Lead is a heavy metal that was once used extensively in paints, gasoline, batteries, plumbing etc. Now, a new study by Indian researchers shows that in addition to its many known toxic effects, lead may lower immunity as well. Through a series of experiments on fruit flies, the researchers have demonstrated a link between lead exposure and susceptibility towards bacterial infections.

The global wound care market is on the rise with exorbitant costs incurred each year for skin wound care. Nature-derived drugs with wound healing properties that can be manufactured at a lower cost are presently a global requirement. Now, a study by scientists at Tezpur University has identified the country’s first wound-healing peptide from snake venom with anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and non-enzymatic properties.

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru have come up with a computational model to explain why different people respond differently to viral infections. According to this model, a delicate balance between specific immune cells and viral antigens determines infection outcome.

Researchers at the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru have used a combination of techniques to unravel the mystery of how prions misfold. Prions are proteins that undergo structural changes to form compound assemblies called amyloid fibrils, which can lead to fatal infectious neurodegenerative diseases like the Mad Cow disease and other Transmissible Spongiform Encelopathies in mammals.

Uncontrolled blood loss following an accident or injury can pose severe risks to the health and life of the patient. Now, a team of Indian researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology have developed a novel environment-friendly microparticle which can stop bleeding quickly if applied to the injury site.

Researchers from the Centre for Climate Studies, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, have discovered that the accumulation of chromium (a heavy metal) and low salinity might have caused mass death of fish in the Adyar estuary in Tamil Nadu in 2017.

While wildlife tourism serves as a revenue source for conservation efforts, it may have unintended consequences on the well-being of endangered mammal species. A new study reveals that tiger populations in protected areas experience elevated stress levels during the tourism season, which can negatively affect their health and reproduction.