V V Robin

24th August 2024, 9:30AM IST

Connectivity of Birdsin the Shola Sky Islands

Shola ecosystems are found on geographically isolated, high-elevation regions of the Western Ghats, forming a “Sky-island” system. Despite their isolation, their matrix of montane grasslands and evergreen forests harbour disproportionately more endemic taxa of birds, plants, fishes and invertebrates. Both habitats, forests and grasslands have endemic birds that are restricted to specific mountains.
Read more

Dr Nibedita Lenka

24th August 2024, 10:30AM IST

Fascinating Stem cells in unravelling the cell fate decision conundrum

Stem cells are the basic unit of development. The uniqueness of stem cells resides in their potential to self-renew and differentiate into a wide array of cell types. My group’s interest lies in the exploration of the molecular basis of cell commitment and differentiation into various lineages using both the murine and the human pluripotent stem cells as the model system. Our target is to delineate the molecular basis underlying various lineages prior- and subsequent to the lineage commitment and specification - the key drivers that direct the uncommitted cells to choose a specific cell fate during early development.
Read more

Dr. Mridula Nambiar

24th August 2024, 2:00PM IST

A tale of two rings: How cohesin paralogs differentially regulate recombination and chromosomal segregation

Cohesin complexes are ring-shaped multimers that serve a multitude of functions, such as regulating genome architecture, transcription, and DNA repair, apart from their canonical roles in chromosomal segregation fidelity during cell division. Paralogs exist for a few subunits of this complex, which if co-expressed, can result in the presence of multiple complexes at the same time in a cell. Meiotic chromosomes contain two distinct cohesin complexes, one specifically around the centromeres that are known to mainly aid in chromosomal segregation and the other exclusively at the chromosomal arms to facilitate genetic recombination events. However, how this distinct cohesin loading pattern is maintained on the chromosomes is not very clear. Potential molecular mechanisms mediated by chromatin receptors and epigenetic factors in dictating this preferential loading in Schizosaccharomyces pombe will be discussed. Read more

Dr. Kulbhushansingh Suryavanshi

24th August 2024, 3:00PM IST

ScienceofEcology and Human DimensionsofConserving Snow Leopards(Panthera uncia) in High Asia

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of only five living members of the big cat genus in the world. They are found across the high mountains of Asia – the Himalaya, Karakorum, Hindukush, Pamir, Tien Shan, Kunlun Shan, and Altai ranges. The snow leopard has emerged as a flagship for the conservation of mountains and their environment. These mountains are home to some of the greatest diversity of life on our planet. A fourth of humanity directly depends on the rivers that originate here.
Read more

Dr. Jyothilakshmi Vadaserry

24th August 2024, 4:30PM IST

Studying insect-released proteins and modulation of host immunity

Insect herbivory is a major biotic stress that plants have to encounter. The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fab.), is a major generalist agricultural pest worldwide with a broad host range. However, little is known about the mechanisms used by Spodoptera for a successful invasion of a large set of host plants. The broad host range of the herbivore is due to its ability to downregulate plant immunity across different plants. Insect oral secretion (OS) is derived from gut, labial, mandibular and ventral eversible glands, which are deposited on plants while feeding. It contains an array of Herbivore Associated Molecular Patterns (HAMPs)/elicitors and effectors, which either elicit or suppress plant defense reactions. Read more

Dr. Vinay Bulusu

24th August 2024, 5:30PM IST

Sub-cellular and cellular compartmentalisation of lipid metabolism in cancer progression

With increased growth of cancer cells in a tumour, nutrients become limiting, thereby invoking cancer-specific adaptive strategies for survival. These metabolic vulnerabilities not only help us understand the regulatory aspects of metabolism but also make them potential targets for therapy. Our previous data showed that breast cancer cells actively scavenge acetate as an alternate nutrient source through an enzyme, Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2, and this flux increases upon metabolic stress. Most of the exogenous acetate is used up in lipogenesis, with very little contributing towards histone acetylation.
Read more

Dr. Yashraj Chavhan

25th August 2024, 2:00PM IST

The evolution of macroscopic multicellularity by the genetic assimilation of phenotypicallyplastic cellclustering

Theevolution of macroscopic multicellularity by thegenetic assimilation ofphenotypicallyplastic cellclustering Read more

Dr. Mukund Thattai

25th August 2024, 3:00PM IST

The astonishing story ofcomplex cells

This is an exciting time to study life's origins. New voyages of exploration across continents and oceans have uncovered an incredible diversity of cellular forms, while submarines probing deep-sea vents have found hints of primordial cells seemingly unchanged for billions of years. What drove those earliest cells to make the leap from a streamlined prokaryotic cell plan to the complex and versatile eukaryotic design? Read more

Dr Naveen Chandra Bisht

25th August 2024, 4:30PM IST

Structure-function analysis of glucosinolate biosynthesis and transport processesin Brassicaceae

The chemical diversity of specialized metabolites in plants helps them to better adapt and survive in a variety of environments. The globally cultivated Brassica crops possess diverse aliphatic glucosinolates important for plant defense and animal nutrition. The molecular basis for the evolution of Methylthioalkylmalate synthase (MAMS) and its generation of natural product diversity is poorly understood in Brassicaceae, owing to their polyploidization and neo functionalization of paralogs during evolution.
Read more

Dr. Ravi Devani

27th August 2024, 4:30PM IST

Sex Determination Mechanismsin Cucurbits and their Implicationsfor Agriculture

Flowering plants have evolved intricate yet adaptable sex-determination systems to increase the genetic diversity and fitness of the offspring. Understanding sex determination is vital in agriculture, as it determines how crops are cultivated and bred. The global food security is threatened by climate change, pollinator decline, and rising demand. In this post-genomic era, the discovery and optimization of gene networks governing key agricultural traits hold the promise to significantly boost productivity.
Read more

Dr. Debashree Dutta

29th August 2021, 3:30PM IST

Exploringthe role of histone epigeneticsin guiding cellular transition during mammalian development

Mammals evolve from the 1-cell zygote through several cleavage divisions to the blastocyst, the embryonic stage with the first streak of differentiation. From pre- to post-implantation, embryonic cells undergo cellular transition, a shift in phenotype. The most common during this development involves the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. An intricate signalling, transcription, and epigenetic network regulates this process. Read more

Dr. Sunetra Gupta

30th August 2024, 7:30PM IST (Online)

The role of mathematical models in pandemic management and development of vaccines

All of us remember the COVID-19 lockdown and the horrors of sanitizing our hands for the nth time in a day. However, even in such drastic times, some people looked out for us by providing alternative perspectives on managing the pandemic.
Read more

Dr. Michael Sheetz

30th August 2024, 9:30PM IST(Online)

Rejuvenation of Senescent Cells, in vitro and in vivo,by Low-frequency Ultrasound without Senolysis

The presence of an appreciable number of senescent cells causes age-related pathologies as their removal by genetic or pharmacological means, as well as possibly by exercise, improves the outcome in animal models. An alternative to depleting such cells would be to rejuvenate them to promote their return to a replicative state. The means to do so have not been explored, but here we report that treatment of non-growing senescent cells with low-frequency ultrasound (LFU) rejuvenates the cells.
Read more

Dr. M S Madhusudhan

31st August 2024, 5:30PM IST

Reading genomes

Interacting proteins usually bind 5-6 base pairs of DNA. We looked at the distributions of 5/6-mer DNA motifs in whole chromosomes and in smaller sections across the whole genome to get insights into how proteins read genomic sequences.
Read more

Dr. Suhita Nadkarni

31st August 2024, 6:45PM IST

“What I cannot create, I do not understand"; Applying Feynman’s dictum tosynapses

Synapses are hotspots for learning and memory and can be extremely complex. They possess diverse morphologies, receptor types, ion channels, and second messengers. The differences between synaptic designs across brain areas suggest a link between synaptic form and function. In the tiny spaces of a synapse, often only a few molecules are needed to orchestrate function. This makes measurements at a synapse difficult.
Read more

Grand Theft Bio

1st September 2024, 9:00PM IST

Take part in a heist to determine the fate of the world!

Proteus Evil Inc. has claimed to possess a bioweapon that could destroy life as we know it. International safety is in danger of being compromised, and mass panic will ensue if this information reaches the general public. The Global Peace Conservation Representatives(GPCRs) need their topmost agents to recover this item and neutralize the threat. The accelerated response and intervention to eliminate the liability will commence on the 1st of September 2024 at 2100 hours(9:00pm) after you have confirmed your acceptance of the mission by filling the NDA.
Read more