Columns

• EMT: A normal process gone rogue

  

  Sabyasachi Parija, a fourth-year undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Berhampur, is exploring the fascinating world of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a critical process in cancer biology. In this opinion article, Sabyasachi reflects on the molecular intricacies of EMT and its role in cancer progression, sharing his thoughts on why understanding this process could be key to unlocking new strategies in cancer treatment and research.
  

  Posted on Jun 02, 2025 in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Science, Personal Experience & Research

  ---

• Teaching biology using analogies

  

  Looking for interesting analogies to explain complex biological concepts to your undergraduate students? Rachana Acharya, an Assistant Professor at Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College, Mumbai, shares some of them in this article.

  Posted on Aug 22, 2022 in Biotechnology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Teaching, Undergraduate & Education

  ---

• How do cells edit mistakes? A neglected enzyme sheds light

  

  Cells perform a complex feat of picking and proofreading amino acids for protein synthesis. Several aspects of this translation process were shrouded in mystery for a long time. This article traverses Rajan Sankaranarayanan’s two decades of seminal research that decoded some of the checkpoints and helped biologists better understand the error-free protein translation mechanisms.
  

  Posted on Aug 03, 2022 in Molecular Biology & Research

  ---

• Common misconceptions in biology: Lost in translation

  

  Many misconceptions can creep into an undergraduate student's mind as they study gene expression in their classrooms. In continuation with an earlier discussion on the common misconceptions in gene expression, in this article, educator Maya Murdeshwar from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai highlights some of the misconceptions around the process of translation – the process of building a polypeptide chain based on genetic information.

  Posted on Mar 28, 2022 in Molecular Biology, Education, Teaching, Undergraduate & Education

  ---

• Common misconceptions in biology: Making sense of the sense and antisense DNA strands

  

  Molecular biology textbooks teach us that during gene expression, only one strand of DNA is used to synthesize RNA. Does this mean that only one of the strands of an entire DNA duplex is functional? What does the other strand do? Which one is called the 'sense' strand? Is it the same as the 'template' strand? These are some questions that often baffle undergraduate students of biology. In this article, educator Maya Murdeshwar of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai describes how she approaches these concepts in her classroom.

  Posted on Jan 31, 2022 in Molecular Biology, Teaching, Undergraduate & Education

  ---

• Free-floating DNA in precision medicine

  

  The levels of nucleic acids are enhanced in the blood of individuals affected by certain diseases. This understanding can be used for non-invasive diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, genetic conditions in the fetus, and neurological disorders. In this article, Ambika Kurbet gives an overview of the use of cell-free circulating DNA in diagnosis.

  Posted on Jan 10, 2022 in Molecular Biology & Research

  ---

• Call for a national strategy to make biomedical research more human-relevant

  

  Scientists are increasingly lobbying for non-animal models for biomedical research, given that subtle genetic differences between humans and animals can lead to pronounced differences in disease severity. Advanced technologies such as organs-on-chips are showing potential to make biomedical research more human-relevant. Surat reports on a recent virtual event that initiated a dialogue on the possibilities and challenges of implementing human-relevant models and frameworks in India.

  
  

  Posted on May 10, 2021 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Policy & Events

  ---