In a recent study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad have developed a blood glucose sensor to monitor blood sugar using light. It can measure a wide range of values of blood glucose, between 10 to 200 mg/dl, say the researchers. The average blood sugar level in healthy adults when fasting is between 70 to 120 mg/dl.

In a recent announcement made by the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 23 scientists from across the country have been elected as Fellows of the Academy. The list contains nine scientists from Bengaluru, with five from the Indian Institute of Science, two from TIFR Centre for Applicable Mathematics and one each from National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).

A long-standing mystery in the evolution of life seems to be solved in a study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, USA. The study, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, provides a convincing explanation about the fusion of two genes in an ancestor of today’s animals, about a billion years ago.

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.