Salmonella typhimurium is a pathogenic bacterium that causes food-borne infections in humans. Researchers from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, find that Salmonella globally alters a post-translational protein modification called Sumoylation in infected cells and manipulates the host cell’s intracellular transport machinery.

The TNQ Distinguished Lectureship Series aims to bring the Indian scientific community in close contact with world-renowned researchers and inspire young minds to choose a scientific path. This year's speaker, Helen H Hobbs from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will be addressing audiences on Hyderabad, Bengaluru and New Delhi on 11, 13 and 15 Feb respectively.

Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, is believed to be of simian origin. Non-human primates can act as a reservoir for this parasite, and in certain cases the parasite has been shown to be transmissible between humans and apes. Researchers led by Praveen Karanth from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru recently profiled Plasmodium in multiple Indian non-human primate species, in an effort to better understand the spread of this parasite in monkey populations.

Several lines of evidence suggest that males and females differ in their biological response to stressful situations. A new study from researchers at IICT and CCMB, Hyderabad, explores one mechanism for this, demonstrating that the heterochromatin region of the Y-chromosome may contribute to the regulation of anxiety-like behaviour and stress response in male mice.

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in regulating human metabolism and health. Bug Speaks, a new initiative by the bioinformatics company Leucine Rich Bio, aims to utilize information gleaned from assessing the gut microbiome to predict disease susceptibility and provide personalized health recommendations.

Researchers from the University of Mysore have recently found that an enzyme extracted from the leaves of a medicinal plant, Tricosanthus tricuspidata, can counter the tissue damage caused by the bite of the venomous saw-scaled viper. This is the first scientific report of the anti-snake venom properties of this plant, which is known to be used by local tribal communities to treat snakebites.

The Workshop for Women in Science Journalism was held from 12 to 15 November 2018, at NCBS, Bangalore. Jointly organised by British Council India through the Newton-Bhabha Fund and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, and supported by IndiaBioscience, this workshop aimed at providing training and resources to women in science who are considering a career in science journalism.