Research News

Nearly one billion people could be at risk of blindness by the middle of the century if an emerging short-sightedness (myopia) epidemic is ignored, said researchers.

Researchers have identified a type of vaginal bacteria that can protect women from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as other sexually transmitted infections.

A team of researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, has succeeded in sequencing the genome of Tulsi, a step which will help identify the genes responsible for production of compounds with potential medicinal benefits. The team which included researchers from NCBS, inStem and CCAMP (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms), all members of the Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster, used five different types of Tulsi, (Ocimum tenuflorium subtype Rama, O. tenuflorium subtype Krishna, O. gratissimum, O. saccharicum and O. kilmund) to collect the genomic data.

Researchers have developed a new smartphone app that help food inspectors inconspicuously collect data related to food safety observations in restaurants and supermarkets without any fuss. The study was published in the journal Food Protection Trends.

Previous research has suggested that exposure to heavy metal toxicants can influence a person's global DNA methylation profile. A new study has revealed that mothers with high levels of lead in their blood not only affect the fetal cells of their unborn children, but also their grandchildren. The study appeared online in the Scientific Reports.

Researchers have designed and synthesised a nanometer-scale DNA "machine" that can make the process of detecting the antibodies that can help with the diagnosis of infectious and auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and HIV much cheaper.

A new research suggests that replacing sitting desks with sit-stand desks at offices could offer a cost-effective and sustainable approach to fight  obesity. The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

A new study has found that knowing people who enjoy comparatively higher status may be detrimental to your mental health.  The findings appeared in the journal Social Science and Medicine.

While exercise is good for everyone, it is also a well known fact that some struggle more than others, suggested a recent study by researchers at Lund University. The researchers studied the effects of exercise in people with increased risk of type 2 diabetes caused by being immediately related to someone with the disease. The study is published in Journal of Applied Physiology.