Dengue is more than just a seasonal disease, it is the result of a long evolutionary partnership between viruses, mosquitoes, and humans. This article explores how Aedes aegypti became such an efficient carrier of dengue, the biology behind viral transmission, and why urbanisation continues to fuel its spread across the world.

From the earliest cell membranes to whale echolocation and plant waterproofing, lipids have quietly shaped the evolution of life. This article explores how these versatile molecules enabled containment, communication, adaptation, and survival across diverse organisms, revealing an often-overlooked chemical history that runs alongside the evolution of life itself.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. According to global cancer statistics 2022, nearly 20 million new cases were reported with the disease and almost 10 million lost their lives to it. These numbers are predicted to rise to 35 million by 2050. But why is cancer so fatal? The answer lies within the tiniest functional members of our body: cells.

A June evening in a small town in Kerala’s Palakkad district. There’s not much to entice visitors – a single gym, perhaps two lodges, a juice and milkshake parlour. Yet, a fair share of tourists stops by for a night or two each year, laden with rucksacks, cameras and binoculars. The reason becomes clear if you take a short walk to the outskirts of town. Here, behind the acres of fields spread out in the fading daylight, a blue-green wall rises up to meet the clouds.

In the rise of antimicrobial resistance among pathogens and infectious diseases, vaccines are a potent global health solution. Vaccines mimic the pathogens to train the immune system. The training allows the immune system to be quickly activated in the event of a real infection by the pathogen. Notable recent examples are vaccines against COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. While this was one of the greatest achievements in the history of vaccine development, the quest for vaccines against many pathogens has been challenging, resulting in little success. Why has that been the case? Srinivas Reddy takes us through one such example that he studies; the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria.