference. I’m really honoured and grateful for this recognition and excited to be working together with colleagues across the world to build a more global, equitable & impactful ecosystem of SciComm events, outputs, and interfaces together.

Learnings from PCST 2023

The PCST 2023 conference provides several learnings for planning and organising a dedicated (and recurring) SciComm conference in India.[4] For instance, the conference was an excellent case study on developing and curating a conference theme that cuts across the boundaries of SciComm formats, approaches, experience, expertise, languages as well as cultural contexts.

It provided several valuable lessons in effortlessly coordinating the logistical nitty-gritties of organising such a large international meeting with 700+ attendees. PCST 2023 also proved to be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about creating common ground using a combination of science engagement research, practice and teaching interventions, and featured a wide diversity of presentation formats to allow a greater number people to participate in its sessions.

The conference also curated an excellent set of events and opportunities for meeting, networking, and exchanging ideas with people from across the globe. It explicitly enabled cross-fertilisation of ideas and insights from different disciplines to help better inform and strengthen research, practice and teaching in science communication.

Further, the conference prioritised several measures for improving the equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility of the conference and also had a code of conduct in place. It also facilitated critical reflections on the importance of science communication as a discipline, as well as the role of trust, emotions, collaborations, openness and dialogue in bridging science-society interfaces in more effective, entertaining and ethical ways.

The next PCST conference is scheduled to be held at Aberdeen, Scotland from May 27^th to 29^th in 2025. I would encourage more Indian SciComm’ers to try and attend this conference, as well as participate in the various events and activities of the PCST Network, by becoming a member of the global organisation.

But even more importantly, I would urge the Indian SciComm community to begin discussing, deliberating, and reflecting on the future of Indian SciComm with greater depth, reflexivity and rigour. A functional (and national) community of practice and a dedicated annual conference can really be two critical tools for catalysing this coming of age of Indian Scicomm.

1. Why does a country like ours need a science festival?

In the last decade, there has been a wave of festivals celebrating literature (Jaipur Literature Festival), arts (Kala Ghoda, India Art Fair, Kochi Biennale), music (Echoes of Earth, Lollapalooza, Ziro), and even, food (Zomaland). These festivals have successfully generated enthusiasm and excitement in these areas. So why should science be left behind?

Despite science and technology pervading our daily lives, it is often viewed as an academic pursuit or a subject studied only in school. Also, scientific fields are becoming increasingly specialised and siloed, pushing young people and non-scientists further away from it.

Given the fear of misinformation, especially after the pandemic, and a lack of effective communication channels, it is imperative that science and scientists become more accessible to the general public. Further, we need to create better conditions to unlock India’s impressively high demographic dividend, and we can only do so through increased scientific awareness to enable diverse participation in the fields of science and technology.

And what better way to achieve this than through an informal and fun (and less intimidating!) setting like a festival?

2. What purpose can a science festival serve, and what kind of audience do you typically get at ISF?

Science festivals offer a dynamic and stimulating space not only for those who are passionate about science but also for those who are less interested in it. Through a wide-variety of interactive events and experiences, festivals should ideally create an informal, non-hierarchical space for people to explore, discover, and learn about science in a fun and engaging way.

For young people, a science festival can offer role models and ideas that can inspire interest in STEM careers and science more broadly. At festivals, scientists and graduate students get the opportunity to communicate their research in simple yet creative ways, improving public perception and humanising science.

As festivals typically bring together a diverse set of people and organisations in a dynamic, unconventional setting, they can also serve as catalysts for new ideas and collaborations to advance scientific and societal progress in our country.

While the primary target audience of the ISF is young adults, the festival is free and open to all, resulting in people of all ages and backgrounds attending the recent festival.

3. How do you select the events, activities, and speakers for the festival?

One of the key objectives (and challenge!) of the festival is to have something of interest for everyone.

The first festival (ISF 2020) at IISER Pune set the basic template for ISF, with subsequent editions improved based on feedback and adding new elements for greater engagement. Interactive formats like fireside chats, Ask me Anything (AMAs) sessions with scientists, and hands-on workshops were particularly popular and appreciated in our online editions (ISF 2021 and 2022) and found a place in the ISF 2023 program too!

This year’s theme ‘Future is Now’ emphasised the idea that science and technology are rapidly advancing, and the future that we have been anticipating is already becoming a reality. It also reflects on the importance of innovation, progress, and new ideas in shaping the future. The theme guided our program curation, exploring the past, present and future of science and technology topics like climate change, cybersecurity, mental health, infectious diseases, genetic technologies, the history of science, and so on.

For example, many people had heard of the Large Hadron Collider, but at ISF, they also met Archana Sharma, the only Indian scientist who had worked on it. Similarly, we use MS Excel and its Flash Fill feature in our day-to-day work, and we had its inventor, Sumit Gulwani, talk about his really cool work at Microsoft. As the entire world rediscovers the fascinating world of space science thanks to the James Webb Telescope (JWST), we were also fortunate to have Mark McCaughrean take us through the first-hand experience of setting up JWST.

We also wove threads of art, history, entrepreneurship, architecture, films, music, and dance into our festival's tapestry. This not only rendered science more culturally relevant and socially significant but also made it more approachable for visitors. For example, we hosted a discussion with the makers of the popular web series ‘Rocket Boys’, where a journalist, a scientist, a performing artist, and a film producer candidly discussed the representation of science and scientists in popular culture in India.

We strived to think like our audience and curate a program we ourselves would enjoy!

4. How was this edition of the festival different from the previous ones?

The first edition of the festival had a different team, and subsequent editions were held online due to COVID-19. For this reason, comparisons between ISF 2023 and previous editions are difficult.

But this year's festival had new additions, including a strong partnership with the Government of Telangana, more than 50 partners and funders, a festival theme song, and community-driven curation through our ‘Call for Proposals’. To enable wider participation, we hosted over 25 interactive STEM booths by research labs, academic institutions, and industry, and around 15 pre- and post-events in Hyderabad and Delhi NCR.

This year we also had a variety of book talks with authors, a science fiction film screening, a participatory science-themed art mural, and a revamped Talk Your Thesis competition for graduate students and postdocs, hosted by the popular comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath. The festival also featured never-before-seen performances like a Bharatanatyam show on the history of science in India by Padma Shri Dr Mallika Sarabhai and troupe, a cultural science fiction performance, ‘Elsewhere in India’ and the closing act by the popular Hyderabad band, The MaaHaa Project(who were also behind the ISF theme song).

With each edition, ISF has consistently aimed to create an inspiring and diverse experience around science, by incorporating feedback from its audiences.

5. What are some of the challenges you faced in organising ISF 2023, and how did you overcome them?

Where do we start? As you can imagine, for a festival of this scale, challenges were in abundance! At one point, it appeared like we were doing more firefighting than organising.

But on a serious note, post-COVID, many speakers preferred online talks, making it difficult to convince scientists and researchers, particularly those abroad, to physically attend our festival. Obtaining visas was also troublesome, resulting in last-minute cancellations and scheduling challenges.

Our festival unfortunately also coincided with several other popular events (including another science festival), causing audience fragmentation, speaker availability constraints, and logistical challenges. Some sessions unexpectedly attracted a much younger audience, highlighting the need for better preparedness at a festival that’s open to all. Despite being a small team, we also acknowledge the need for better planning in logistics, operations, fundraising, and marketing/outreach.

Organising a festival of this scale is a constant learning process, and from this experience, the ISF team took home a lot of valuable lessons!

6. How do you measure the success/ impact of the festival, and what kind of feedback have you received from visitors?

Assessing the success of a large public engagement event is a challenging task and an ongoing process, as you can imagine. We've been exploring ways to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative impact of ISF 2023, and our report will be released soon. We used online feedback forms and conducted in-person and online interviews to gauge the impact of the festival, and the response was mostly positive.

“At ISF, I witnessed what it takes to bring a science festival together and trust me when I say this, it needs a whole village.” (Devanshi Gupta, ISF Intern, Hyderabad)

“India Science Festival is pushing the boundaries' of science communication in India, searching for and showcasing the very best that Indian and international science communication can offer.” (David Price, Science Busker, Science Made Simple, UK)

“The festival is constructed around a rather noble purpose and is in its early stages, so loopholes are understandable. But you could do wonders with better marketing, more outreach and smaller venues.” (Anonymous, Festival attendee)

7. How did ISF 2023 engage with the science communication community?

The science communication community was an integral part of ISF 2023, with a diverse group of Indian and international science communicators contributing to the festival in various capacities, from conducting fireside chats to facilitating workshops. We even managed to squeeze in an impromptu "SciComm Huddle" to better understand the community's challenges and aspirations. Moving forward, we hope that ISF will formalise its engagement with the SciComm community and explore more meaningful collaborations.

8. What do you think is the future for science festivals in India?

As S&T continues to gain attention from the government and private actors as well as a growing science communication community in the country, the science festival space is expected to expand in the country. With advancements in technology and digital media, science festivals have the potential to move beyond traditional science engagement formats, allowing for more creative and innovative ways for people to truly engage with science. Science festivals also provide a platform for people from all around the world to participate and appreciate science as a global human endeavour.

It’s a really exciting time for science festivals in India to experiment and explore ways to bring science back into public imagination.

"It's important to talk to children about sex and safety," said the presenter.

I let out a sigh and muttered, "But how?"

Recently, my colleague Mansi and I attended a workshop that emphasised the importance of discussing sex and safety with children. However, we left feeling frustrated because no one addressed the critical question of how to start this conversation. As speech-language pathologists working with children with disabilities, who are at higher risk of sexual abuse, we wanted to include this topic in our lesson plans. Still, we didn't know where to begin or what to cover.

The available resources were lacklustre and failed to explain the subject matter adequately, had poor illustrations, lacked basic concepts needed to comprehend the materials, or required purchasing. I remember turning to Mansi and saying, "We're back where we started." We needed resources that were direct, simple, and easy to understand.

It all started when Hema, a determined undergraduate student, walked into our mentor's office with a burning desire to apply for the second IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant. And from that moment, our team was born, with Reuben leading the charge and myself as co-lead, along with Mansi, Hema, and Ridha. As we brainstormed ideas, I pitched my passion project to create sexual health materials for children with disabilities, and the team loved it. So if the grant came through, we were going to be incentivised to do something we always wanted to. And after a few weeks of nerve-wracking wait, we learned that we had been selected as one of the top five finalists out of over sixty applicants. We were ecstatic to receive the grant and excited to make our mark on the world.

CATCH-22: The grant was 'outreach.' We wanted to be different from the workshops we attended. We wanted to outreach. But with what?

Navigating the first steps

With Project RAKSHA, we wanted to teach children, especially those with disabilities, about sexual health and safety. This would directly impact children's sexual health understanding and promote positive safety attitudes.

"So here we were, a group of enthusiastic speech-language pathologists wanting to address an important gap in outreach on reproductive and sexual health. But with inclusivity in approach and audience."

Our goal was to create and distribute culturally sensitive illustration-based stories in English and Hindi. It would be an e-resource booklet that guides parents and caregivers in communicating about reproductive and sexual health and safety to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

We researched, wrote, edited, translated and illustrated the stories with painstaking care, keeping in mind the rich tapestry of values that make up the Indian context. We decided to spend the first month finalising an outline for each domain of the scientific illustration-based resource. The following 3 months were dedicated to story writing and designing illustrations. The next 4 months were spent on content validation, rating, and final revisions. And the last 4 months were dedicated to final copy circulation, beneficiary feedback, and final report writing.

The team understood the importance of having a motivated artist, especially for successfully completing the project's initial phase. However, we faced some setbacks due to the hired artist's unavailability. So, we brought in a speech-language pathologist as an artist, which helped things go more smoothly.

The final outcome

We developed culturally sensitive materials tailored for vulnerable populations, specifically children with autism spectrum disorders. Our audience included children and adolescents aged 6 years and older, parents, educators, and developmental interventionists.

To ensure accuracy, our materials were reviewed by a Developmental Paediatrician, a Special Educator, and a Speech Language Pathologist. The stories we created were not intended for independent reading by children, but instead for parents, caregivers, and professionals in the (re)habilitation field.

The illustrations are simple and direct, so you can adjust the language to suit your child's abilities. We recommend working with a Speech-Language Pathologist to incorporate augmentative and alternative communication strategies if needed.

Our stories were designed to spark discussion and questions among adults, so they can feel prepared and comfortable with the key concepts addressed. Each story comes with general instructions that we strongly recommend following to facilitate healthy and accurate learning.

Themes 1-7 are appropriate for children aged 4 and above, while themes 8-10 are better suited for children over 9-11 years old. When first introducing the stories, it's important to follow the order of themes, but when revisiting concepts later on, it's okay to skip ahead to the relevant theme.

Our first trial run

Before giving the resource to the country, we decided to test it ourselves to ensure it was effective. In our pilot study, we trained 54 caregivers from diverse backgrounds, including dads, moms, grandmas, conservatives, liberals, and people from various socio-economic levels, religions, and communities, for about 10 days. To our delight, there was no resistance, and everyone accepted the need for sexual health and safety education for their children. We even gave them the option to provide written feedback privately and anonymously, and not a single person opposed the idea!

Unintended but happy outcome – we crafted our stories with the intention of being inclusive and welcoming to the neurodivergent population. But, the best part is that these stories can be enjoyed by all children, regardless of their unique abilities or challenges.

Looking back, developing the story series may not have been a typical "outreach" effort for the most part. Still, the team poured their hearts and souls into the project for months, resulting in a successful pilot program that educated 54 parent-child pairs. They dedicated themselves to creating materials that could make a real difference, and their passion and commitment shine through in the final product.

We're thrilled to announce that our stories are now available for use, and the best part is, they're completely FREE! This resource is a must-have for all parents and rehabilitation professionals, and we're happy to offer it in both English and Hindi.

"We promised, and we delivered. But our outreach efforts are just beginning!”

If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to us at projectrakshaforasd@gmail.com. We're also interested in collaborating with individuals and organisations to raise funds and further our plans. Let's work together to make a difference!