Research

The new sensor is based on an iron metal-organic framework, or Fe-III-MOF, designed in the form of microscopic nanospheres. Researchers said the material contains tiny pores that can trap nicotine-related molecules. These Fe-MOF nanospheres were synthesised through a solvothermal process and then tested for safety and performance.

The accreditation confirms that CARI Bengaluru’s clinical laboratory meets globally accepted standards for accuracy, safety, and reliability in medical testing. According to the Ministry of Ayush, the laboratory now holds NABL accreditation for 50 test parameters and provides a wide range of services, including blood glucose, HbA1c, liver and kidney function tests, lipid and thyroid profiles, electrolyte analysis, and complete blood counts.

The research was carried out by a team from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), both autonomous institutions under the Department of Science and Technology. The scientists studied naphthalene diimide, an amphiphilic molecule that can organize itself in water through supramolecular self-assembly, forming nanostructures with functional properties relevant to electronics, photonics and biomedical devices.

The work was carried out by researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology. Unlike many existing neuromorphic systems that depend on separate sensing and memory components, this device integrates sensing, synapse-like processing and temporary information storage in one platform, drawing inspiration from the way biological sensory systems operate.

The research addresses a long-standing challenge in palaeoecology and archaeology. Cereal crops such as wheat, rice, barley and millets belong to the grass family, and their pollen often looks very similar to that of wild grasses under a microscope. Because pollen preserved in sediments can reveal patterns of cultivation, deforestation and settlement across the Holocene period, the ability to reliably separate crop pollen from wild grass pollen is crucial for understanding ancient land use and human activity.

This test is part of a series designed to validate the parachute-based recovery system of the crew module—the capsule that will carry astronauts. The system is crucial because it ensures that astronauts can return safely to Earth after re-entry.

The discovery is based on fossil otoliths, tiny calcium-carbonate ear structures that help fish with hearing and balance. According to the study, the Mohand assemblage includes otoliths from snakeheads, gobies, and gouramis, giving scientists a rare window into a freshwater ecosystem that existed in the Himalayan foreland during the Pliocene. Researchers say the combination of these fish points to a structured aquatic food web, with smaller fish serving as prey and snakeheads acting as predators.