Our blood, the elixir of life, is an incredible mixture of cells and proteins. While the red blood cells, also called erythrocytes, carry oxygen to different parts of our body, the white blood cells help us defend ourselves against invading pathogens. Then there are platelets, which are cell fragments, which aid in clotting of our blood among other things. All these cells are suspended in the blood serum—a storehouse of vital proteins and electrolytes needed by our body.

In a recent study, researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, USA, St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, and the King George's Medical University, Lucknow, have revealed how changes in the gut microbes are related to inflammation in the HIV-infected children.

Researchers from IIT Mandi, and the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, have found molecules that could potentially stop cancer cells from flushing out drugs. This research could lead to a cure for multidrug resistance in cancer cells.

In a recent study, researchers from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (InStem), Bengaluru, and the University Hospital of Odense, Denmark, have observed some fascinating aspects of non-dividing stem cells from the bone marrow. The study, partially funded by the Department of Biotechnology, was published in the journal Stem Cell Research.

In a recent study, researchers at Bengaluru’s St. John’s Research Institute, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and St. John’s Medical College and Hospital, have described how the presence of a particular mineral in the urine can tell a tale about the health of our bones. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports, and the study was funded by the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance and the Department of Science and Technology.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have developed a new life-saving device that can detect heart attacks early on using a smartphone. The innovative sensor, conceptualised by students Debasmita Mondal and Sourabh Agrawal, and guided by Prof. Soumyo Mukherji, won the recently presented 2018 Gandhian Young Technological Innovation award recently.

With nine of the ten most polluted cities in the world located in India, the country is grappling with increasing pollution that is affecting the health and wealth of its people. In Delhi, the national capital, the news of increased particulate matter in the air hits the headlines very often. Although anti-pollution masks and air purifiers have gained popularity, they are often expensive and inaccessible to the common man.

In a recent study, researchers from Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, have developed a technique to make fluorescent carbon nanoparticles using lignite, a type of coal that is available ubiquitously. These nanoparticles have the potential to be developed as glucose sensors to detect hypoglycemia or decreased glucose levels.The results of the study have been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The neurotoxin series: Part 1. The first of a series that talks about the neurotoxins found in the cone snails.

A nationwide collaborative study, by 53 institutes, has found that one out of eight children, between two and nine years, has at least one neurodevelopmental disorder.