Latest news with #IndianInstituteofScienceEducationandResearch
The Hindu
a day ago
- Science
- The Hindu
How does a plant's first shoot rise safely through soil, into daylight?
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, have found that a single protein helps plants time their first step from darkness into light. When a seed sprouts in darkness under the soil, its stem curves into a small hook shape that protects the delicate shoot tip as it pushes upward. The hook needs to stay 'closed' until the seedling breaks through the soil and meets light. In the study, the team wanted to know how two common signals — ethylene, a plant hormone that builds up underground, and light — work together to decide exactly when the hook opens. The team focused on what a gene called BBX32 really does in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. By comparing seedlings modified to lack BBX32, to churn out extra copies, to carry extra mutations, or to glow blue or green when the gene was activated or its protein moved around, the scientists could pinpoint how the protein made by the gene helps keep the hook closed. The team also grew seedlings indarkness, red, blue, far-red light, and normal light, in plates with or without a compound that raises ethylene levels, and in thin layers of sand to imitate soil pressure. They photographed three-day-old seedlings and used software to measure the hook angle as it opened over time. They also used genetic tools to track the performance of the BBX32 gene and counted how many seedlings breached a sand layer and turned green. The findings were published in New Phytologiston May 28. The team comprised Nevedha Ravindran, Kavuri Venkateswara Rao, and Sourav Datta of the Department of Biological Sciences at IISER Bhopal. They found that ethylene turns BBX32 on and that light protects BBX32 from being destroyed. The role of BBX32 itself is to keep the hook closed for longer. Without extra ethylene, BBX32 mutants behave like normal plants whereas with high ethylene or a sand cover, the hook opens too soon. BBX32 was found to work by raising the activity of the PIF3 protein, which switched on HLS1, which kept the hook closed. If PIF3 was missing, BBX32 couldn't prevent the hook from opening. In the sand test, only about a quarter of seedlings ever reached the surface compared to 40% of normal seedlings and 80% of over-expressors. Keeping the hook closed just a bit longer clearly helped a sprout survive its climb. The researchers also worked out why BBX32 accumulates only when it's most useful. In total darkness, an enzyme called COP1 latches onto BBX32 and sends it to be degraded, keeping the hook flexible. Ethylene partially shields BBX32, but once the emerging seedling first senses daylight, COP1 activity drops, allowing the protein to build up on the concave side of the hook and hold it shut a little longer. This finely tuned handshake offers a way to breed crops whose seedlings can breach denser soils — a trait that may be valuable as climate change brings heavier rains.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Orientation-cum-selection camp for int'l astronomy Olympiad draws to close at IISER Mohali
Chandigarh: The orientation-cum-selection camp (OCSC) for the international astronomy Olympiad is drawing to a close at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Designed to hone the skills of India's brightest young minds in astronomy and astrophysics, this intensive camp is set to culminate with the selection of five students who will represent the nation at the International Olympiad for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2025, scheduled to be held in August in Mumbai. A rigorous selection process began with a national-level test, the Indian National Astronomy Olympiad, which saw close to 500 participants. From this pool, 54 students were initially chosen across two groups: Group A (Class 12) and Group B (Class 10 or 11). Of these, 37 students from various parts of India ultimately qualified and are currently participating in the OCSC at IISER Mohali. The OCSC programme is a comprehensive training ground, featuring a blend of theoretical and practical sessions. Students have engaged in lectures, tutorials, hands-on telescope setup and handling sessions, and crucial sky observation sessions, all aimed at deepening their understanding of astronomical concepts and techniques. While the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE-TIFR Mumbai) typically organises the Astronomy OCSC, this year's responsibility was entrusted to IISER Mohali. The camp will conclude with a valedictory function on June 11.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
IISER's Prof Sujit Ghosh awarded Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize
Professor Sujit Ghosh from the Department of Chemistry at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has been awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize by Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This recognition is awarded to distinguished scientists and scholars every year in recognition of outstanding research contributions. The prize is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany. and is named after Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784–1846), a prominent German astronomer and mathematician. Key selection criteria for the prize include: excellent scientific achievements that have already shaped the scientific field and reasonable prospect of future outstanding top performance with appeal beyond a narrow field of expertise, among others. The award carries prize money and enables collaborative research projects at German research institutions. Ghosh will be visiting the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in Germany for collaborative research as part of this prize. Ghosh's research group is working on the development and functional studies of various advanced porous materials like Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs), Metal-organic Polyhedra (MOPs), Porous organic polymers (POPs), Hydrogen-bonded Organic Frameworks (HOFs), Nano-composites of porous materials etc. for chemical industry, energy, and environmental applications.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Researchers from IISER flag flood risk, climate oversight in riverfront project
Pune: A study conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune has raised concerns about flood resilience and climate preparedness of the Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development (RFD) project undertaken by the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies. Authored by Argha Banerjee, Radhika Mulay, and Tresa Mary Thomas from IISER's Centre for Water Research (CWR), the report highlights multiple lapses in the project's foundational design. Chief among them is the underestimation of future flood levels and the failure to incorporate climate change projections into planning. The report was published on April 29, 2025. The RFD project, jointly executed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), and Pune Cantonment Board, proposes a 44-km-long twin embankment aimed at flood control, beautification, and public recreation along the Mula and Mutha rivers. However, the IISER review warns that the current design may leave the city vulnerable to extreme weather events. 'The extreme monsoonal rain can lead to floods, when the river levels and the storage in dams are already high. This was not considered in the RFD estimates of flood levels. It may be prudent to consider the combined effects of the average monsoon discharge and the discharge due to the extreme rainfall. In addition, a strong gradient in the rainfall from the Western Ghats to Pune, together with the sparse network of hydrometeorological stations in this catchment, makes all the above flood estimates inherently uncertain,' the study stated. Yuvraj Deshmukh, projects incharge, PMC, 'While preparing the detailed project report, the data of last hundred years was considered. The civic administration has received requisite permission from authorities related to the project.' Civic activist Sarang Yadwadkar, who shared the report with the media, said, 'The study confirms what experts have been warning for years — the flood levels assumed in the project are dangerously low.' The report explains that conventional flood management strategies rely on a 100-year return period model, assuming a major flood occurs once in a century. But with intensifying climate change, such events are expected to occur multiple times within a single century across South Asia, including India. This increases the likelihood of unprecedented flood damage, which could rise up to 20-fold in economic and social terms, the report notes. It also highlights that despite having their own flood discharge estimates, the RFD team opted to use figures from the irrigation department that are 20–30% lower. Furthermore, a recent study by the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) shows higher discharge estimates, indicating a potentially serious design flaw. The IISER researchers caution that the current flood estimates do not account for scenarios where heavy monsoonal rains coincide with already elevated river and dam levels — a situation increasingly common in recent years. 'Designing for significantly higher flood levels is not just advisable — it's imperative,' the study stated, urging that Pune's existing scientific institutions such as IISER, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), and India Meteorological Department (IMD) be engaged in a thorough reassessment of the flood risk model. The study also questions the environmental sustainability of the project. It notes that 240 hectares of green cover are slated to be replaced with concrete embankments, with no clear assessment of the project's carbon footprint or ecological impact. The report calls for an independent evaluation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by local scientists and subject experts.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How Microplastics Are Threatening Shark Reproduction
This research fills in a key piece of the puzzle, showing that microplastic pollution isn't just a ... More surface-level problem. It reaches deep into the tissues and reproductive systems of marine life, potentially compromising future generations before they're even born. Sharks play a critical role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems. Whether they're top predators or mesopredators, their presence helps regulate populations of prey species and support the health of marine food webs. But their survival is under increasing threat. Not only are many shark species slow to grow, reach maturity late and produce few offspring, but they're also facing intense pressure from overfishing and habitat degradation. In fact, the global population of oceanic sharks and rays has dropped by 71% over the past 50 years. While direct human take plays a major role in this decline, another less visible danger is growing: pollution, especially in the form of microplastics. Microplastics — tiny fragments of plastic less than 5 mm long — are now found across every corner of the ocean. These particles come from the breakdown of larger plastic debris and are made from materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride and polystyrene. They've been detected in the guts and tissues of many marine animals such as mammals, seabirds, turtles, zooplankton, fish, and sharks. A recent study focused on spadenose sharks (Scoliodon laticaudus) living along the west coast of India offers new insight into just how deeply these pollutants are infiltrating marine life — and what that might mean for the future of sharks. Spadenose sharks are small, coastal species that inhabit shallow waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Their size and nearshore habitat make them especially vulnerable to fishing and habitat changes. Led by PhD student Haradhan Ruidas of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur, a team of researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts and gonadal tissues of these sharks to measure the presence and concentration of microplastics, assess how these particles could affect reproductive health and identify the types of plastic present. They used the gonadosomatic index (also known as GSI), a tool that compares the weight of reproductive organs to the total body weight, to evaluate reproductive condition. GSI offers a more accurate picture of reproductive investment than raw gonad weight alone since it factors in body size differences. This study highlights just how widespread and invasive microplastic pollution has become. The results were alarming. Microplastics were found in every water sample collected, 97.9% of GI tract samples and 95% of gonadal tissues. The highest concentrations weren't in the stomach or intestines… they were in the gonads. In other words, these pollutants are not just being eaten and passed through the system; they're ending up in reproductive organs. Most of the microplastics detected were fibers (85%), likely originating from synthetic textiles, fishing gear or packaging materials. Flakes and films made up the rest. What was even more distressing was the fact that female sharks were found to have higher concentrations of microplastics in their gonads compared to males. However, in male sharks, higher levels of microplastics were linked to lower GSI values, suggesting a negative impact on reproductive health. While the exact mechanisms behind this relationship need further investigation, the team says that previous research offers some clues. Studies in other animals have shown that microplastics can migrate through the body, passing into the bloodstream, penetrating cells and even accumulating in the reproductive system. There, they may trigger inflammation, disrupt hormone production and interfere with the development of reproductive cells. In both lab animals and marine species, microplastics have been linked to reduced testosterone, lower levels of hormones needed for reproduction, and changes in gene expression related to fertility. This new study on spadenose sharks supports the idea that similar effects could be occurring in wild shark populations. Raman spectroscopy — a technique used to identify materials based on their molecular composition — revealed that the microplastics found in the sharks were primarily made of polyethylene and polyamide, both of which are common in packaging and textiles. Sharks, which sit at higher levels in the food chain, may be particularly prone to accumulating these pollutants as they consume contaminated prey over time. For a group of animals already at risk due to slow reproduction, additional reproductive stress caused by pollution could make recovery even harder. When top predators like sharks begin to suffer, it can signal deeper problems in the ocean. Understanding the physiological impacts of pollution on sharks isn't just important for their survival. It reflects the broader health of marine ecosystems, as the pollution of today is potentially compromising future generations before they're even born.
