The year 2018 was marked by exciting discoveries and inventions in the field of medical sciences, life sciences, archeology, physical sciences, and planetary sciences. While some are headline-hitting, most are crucial in cementing our understanding of various tenets in these areas. As we come close to bidding goodbye to 2018, here is a sneak-peek into the trendsetters in science in this year, in no particular order.

You asked it and here we have! Wondering what was popular on Research Matters in 2018? Following are our top-ten stories that gained traction by readers like you. Thank you for your support and hope to see it continue in the years to come.

As the curtain falls on 2018, here is a tribute to those great Indian scientists and innovators who died in the year. These eminent people contributed to various fields of science and helped put India in the frontiers of global scientific advancements. This is in no way an exhaustive list, but it is an effort to bring to the fore the achievers who have left an indelible mark behind. 

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.

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

In a recent study, researchers from Velammal Engineering College, Chennai and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have proposed a novel way to send patient’s health information as codes to retain the privacy. 

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, develop a highly effective solution for recovering green sand in small and medium foundries.

Researchers from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta, Kolkata, and the Indian Institute of Technology Patna, have examined the practice of outsourcing in the Indian context. They found that the outsourcing model helps companies remain viable, particularly during economic crises.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science design a compact and fast piezoelectric crash sensor.

Clean drinking water is an essential prerequisite for good health. In a country like India, where 21% of communicable diseases spread through unsafe water, and more than 500 children under the age of five die each day from diarrhoea, the accessibility to clean drinking water is paramount. Researchers from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, have developed a frugal water purification system, Oneer, to help overcome our water woes.