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The joy of creating is enormous. We hope Daak helps you discover the joy in the process of creating and understanding life. Cover art credit: Transplanted neural stem cells giving rise to neurons. Yirui SunAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
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Many congratulations to the wastewater surveillance team
To look for spread of COVID-19 in large communities non-invasively and quickly, scientists from three CSIR institutes - CCMB, IICT and NEERI came together to design an entire working pipeline. CSIR just won the Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award.
A new form of bacterial enzyme in eukaryotes - what is it doing here?
Bacteria make lipid-based metabolites like antibiotics using a set of enzymes. While tracking the evolutionary path of these enzymes, Sankaranarayanan’s lab found that most of them are missing in higher eukaryotes. Except one – an enzyme called fatty acyl-AMP ligase. It is retained in a new avatar with additional domains, and named as DIP2.
They looked for the function of these proteins in lipid metabolism. They found that DIP2 is present mostly in mitochondria, the power house of the cell, and they are in contact with the membranes of vacuoles, organelles that contain sap, water or even excretory material, in eukaryotic cells. Their studies show that DIP2 regulates a specific subset of a class of lipids called diacylglycerols (DAGs) in these cells. This regulation helps in controlling the size and number of vacuoles by their fusion and fission, needed for a variety of functions in cells across species to overcome stress.
Just as proteins have very specific roles, lipids like DIP-2 make a similar case for lipids too.
A chaperone that helps proteins under stress
Secretagogin is a known calcium binding protein and expresses in many kinds of cells in our bodies. The latest paper by Yogendra Sharma's group cells produce more secretagogin when they undergo heat shock or oxidative stress. Under such conditions, proteins misfold and damage the cells. This paper shows secretagogin helps proteins in cells fold correctly even under stress. Together, they show secretagogin's role as a calcium-dependent chaperone protein, and how changes in calcium levels or secretagogin expressions can play a role in protein misfolding, a signature of aggregation-based proteinopathies.
Inter-dependence of cholesterol and protein receptors via actin
Amit Chattopadhyay's lab looks into the dynamics of serotonin1A receptors (marked in green in the image) in the cell membrane and their dependence on cholesterol. In their latest publication, they use single particle tracking to follow the movement of serotonin1A receptors as they deplete cholesterol in the cells. They see that upon decreased cholesterol in cells, the receptors are more confined. Their previous work had shown cytoskeletal protein, actin also polymerizes in such conditions.
Together, they propose that upon cholesterol depletion, actin polymerizes causing lesser diffusion of serotonin1A receptors across cell membranes.
Hunt for potent anti-virals
Mpro, a protease enzyme in SARS-CoV-2 plays a central role in viral replication, and hence, considered an attractive drug target. Kiran Kumar's group with collaborators from CSIR-IHBT have shown that a natural bioactive molecule, theaflavin 3-gallate strongly binds to the protease and limits viral replication in vitro.
Sleep and wake cycles of adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are often in a state of inactivity, waiting for external cues such as injuries to quickly get active and form new cells. Jyotsna Dhawan's group identify mechanisms that allow for such quick shifts.
For first person account of the work,
Read more
Building a cornea from cadaveric stem cells
For the first time using stem cells from cornea of cadavers/donors that do not match optical standards, scientists from LV Prasad Eye Institute, IIT-Hyderabad and Kiran Kumar's group at CCMB have built a human cornea. It is now being tested on rabbits.
Read more
Stem cell research in India - Opportunities ahead
With Mansi Srivastava, join leading stem cell biologists of India in this 3-episode podcast series. They will discuss how India could utilize the stem cell technologies to address relevant questions for the country and a roadmap towards it.
1. Stem cell research: Where do we stand in the global scenario?
2. Building regenerative medicine platforms in India
3. Structured stem cell research in the coming decade
India Asks Why - is back
What makes chocolate-eating an experience? Why do we crave them so much? What part of the brain tells you to eat chocolate? Find answers to these questions with Jigyasa and Utsuka.
Listen here
Lives of Scientists
Join in Nikhil's exciting journey in science, starting as a child in Indore. From tweaking lenses to dissecting the details of life as a PhD student, he takes us through the excitement of hands-on experimentation as well as vis a vis with failures.
Read his story
CCMB Biologue - Connecting with leaders in life sciences
Join Manu Prakash on discussing topology of cell shapes.
Skill development programs at CCMB
We did a skill development program on Zebrafish Husbandry and Microinjection under Megha Kumar. The sessions focused on genetic manipulation techniques of microinjection into zebrafish embryos and larvae as well as zebrafish maintenance and husbandry.
If you are a young life science professional CCMB's skill development programs.
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