Scientists from IIT Delhi have developed a platform to detect bacterial growth using fluorescent carbon nanoparticles.

The mountainous state of Sikkim and its famous Yumthang hot spring now has another distinction—the abode of Geobacillus yumthangensis, a new species of bacteria. In a recent study, researchers from the Sikkim University, Gangtok, and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, have isolated a new species of bacteria from the waters of the hot spring.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, display how a class of toxins, called the pore-forming toxins, work to destroy our cells.

Researchers from National Institute of Technology, Durgapur and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in West Bengal, with support from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India,have shown that the one way to efficiently deal with oil sludge, is to cultivate suitable microbes using nutrients, which then disintegrate the contaminants in the sludge.

Have you ever wondered how a tiny bacterium enters your body from the surroundings and causes havoc? A simple explanation could be that it enters your body when you take in the contaminated air or water or through contact. But, how exactly does it move around once inside the body, or even in air or water? It does so in two ways; it either wiggles around with the help of flagellum—a lash-like appendage that protrudes from the body, or uses its body weight (specifically, its head) to propel itself. So what path does it trace when it moves?

Scientists from Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, uncover the mechanism behind how plants tolerate and grow in soils with high salt content. The study also explore the role of the bacteria Enterobacter cloacae, which is a known plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.

‘Riboswitches’ like the name suggests are like on and off switches for genes. These are present in all living things, from the smallest bacteria to the largest trees. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata have sequences the genomes of 2785 bacteria to understand their function and origin.

Flooding in urban areas in a major threat to life and property. While there is a focus on immediate relief to the victims after the flood, long term effects of the flood need to be explored in more depth. In a recent study, an international team of scientists explores the aftermath of the floods in Chennai in 2015 with regards to the potability of groundwater. The team shows that even five months after the floods the groundwater is still unsafe for human consumption due to heavy metal and microbial contamination. 

Cancer is a difficult disease, both for patients and doctors. One of the many side effects of cancer therapies is secondary infections that are caused by a weakened immune system. Current strategies for treating bacterial infections in cancer patients have many drawbacks. Addressing these issues scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi show that administering antimicrobial medicines with gold nanoparticles increases their efficacy by upto 40%.

Our need for energy is growing at an unprecedented rate and we have tried every source of energy to quench our thirst. We have almost used up all our fossil fuels and have tried to harness as much as renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, water and nuclear power. Inefficiency and high cost involved in harnessing these renewable sources have now forced us to look at other approaches. In a recent study, scientists have tried to mimic what plants do best -- convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen! By building artificial photosynthetic systems, the researchers claim to have a unending flow of clean and green energy for the future.