Problem-based learning is a pedagogical approach that enables students to learn scientific concepts in real-life contexts. In this article, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, a researcher and educator, elaborates on this approach with examples and explains why it is so useful.
In this article, Shreeya, Stutee and Karishma recount their experiences on working remotely on a new research area during the pandemic, the former two as students and the latter as mentor. Their project led to a publication. Biofilm-AMP is a now a published structural and functional repository of AMPs for biofilm studies. The work was also published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
Posted on in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, COVID-19, Personal Experience & Research
Among COVID-19’s many effects on society, one of the most insidious is the way it has affected global mental health, giving rise to new challenges and aggravating pre-existing issues. In this article, Subhra Sarkar, who is currently pursuing a PhD in psychiatric nursing, discusses the ways in which the pandemic has affected the mental health of a large segment of the Indian population.
With several new COVID variants emerging in recent months, the importance of analysing and drawing insights from vast amounts of viral genome sequencing data cannot be understated. To address this need, A team of researchers at the Advanced Centre for Treatment Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Navi Mumbai, have come up with a computational tool called the Infectious Pathogen Detector (IPD).
Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 began in India on 16 Jan 2021. However, it can be difficult to keep track of all the information related to the same, with several different vaccines being offered by different manufacturers, as well as the rise of new virus variants. Recently, Indian Scientists’ Response to COVID-19 (ISRC) collated publicly available information related to the vaccines globally in use in an easy-to-access format. We present an abridged version of some frequently asked questions answered in this document, reproduced here with permission.
Previously in this series, we have asked scientists from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages to reflect upon their life in lockdown and how it has influenced how they approach doing science. In this article, Karla P. Mercado-Shekhar, Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar writes about the process of adjusting to the new normal, and some positive changes in the way we communicate and collaborate that may have resulted from this experience.
It is a well-known fact that many of innovations made within academic labs fail to make the leap into the market and general circulation. We approached Praveen Vemula, a researcher-entrepreneur whose team has recently developed a face mask with germicidal properties, to learn about some of the key factors that influence successful translation of a technology developed in the lab.