Inside living cells, molecules move through extreme crowding, far from the ideal conditions of lab buffers. This dense, constrained environment reshapes protein folding, interactions, and drug behaviour. By mimicking this “molecular traffic jam”, researchers are redefining biochemical rules and developing more realistic models to improve drug discovery, delivery, and therapeutic precision.
In this article on the Santhal Pargana uplands, Kulesh Bhandari, an independent biodiversity researcher from Jharkhand, describes walking through mist-lit Sal forests, attentive to the landscape’s quiet rhythms. His journey across Kathi Kund, Barapaghar, Danro, and Sundar Pahari blends ecological mapping with tribal knowledge, revealing an increasingly fragile yet enduring relationship between communities and their living forests.
Latha T, a medical pharmacology postgraduate from Shivamogga, Karnataka, combines her passion for neuroscience and psychiatry with storytelling. She explores how theatre, beyond emotional impact, shapes our brains through neuroplasticity; bridging science and art to promote mental well-being and deepen understanding of human emotions and healing.
Building on her reflections on project Biotales, in this second part, Aswathy Raveendran delves into the creative journeys of early career biologists. Through workshops enabling artistic expression, participants shared deeply personal narratives that explore the emotional, intellectual, and ethical dimensions of doing science—offering educators and readers a window into the lived experience of life science research.
Posted on in Education, Science Communication, Teaching, School Education & Education
This article explores a personal narrative by Aswathy Raveendran from Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai, an awardee of the 5th IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant (IOG) who leads project Biotales. The project captures personal journeys of early career biologists through creative writing and art, offering insights into the nature and culture of biological sciences research.
Posted on in Education, Science Communication, Teaching, School Education & Education
Can a simple kitchen test provide an estimate of protein in grains and pulses? Researchers from University of Mumbai-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences have come up with a laboratory-free method using foam generation to teach students about protein estimation. The DIY approach provides a fun and scientific way to investigate nutrition of grains at home.
Posted on in Education, Science Communication, Teaching, School Education & Education
Citizen science is research conducted with the help of the general public, where amateur, non-professional, and passionate individuals are provided with an opportunity to contribute to science. It serves as a medium to foster scientific curiosity and collaboration between scientists and society, enabling individuals to contribute to data collection, organisation, and analysis—which are key elements in evidence-based decision-making and addressing community challenges through research and policy initiatives. Additionally, it also helps alleviate the workload and conserve the bandwidth of scientists and experts, allowing them to focus better on advancing research and innovation.
Posted on in Education, Science Communication, Training, Teaching, School Education & Education