Research

The properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) – nanometre-sized molecules made of rolled-up sheets of carbon atoms – can tremendously improve mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of polymers. Of the numerous attractive properties of CNT-polymer composites, their vibration damping properties make them useful in aerospace, automobile and construction industries.

Careful screening of bilirubin level in new-borns is mandatory as per American Academy of Paediatrics (2004), to reduce incidents of a type of brain damage called kernicterus that can result from high levels of bilirubin in a baby’s blood. Although invasive capillary collection of blood and the subsequent biochemical test is considered a gold standard for jaundice detection in neonates, transcutaneous bilirubin measurement using non-invasive instruments has obvious added advantages.

Two teenage girls from India have discovered an Earth-bound asteroid by poring through images from a University of Hawaii telescope, an Indian space education institute said on Monday.

Periodic testing is required to prevent catastrophic failures in many engineering structures like buildings, pipelines and rails. High-frequency sound waves that travel in the bulk (bulk ultrasound) are widely used for non-invasive and non-destructive testing of structural materials.

A new species of rare ants has been discovered in Goa’s Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. The new species has been named Vaibhav’s Protanilla, after professor Vaibhav Chindarkar who is the head of the zoology department at the Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sakhali.

Nehru Science Centre in its ‘Lockdown Lecture’ series organised ‘Comet NEOWISE – A Primer’ to discuss the exploration aspects related to comets. Director, Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi Dr. N Ratnashree explained comets, their position in the sky and how one can observe a comet through a telescope, DSLR camera or even naked eye.

Colorectal cancer that affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in India, mainly because late detection minimizes chances of recovery. In the last decade, the country has witnessed a rapid increase in the rate of colorectal cancer among younger people due to poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, obesity, increased alcohol consumption, and chronic smoking. The current detection methods need invasive biopsies, and subsequent evaluation requires special expertise. The delay in the timely detection of the disease limits access to rapid and affordable treatment.

Preservation of secondary cell lines, primary cells, and primarytissue explants outside the incubator environment for long hours and continuous monitoring of the growth and electrophysiology recording for controlled drug delivery is a major requirement.

There have been worldwide attempts to produce fuel from renewable biological resources in order to overcome future oil shortages in the world. But conversion of food resources to fuel affect the global supply-demand of food, especially in developing countries. To tackle this problem, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati researchers have developed methods to produce biofuels from non-edible seeds.