Bringing a great relief to food lovers, particularly fans of processed foods, scientists from the USA and India have reported having found a herbal compound to fight botulinum, the most poisonous bacterial toxin that causes food poisoning. The study was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Researchers from the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR- IICT), Hyderabad found a link between insufficient vitamin D and coronary artery diseases in people having type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In a recent study, researchers from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (InStem), Bengaluru, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, Christian Medical College, Vellore and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, have described how a type of virus, called adeno-associated virus, behaves when injected into the mouse testis.

In a recent study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune have investigated the role of an enzyme in the cells of individuals with PHARC. PHARC is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by polyneuropathy (damage to multiple nerves outside the brain and central nervous system), hearing loss, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa (loss of cells in the retina) and cataract.

Dolphins ‘see’ using sound, like bats. Each individual has a signature whistle that is unique to them, sort of like a name. They sleep with half their brain awake, and their eyes operate independently of each other. Oh, and they have an infanticidal streak.

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.

A study in IIT Bombay can help determine properties of substances at the molecular level. 

Researchers from ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai shows that building toilets is not a challenge, but getting people to use them is the tricky part. The study estimates the prevalence of adults who defecate in the open despite having household toilets and examines the factors driving this practice.

The quaint hill town of Shimla, which once woke up to the charm of snowing winters and bustling tourists, is today facing one of the worst water crisis in history. The droughts of Marathwada during 2015-2016 crippled the farmers in the region. Today, instances like these that highlight the importance of water, the source of life, is increasing across the world. Hence, it becomes vital to understand how water levels in our rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers change over time and the reasons behind it.

The U.S. News & World Report, an American media company and a leading authority in education rankings, has recently announced the 2019 Best Global Universities Rankings covering 1,250 educational institutions from 75 countries across the globe.