On the biomechanics of the somersault movement in Hydra In a recent paper published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the research groups led by Prof. Sanjeev Galande from the Biology department and Dr. Shivprasad Patil and Dr. Apratim Chatterji from the Physics department at IISER Pune, along with Prof. Irit Sagi’s group from Weizmann Institute of Science, reveal the secret of Hydra’s somersault movement on a …
In a paper published in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine, in collaboration with the BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospitals in Pune, researchers from IISER Pune report that by accurately measuring the ability to smell, one could detect an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a daunting challenge to the global community as …
The Science Activity Centre at IISER Pune, in association with Maharashtra State Council of Education Research and Training (MSCERT) Pune, has initiated a series of online workshops in Marathi for school science and mathematics teachers. Ten episodes on various science and mathematics concepts will be streamed live on Science Activity Centre’s YouTube channel every Saturday …
In a paper that addresses the increasing levels of water pollution, Prof. Sujit Ghosh’s group has developed a hybrid material that can purify water by removing a wide range of toxic ions from water. “Inorganic oxoanions, classified among the primary substances present in polluted water, end up in aquatic environments and are often difficult to filter out …
Like tagging your grey suitcase with a bright ribbon helps you spot it from among tens of others, tagging molecules with fluorescent probes gives certain functionalities to the molecules we try to study. We can now see where they reside in a cell, when they traverse, which other molecules they meet, what communication transpires between them, …
The low-cost ICU ventilator developed earlier at the Physics department of IISER Pune will now be jointly taken up by Accurate Gauging & Instruments Pvt. Ltd. and IISER Pune to be built for regulatory approvals followed by production. Towards this, a Memorandum of Understanding for transfer of technology was signed by IISER Pune and Accurate Gauging & …
A recent paper from Dr Amrita Hazra’s group at IISER Pune offers new insights into the puzzle of how vitamin B-12, one of the largest ‘small molecules’ made in nature, is pieced together. They do this by reconstituting the activity of two novel enzymes involved in B-12 synthesis and find that the enzymes methylate a part of the B-12 …
Water is essential to sustain life on earth. Access to safely managed drinking water in a way that it’s available when needed and is free of contamination is not a given to many communities around the world. About two-thirds of our planet’s surface is covered in ocean waters, but this water cannot be consumed due …
Smt. Indrani Balan Science Activity Centre at IISER Pune conducted its first successful live online demonstration on Sunday, June 7, 2020, through YouTube live-streaming. This was the first of a series of science activity demonstrations, titled Next-Gen Science Camps: Exploring Fun Activities at your Doorstep, with Hands-on Science and Mathematics. The series has been initiated …
Named in honour of the mineralogist Lev Perovski, perovskite is the mineral form of the inorganic compound calcium titanate (CaTiO3). A large fraction of earth’s minerals has various compositions of metal oxides with the same perovskite structure. Such oxide perovskites are commonly used in our household applications including gas igniter (piezoelectric crystal) and capacitor. “The …
While it is well-recognised that expanding testing capacity is a critical element in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing is a logistically and technically formidable task for a large population such as ours. Research institutions have the infrastructure and technical know-how required for conducting tests. IISER Pune has hence come forward to take on …
IISER Pune researchers are involved in a multi-institutional effort to produce open-source computer-aided-designs for a mechanical ventilator that is currently in use in hospitals. This work is being carried out in collaboration with Capt. (Retd.) Rustom Bharucha from Bharucha Instrumentation and Control, Pune, India; IUCAA, Pune; IISER Pune; IndoGenius, New Delhi; and King’s College London, United …
Majority of the drugs available in the market for cancer bind to proteins, nucleic acids, receptors, etc. present in cancer cells and help destroy the cells. On many occasions, cancer cells generate resistance against these drugs during the treatment period. So, there is a continuous need to develop new strategies to target cancer. A new …
Cipla Foundation-IISER Pune Centre for Chemistry Education and Research on the IISER Pune campus has been inaugurated today by Dr. Yusuf K. Hamied, Non-Executive Chairman, Cipla Ltd. He was accompanied by Mrs. Farida Hamied and Ms. Rumana Hamied, the Managing Trustee of Cipla Foundation. The Centre, housing chemistry research labs along with an in-class demo …
Through a generous endowment from Bajaj Auto Ltd., a hostel for women research scholars at IISER Pune was announced in 2017. The construction of this multi-storied building has now been completed and has been opened to research scholars. The inauguration ceremony of this Hall of Residence was held today (on January 11, 2020) at the …
Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi visited IISER Pune and met with some of the faculty members and students in a brief but highly interactive gathering. IISER Pune Director Prof Jayant Udgaonkar presented an overview of the institute profile outining the institute’s objectives, achievements, and aspirations. He also spoke about the importance of …
Antarctica, with an annual average temperature anywhere between minus ten to minus sixty, is one of the most inhospitable places on the Earth. However, this was not the case forty million years ago; a mild climate had prevailed there. Towards the end of the Late Eocene, approximately 33.7 million years ago, temperatures plunged rapidly, allowing …
A team of 14 students from IISER Pune who competed at the 2020 international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) contest, have won a gold medal at the International Giant Jamboree held virtually during November 13-22, 2020. Close to 250 teams participated in the competition internationally, which consisted of poster presentations, workshops, keynote speeches and networking events.The … Continue reading
IISER Pune held a valedictory function today (November 20, 2020) where the 2020 outgoing batch of students were congratulated and awardees were felicitated through an online event. This event was held to celebrate the graduation of students, as the convocation for the year 2020 could not be held in May/June at the usual time of … Continue reading
Three scientists at IISER Pune, Dr. Angshuman Nag (Associate Professor, Chemistry), Dr. Anup Biswas (Associate Professor, Mathematics) and Dr. Rejish Nath (Associate Professor, Physics) are among those selected for the Department of Science and Technology (DST)’s Swarnajayanti Fellowships for 2019-20. Continue reading
Nine IISER Pune students are among those selected for this year’s Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). The PMRF scheme is aimed at attracting the talent pool of the country to PhD programmes of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). IISER Pune … Continue reading
Prof. Thomas Pucadyil (Chair, Biology, IISER Pune) has been elected into the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) while Dr. G. J. Sreejith (Assistant Professor, Physics) has won the INSA Young Scientist Medal for 2020, along with Dr. Shradda Karve, a former PhD student at the institute. INSA is a body of Indian scientists created in … Continue reading
IISER Pune together with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad and Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) undertook an epidemiological and serological survey of selected high-incidence prabhags of Pune city. The study is supported by the Persistent Foundation. The preliminary technical report of this … Continue reading
Prof. Harinath Chakrapani, Professor of Chemistry at IISER Pune, has won the Bronze Medal of Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI). CRSI is a is a premier professional chemical society of India established in 1999 with an aim to facilitate and promote research & education in all branches of chemistry. The Society organises symposia, events … Continue reading
Centre of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CoESME), in association with Wilson College, Mumbai, conducted their first fully online workshop on Research-based Pedagogical Tools (RBPTs) from May 18-23, 2020. Responding to demands of the present lockdown induced situation, CoESME decided to move their flagship workshop to the online mode. Over 1500 applications were received, … Continue reading
IISER Pune faculty members Dr. Umakant Rapol and Dr. Sunil Nair have developed a low-cost ventilator put together with readily available and easily source-able parts. The researchers are now looking to get in touch with manufacturers to produce this ventilator model. In this video produced by the Science Media Centre at IISER Pune, they describe … Continue reading
Prof. S G Srivatsan, Professor in Chemistry at IISER Pune, has won National Prize for Research on Chemistry of Peptides and Nucleic Acids. The award is given by Prof. C.N.R. Rao Education foundation to scientists below 55 years of age. This award recognises Prof. Srivatsan’s work carried out at IISER Pune. Prof. Srivatsan’s work is … Continue reading
Dr. Siddhesh Kamat (Assistant Professor in Biology at IISER Pune) has received this year’s Merck Young Scientist Award. This award recognises excellence in research among scientists with less than 10 years of post-PhD experience and considers applications from all research/academic institutions across India. The accolade is comprised of a cash prize and a travel award. Dr. Kamat … Continue reading
Dr Saikrishnan Kayarat, Associate Professor in Biology at IISER Pune, has won Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India’s S. Ramachandran National Bioscience Award for Career Development for the year 2019. The award is given each year by the DBT to scientists below 45 years of age engaged in research on basic or applied biological … Continue reading
Dr. Siddhesh Kamat, Assistant Professor in Biology at IISER Pune, has been selected as an ‘European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO)’s Young Investigator for four years starting January 2020. He is one of 27 life scientists from across the globe chosen for this award. EMBO is an organization that promotes excellence in life sciences by supporting … Continue reading
IISER Pune has been ranked twentieth in a list of top Young Universities in the world published by the prestigious Nature Index. The Index classifies institutions younger than fifty years in this category. Of the ten Indian institutes which have made it to the top 100 Young Universities list, IISER Pune is second after Homi … Continue reading
Dr. Sujit K. Ghosh and Dr. Angshuman Nag have both been chosen to receive the Materials Research Society of India (MRSI)’s Medals for 2020. The Medals will be presented during the Annual General Meeting of MRSI to be held in Kolkata during February 2020. As recipients of this medal, the awardees will be delivering an invited lecture … Continue reading
Dr Saikrishnan Kayarat, Associate Professor in Biology at IISER Pune, has been selected for CSIR’s Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in the area of Biological Sciences for the year 2019. Dr Kayarat is one of the two winners of the Prize this year in the Biological Sciences discipline. A total of 12 scientists and technologists have … Continue reading
Watching Viswanathan Anand taking time to make his move when he plays against Magnus Carlsen reminds us about the famous theory of speed-accuracy trade-off. This idea has been challenged and debated in the field of olfaction research – forming two schools of thought, one supporting a causal link between the accuracy and speed of decision-making … Continue reading
The Pune Biotech Cluster, a joint initiative between the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) and IISER Pune set up with funding from the Department of Biotechnology has been inaugurated at the NCCS today by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India. The project has been formulated with the goal of seamlessly … Continue reading
Dr. S. G. Srivatsan (Associate Professor, Chemistry) has been chosen to receive the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI)’s Bronze Medal for 2020. The CRSI, a premier professional chemical society of India, was established in 1999 with an objective to facilitate and promote research & education in all branches of chemistry. The Society organises symposia, … Continue reading
Prof. Sanjeev Galande (Professor, Biology and Dean, Research & Development) is one of the awardees of the prestigious J. C. Bose National Fellowship for 2019. The fellowship is awarded by the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) to selected, active scientists in all areas of science for their outstanding … Continue reading
Prof. LS Shashidhara has been elected as President of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS). The announcement was made at General Assembly of the Union which took place this week at Oslo, Norway where the new Executive Council of the Union was chosen. His term will be for the next three years. IUBS, established … Continue reading
Dr. Siddhesh Kamat, Assistant Professor in Biology at IISER Pune, has been awarded the ‘Young Scientist Medal’ of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi for 2019. INSA is a body of Indian scientists founded in 1935 for promotion of scientific knowledge in the country. One of their activities is to encourage and motivate … Continue reading
IISER Pune faculty member Dr R Vaidhyanathan’s work has been granted a US patent for the preparation of a covalent organic framework (COF) that can serve as an electrocatalyst to split water. Hydrogen and oxygen, the constitutent molecules of water, thus released, have vital industrial applications. Hydrogen can potentially be used as an alternative to the … Continue reading
Self assembly of proteins into superstructures is of interest considering its implications in variety of applications such as gene delivery, vaccine design and diagnostics. Genetic engineering involving computational methods and rational design strategies have been employed to design protein superstructures with high accuracy. However, most of the reported protein superstructure lack dynamic behavior which is … Continue reading
Three IISER Pune students are among those selected for the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). The list of selected students has been announced recently and is available at this link. The PMRF scheme is aimed at attracting the talent pool of the country to PhD programmes of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Science … Continue reading
Grand Finale of Hardware Edition of the third Smart India Hackathon was inaugurated today. IISER Pune along with NCL, Pune among the nineteen centers all over India where the Finale of this national competition is being simultaneously held. Human Resource Minister Hon. Shri. Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurated the Finale via Video Conference. Shri. Seetharamakrishna, (Director, Intel) … Continue reading
On any given day you get to work, park your vehicle, meet a colleague, surprise an old friend or taste vada pav for the first time. Only some of these experiences will become memories that will last a lifetime. This information is stored as changes in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Specifically, … Continue reading
Dr. Thomas Pucadyil runs the Reconstitution Biology lab in IISER Pune. His research is based on a novel approach to address questions in membrane biology that he pioneered during his postdoctoral work. His techniques have found great success, as evidenced by the many accolades he has received, the most recent of which is the Shanti … Continue reading
Typically, the number of individuals in a population is a good estimate of whether or not bacteria can evolve under certain conditions. Larger populations carry more biological variation and adapt faster to new environments. This primarily happens as at least some of the population may cope with the sudden changes in the environment. However, this … Continue reading
The Manav Human Atlas project, a collaboration between IISER Pune, Persistent Systems, and the National Centre for Cell Science, was launched on May 10, 2019 by the DBT Secretary Dr. Renu Swarup. Funded by the Department of Biotechnology, this project aims to construct a comprehensive map of the entire human body which will explicitly document … Continue reading
Prof. Shyam Rai has been selected to receive the Professor Naha Memorial Medal for 2019 by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi. The Medal was established in 1996 from an endowment by the family members of Professor Naha to commemorate the memory of late Professor Kshitindramohan Naha, an eminent geologist and a distinguished INSA … Continue reading
In Which I Talk (Really, Really Quickly) About Life By Bruhad Dave It’s the stuff of existential nightmares. Why is this stuff happening in my life? What is happening in my life? What exactly is life in the first place? That last one is among the first questions that a basic biology textbook would ask … Continue reading
Prof. Satish Ogale has been awarded the Raja Ramanna Fellowship of the DAE for Senior Scientists. Prof. Ogale works in the area of clean energy. Instituted in 2000, this fellowship from the Department of Atomic Energy engages with scientists and technologists involved in developing critical technologies and pursuing high quality research. As a Raja Ramanna … Continue reading
