Agriculture is egocentric

Norman Uphoff, professor emeritus of government and international agriculture at Cornell University, US, likes to say that the system of rice …

Sugarcoating can provide extra power to pneumonia vaccine

Scientists in India have developed a vaccine against pneumonia-causing bacteria using a combination of three different sugar molecules

Lack of data on gut microbes in India a problem

Studies across the globe have linked intestinal microbes with protection from diseases; India may be sitting on a mine of information

Scientists demonstrate new approach to kill drug-resistant strains of bacteria

Preliminary observations indicate a potent multi-site effect on the cells making it hard for the bacteria to develop resistance

India’s hot springs harbour solution to oil spills

As natural extreme environments with water at very high temperature, hot springs are of special interest to scientists and those engaged in …

From nostrils to crocodile blood – ten surprising places to look for antibiotics

In the battle against superbugs, you'd be amazed where we might find the cures of the future

World Health Assembly: countries highlight progress in tackling antimicrobial resistance

India’s push towards addressing animal and environmental aspects of AMR through surveillance is a welcome step  

Do you really choose what you eat – or do your gut microbes decide for you?

A new study with fruit flies suggests that we may have less free will when it comes to choosing what we eat than we like to think

Resistance-causing mcr-1 gene isolated in India

The gene is responsible for resistance against colistin, a last resort antibiotic used to treat human diseases

Plant microbiomes are not exactly a ‘treasure-trove’

Breeding plants with more beneficial bacteria to feed the world won’t be simple, study says

Accidental discovery of life deep beneath Antarctica’s ice shelves baffles scientists

As many as 16 sponges and 22 unidentified species attached to a rock were discoverd away from the sunlight under harsh conditions  

Microplastic in Atlantic: Ocean lab near Bermuda Triangle

Scientists on expedition find 29 pieces of plastic, of which 23 are micro plastic, in the Atlantic Gyre

Raising superbugs

Poultry farms are reservoirs of multi-drug resistant bacteria and play a major role in their spread, shows the latest CSE study

WHO categorises essential medicines to tackle antibiotic resistance

In the biggest revision of Essential Medicines List, WHO categorised antibiotics into three section—Access, Watch and Reserve

Study indicates increasing multi-drug resistance in children against enteric bacteria

Children in India also carry high levels of antibiotic resistance against key pathogens causing difficulty in treating infections

Frontier guards

Invaded and ravaged by germs and pathogens every moment of its existence, the human body has developed its own lines of defence. Among the …

Health ministers in G20 Summit commit to address antimicrobial resistance

Through Berlin Declaration, the health ministers emphasised the need for combating AMR through appropriate monitoring and surveillance

Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don't hospitals use it?

Lack of knowledge and perceived cost issues could be holding back the fight against the superbugs

Scientists develop new molecule to fight antibiotic resistance

A piece of synthetic DNA has been developed that restores effectiveness of a carbapenem

Researchers find new gene providing resistance to last-resort antibiotic

The finding comes eight months after the first-ever gene responsible for resistance to colistin, a last-resort drug for multi-drug-resistant …

Microbes in extreme heat and cold hold lessons about life on Earth, and beyond

Microbes have the ability to survive in extremely hot and cold conditions. This makes them invaluable tools for research: they can teach us how …

Science or Snake Oil: can turmeric really shrink tumours, reduce pain and kill bacteria?

Turmeric is often reported to have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties, but there is not sufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions

US woman infected by drug-resistant bacteria; dies

The case, once again, brings to light the building antibiotic resistance in the world—often called a ticking time bomb

An uncelebrated genius

Book>> Plague And Cholera • by Patrick Deville • Little Brown • US $17

Did scientists just discover the world’s oldest fungi?

It is an indication that life-forms evolved to survive deep under the sea, without access to either light or oxygen