The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote research in synthetic biology. In this article, Gauri Saini talks about the iGEM Competition, which invites students working in the field of synthetic biology to showcase their projects.

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has explored a new approach to treat mycobacterial infections, which are becoming increasingly drug-resistant. They found that a cocktail of mycobacteriophages – viruses that infect mycobacteria but not humans– were effective against slow- and fast-growing mycobacteria, in cultures. This has clinical significance in treating tuberculosis (caused by M.tuberculosis, a slow-growing mycobacterium), which is of concern, especially in developing countries. In this article, Edna George reports on this recent study by Rachit Agarwal’s team.

Stem cells of an embryo are pluripotent – they can grow into almost any cell type in the body. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are artificially reprogrammed body cells that can be made to function like embryonic stem cells, offering therapeutic advantages. However, understanding the genetic machinations of pluripotent stem cells is vital to successfully culture iPSC and is an active research area. In an exciting breakthrough, scientists have identified the group of genes responsible for maintaining distinct states of human pluripotency.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers multiple funding schemes encouraging Indians across career stages to sojourn in Germany for internships, research projects, and networking. In this article, Manasvi CM highlights the salient features of these programs and their deadlines.

A team of researchers from the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, has revealed how crosstalk between two molecular pathways in the cells of the gut mediates the aberrant inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

In a new study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have demonstrated the functioning of a motor protein responsible for recycling material inside a cell. These findings are crucial since faulty recycling in cells is responsible for many disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and Cancer.

TNQ’s Inspiring Science Award 2022 is now open for entries and will close at midnight, on 15 October, 2021. The award is given annually to young researchers for the best paper in the life sciences published from India in the previous year. This article tells more about the award and summarizes the results of its 2021 edition.