One of the reasons why viral infections can be difficult to treat is the high mutation rate displayed by many viruses, which can sometimes allow them to evade our immune systems and develop resistance to drugs. In this article, Shivani looks into the evidence gathered by scientists around the world on mutations in the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has set off a wave of research activities across the world, aimed at finding clues that would allow us to design effective therapeutics and vaccines. In one such effort, a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, have initiated a study into the molecular dynamics of the process via which the novel coronavirus attaches to cells of the human respiratory system.

A new collaborative study by researchers at University of Calcutta and University of Kalyani has found that a close symbiotic relationship between three species - a plant, a fungus, and bacteria - can be harnessed to promote the growth of rice plants by allowing them to take up more nitrogen from the environment.

The Genome Asia 100K Project, launched in 2016, aims to sequence the genomes of 100,000 Asian individuals to address the underrepresentation of non-European populations in most published genomics studies. The first pilot phase of the project was completed recently, with the publication of 1739 genome sequences from samples spread across 64 different Asian countries.

Complex neurodegenerative disorders present a challenge to researchers who attempt to study them using model systems in the lab. Precisely measuring the behavioural defects which are hallmarks of such diseases in model organisms like the fruitfly can be difficult. Now, a team of researchers have come up with a new assay which can help assess movement-related impairments in fly models of Parkinson's disease.

The International Summit on Women in STEM -"Visualizing the Future: New Skylines" was organized in January this year by the Department of Biotechnology and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). The following is a report by Zill e Anam, a young scientist who had a ring-side view of the proceedings.

Ozone, the gas best-known for protecting us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, can turn harmful if produced in excess quantities by human activities. A team of researchers from the Banaras Hindu University have studied the effect of elevated ozone on plants that inhabit the lush grasslands of central India.