Can fruit fly larvae sense electric fields?
Researchers have found that besides sharks, bees and platypus, even fruit fly larvae can sense electric fields and navigate toward the negative electric potential using a small set of sensory neurons in their head. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara immersed a fruit fly larva in an electric field and they found […]
Study finds a shift in peak time of maximum rainfall
A study which examined the spatial rainfall trends across India has found that the amount of rainfall per day in certain parts of India has increased during the last decade 2011-2020 compared with the previous decade (2001-2010) while certain other parts have witnessed a reduction in the rainfall amount. The study has used the GSMaP-ISRO […]
NTA launches platform for reporting suspicious claims in NEET UG 2025, Check details here
NEET UG 2025: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has launched a platform to report suspicious activities related to the upcoming NEET UG 2025 exam. The move comes as part of the agency’s efforts to combat unfair practices such as unauthorized access to exam papers, impersonation, and misleading claims made by fraudulent individuals and websites. This […]
Indigenous TB test can enhance accuracy, speed up testing
The rt-LAMP assay is a molecular test with high sensitivity and specificity | Photo Credit: CDC/ Ray Butler, MS Researchers at the Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) have developed and tested a novel, cost-effective, real-time LAMP (rt-LAMP) assay for early diagnosis of TB. Much like GeneXpert and Truenat, the […]
Hope turns to anxiety as international students navigate growing uncertainty in the US
FILE — People cross Harvard University’s campus in Cambridge, Mass. on April 3, 2025. Students and their immigration lawyers say they were relieved for the temporary reprieve, but emphasized that it was just that — temporary. (Sophie Park/The New York Times) As the Trump administration’s policy on student visas continues to cause waves of disruption, […]
NIV shares H5N1 genome data in a public database
According tothe World Organisation for Animal Health, as of February 20, 2025, H5N1 has been found in 99 cats and has killed 18 cats. | Photo Credit: Reuters The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has shared the H5N1 genome sequence data with the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), a public database, […]
Republican states expand school vouchers despite mounting concerns over their long-term cost
FILE – Students and parents rally at the Ohio Statehouse in support of possible changes that would increase eligibility for taxpayer-funded school vouchers to K-12 students statewide, May 17, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson, file) Republican-led states are rapidly expanding school voucher programmes even as warnings grow louder over their long-term financial sustainability. […]
ISRO successfully conducts short duration hot test of semicryogenic engine
A short duration hot test of the semicryogenic engine was successfully conducted at the test facility in ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. Photo: Special Arrangement The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a short duration hot test of the semicryogenic engine at its facility in the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. This ignition […]
Universities in the crossfire: America’s academic strongholds face a new authoritarian threat
Harvard University is facing the largest funding threat among the institutions targeted by the Trump administration. Federal funding worth approximately $9 billion is at stake, and more than $2.2 billion has already been withdrawn. The administration accuses Harvard of allowing antisemitism and promoting ideological bias. In response, Harvard rejected the administration’s proposals, including allowing an […]
How will genetic mapping of Indians help? | Explained
Representative image | Photo Credit: Getty Images The story so far: The preliminary findings of the GenomeIndia project, which attempted to study whole genomes of 10,000 healthy and unrelated Indians from 83 population groups, were published in the journal Nature Genetics on April 8. After excluding two populations, the published findings are based on the […]