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.

Foetal bovine serum is a nutrient-rich additive widely used for in vitro cell culture studies. However, harvesting the serum involves inhuman methods, calling for replacing or reducing its use in experiments. Here is a report on one such ethical step by a team of researchers who found a novel technique to grow skin cells by drastically reducing bovine serum use.

Tuberculosis is a common comorbidity in those infected with HIV/AIDS, and the two conditions are known to exacerbate one another. A new study from researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru demonstrates that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the tuberculosis bacteria, can reactivate dormant HIV within the human body, a process that can potentially be targeted by specific drugs.

Macrophages are an important category of immune cells that patrol our body to find and destroy pathogens, often by swallowing them whole - a process known as phagocytosis. A recent study by researchers at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, has discovered how the physical properties of macrophages change in response to phagocytosis and how this, in turn, affects their function.

Just like animals, plants often face threats from their environment, including attacks by parasites, pests, and grazing animals. Unlike animals, however, plants cannot simply move away from the source of such threats. A new study from researchers at NIPGR, New Delhi, offers insights into the intricacies of the plant defence system and how it recognizes and responds to danger, particularly from insect pests.

A sustained collaborative effort from three very different laboratories, including a father-daughter scientific duo, has resulted in the observation that the neurotransmitter serotonin regulates energy levels in neurons with the help of Sirt1, a protein known for its role in ageing and lifespan regulation.