18 August 2023

–Pratibha Gopalakrishna

In a new study, researchers at the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have used a novel imaging technique to pinpoint how strongly adjacent bases – the building blocks of DNA – stack up on top of each other in a single strand. The findings open up possibilities for building complex DNA nanodevices and unravelling fundamental aspects of DNA structure.

DNA bases have a natural tendency to adhere to one another, a characteristic that has been measured in the context of this study. (Credit: Ayushi Amin Dey)

Behind the seamless running of every living cell lies DNA – the hereditary vehicle carrying information for its growth, functioning and reproduction. Each DNA strand is usually made up of four nucleotide bases – Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C). The bases on one strand pair with those on the opposite strand to form the double-stranded DNA (A pairs with T and G pairs with C).

Two types of interactions stabilise DNA’s double helix structure. Base-pairing – interaction between bases on opposite strands – is more widely known, whereas base-stacking – interaction between bases in the same strand – is not very well studied. Imagine a zipper in which base-pairing is like the zip holding the two strands together, while base-stacking acts like the teeth of the zipper, ensuring a tight and secure connection. Base-stacking interactions are typically stronger than base-pairing, says Mahipal Ganji, Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, IISc, and corresponding author of the paper published in Nature Nanotechnology.

To study all 16 possible base-stacking combinations, the researchers used DNA-PAINT (Point Accumulation in Nanoscale Topography). DNA-PAINT is an imaging technique that works on the principle that two artificially designed DNA strands – each ending on a different base – when put together in a buffer solution at room temperature, will bind and unbind to each other randomly for a very short time. The team tagged one of the strands (imager strand) with a fluorophore that would emit light during binding and tested the stacking of this strand on top of another docked strand. The binding and unbinding of different strand combinations (based on the end bases) were captured as images under a fluorescence microscope.

Patterned DNA nanostructures (cyan) as imaged using DNA-PAINT super-resolution technique enabled for studying strength of base-stacking interactions (pink). (Credit: Abhinav Banerjee)

The time taken for the binding and unbinding of the strands was found to increase if the interaction between the stacked bases was strong, explains Abhinav Banerjee, first author and PhD student at the Department of Biochemistry. Therefore, using the data obtained from DNA-PAINT, the researchers built a model that linked the timing of binding and unbinding with the strength of interaction between the stacked bases.

Using this technique, the team was able to uncover interesting insights into base-stacking. For example, adding just one more base-stacking interaction to a DNA strand seems to increase its stability by up to 250 times. They also found that each nucleotide pair had its own unique stacking strength. This information allowed the team to design a highly efficient three-armed DNA nanostructure that could potentially be built into a polyhedron-shaped vehicle for biomedical applications, like targeting specific disease markers and delivering targeted therapies.

The researchers are also working on improving the technique of DNA-PAINT itself. Banerjee says that leveraging on stacking interactions, they plan to design novel probes which would expand the potential applications of DNA-PAINT.

Moreover, the research has broader applications beyond imaging and nanotechnology, according to the scientists. Ganji hopes that these findings can be used to study fundamental properties of single and double-stranded DNA which, in turn, may shed light on DNA repair mechanisms, the failure of which leads to many diseases including cancer.

REFERENCE:

Banerjee A, Anand M, Kalita S, Ganji M, Single-Molecule Analysis of DNA Base-Stacking Energetics Using Patterned DNA Nanostructures, Nature Nanotechnology (2023).

CONTACT:

Abhinav Banerjee
PhD student
Department of Biochemistry (BC)
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: abhinavbaner@iisc.ac.in

Mahipal Ganji
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry (BC)
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: ganji@iisc.ac.in
Phone: +91 80 2293 2309
Lab website: https://ganjilab.org/

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.

b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

11 August 2023

India’s first Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) was successfully launched today in Hyderabad. Developed as a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the agriculture sector, ADeX is a collaboration between the Government of Telangana, World Economic Forum, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Hon’ble Minister for IT, Industries, and MA&UD, Shri KT Rama Rao said during the occasion, “Both ADeX and ADMF provide the right platform to ensure fair and efficient usage of agricultural data by the industry and startups and provide a big boost to the data economy specifically in the agriculture sector. These initiatives help Telangana lead the country in using innovation and technology to drive food systems transformation and improve the livelihoods of farmers.”

ADeX is an open-source, open-standard and inter-operable public good, democratising access to data and enabling the public and private sector to build applications and deliver services that benefit the society. Purushottam Kaushik, head of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution India, World Economic Forum, stated, “Data and digital ecosystems are critical for responsible innovation in the agriculture sector. The agriculture data exchange and the agriculture data management framework highlight the power of multi-stakeholder communities and collective action in addressing complex challenges in the agriculture sector.”

The software platform facilitates secure, standards-based exchange of data between agricultural data users (e.g. agri application developers) and agricultural data providers (e.g. Government Agencies, Private Companies, NGOs, Universities, etc.). Commenting on the launch, Prof G Rangarajan, Director, IISc, said, “ADeX will prove to be a game changer in the agriculture ecosystem providing impetus to research and innovation in the sector and creating value by mobilising data for healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.”

In Phase-I of the project, the ADeX Platform is currently deployed in the district of Khammam and over a period, will be expanded to the entire State. At the launch, several Agtechs demonstrated their digital solutions using data accessed through ADeX, such as:

• Market Advisory: Utilising daily Telangana agriculture market prices, farmers will have access to market prices of all commodities across different markets in the state daily. With increased transparency, it will enable farmers to take informed decisions regarding crop selection, timing of harvest, and choosing markets that offer better prices, ultimately maximising their profitability.
• Pest Prediction Advisory: Leverages pest data across 33 districts in Telangana, dynamic weather, and prevailing pest conditions to provide targeted pest alerts to the farmers, allowing them to take timely action, reducing crop losses and costs. It also supports sustainable farming by promoting pest management strategies.
• Ease of Access to Credit: Enables faster disbursement of credit or other financial support to farmers by supporting banks and financial institutions to harness data-driven insights to create a farmer credit assessment report. With the growth in ecosystem and education and awareness efforts, more and more agtechs are invited from both public and private sector to utilise the platform to build, innovate and deploy solutions for betterment of the farmers.

Agriculture Data Management Framework

11 August 2023 also marks the release of the Agriculture Data Management Framework (ADMF) by the Government of Telangana. The framework has been developed after extensive public and industry consultations on the crucial aspects of data protection, management, and innovation. Informed by domestic laws and regulations and converging global best practices, ADMF is an agile, forward-looking framework, with the objective of facilitating consent-based responsible data sharing.

ADMF is applicable to all government departments dealing with agricultural activities as well as all agriculture information users and providers. Guided by best practices and well-established principles of notice, consent-based collection and processing of data and purpose-based limitation in utilising the data, the framework provides for robust grievance redressal mechanism.

Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture, Shri Singireddy Niranjan Reddy expressed during the event, “ADMF and ADeX are set to drive agricultural progress by facilitating the digitisation of agriculture-related data while upholding farmers’ data privacy. This will help Government and private sector to provide better solutions to farmers ultimately increasing agricultural productivity in Telangana.”

The framework envisages an inter-departmental committee, which will issue standard operating procedures and guidance on key aspects such as access controls, data quality, data service providers etc.

The core principles of ADMF are built into the ADeX platform which ensures safety and protection for personal data collection and use. These twin initiatives will create a comprehensive data economy for the future of agriculture and will enable large scale innovation that will drive impact to the farmer community.

Photo caption: Left to Right – Smt Rama Devi Lanka, Director, Emerging Technologies, ITE&C Department, Govt of Telangana; Shri J Satyanarayana, Chief Advisor, WEF; Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT E&C and Industries and Commerce, Govt of Telangana; Shri KT Rama Rao, Hon’ble IT Minister, Govt of Telangana, Shri M Raghunandan Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of Telangana, Dr Inder Gopal, Research Professor, Indian Institute of Science

Contact:

IUDX Programme: info@iudx.org.in

IISc Office of Communications: news@iisc.ac.in

10 August 2023

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a prestigious national-level examination that assesses candidates for comprehensive understanding in various undergraduate-level subjects of engineering, technology, science, architecture, and humanities.

IISc, Bengaluru will be the organising institute for GATE 2024. The examination is conducted by IISc and seven IITs comprising IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Roorkee, on behalf of the National Coordination Board (NCB) – GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.

Candidates who qualify GATE can seek admission to master’s programmes and direct doctoral programmes in engineering, technology, architecture, science, and humanities; and doctoral programmes in relevant branches of engineering, science, and humanities, with possible financial assistance in institutions supported by Ministry of Education (MoE) and other Government agencies. GATE score is also used by some colleges and institutions for admission to postgraduate programmes without MoE scholarship. Several Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have also been using GATE score for recruitment. Several other reputed organisations are also likely to use GATE score in their recruitment process.

GATE 2024 will be conducted as a computer-based test (CBT), with 30 test papers that will be in the English language. Candidates have the option to appear for one or two test papers from the allowed two-paper combinations. The GATE score obtained by the candidates will remain valid for a period of three years from the date of announcement of results.
GATE 2024 also features a new test paper on ‘Data Science and Artificial Intelligence’, which caters to the needs of aspirants who wish to pursue higher education in these cutting-edge areas.

The application portal is expected to open in the last week of August 2023. The examination will be conducted on the 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th of February 2024. The examination will be conducted in both forenoon and afternoon sessions on each of these days.

For more details, visit GATE 2024 website: https://gate2024.iisc.ac.in/

9^th January 2023

Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, to establish a Centre for Mathematics and Computing at the Institute.

The Axis Bank Centre for Mathematics and Computing is India’s first comprehensive Academic Research Centre on Mathematics and Computing. It will play a vital role in building the nation’s future as many contemporary and futuristic areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Data Science rely on the foundations of mathematics and computing.

Commenting on the occasion, Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc, said, “We thank Axis Bank for partnering with us in our commitment to excellence in research and innovation. Mathematics and Computing are at the core of critical disciplines like Computational Fluid Dynamics, Computational Biology, Quantum Computing, Precision Medicine, Digital Health, Climate Science, Materials Genomics, Cybersecurity, AI, ML, and Data Science. The Axis Bank Centre for Mathematics and Computing will provide a platform for exploring and advancing research and innovation in the above areas. The state-of-the-art facility will also serve as a training ground for the next generation of leaders in these fields, offering a range of educational and professional development opportunities for students and faculty. We are confident that the Centre will play a key role in shaping the future of research and technology.’’

Underlining the importance of the Centre, Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO, Axis Bank, said, “It is an extremely proud moment for us to be part of IISc’s journey, while they are building one of the largest, dedicated Centres for Mathematics and Computing. The higher education ecosystem is a space that is constantly evolving, especially post Covid, and India has huge potential to stand out as a global hub for new-age, innovative and quality education. For us, this is one small way to play our part in supporting and nurturing the future generations of the country.”

Spread over 1.6 lakh square feet of space, the Centre will have state-of-the-art labs and programmes that will benefit faculty and students from more than twenty departments of IISc. The Centre will host the new IISc BTech programme in Mathematics & Computing and the ongoing Interdisciplinary PhD programme in Mathematical Sciences. It is expected that over 500 engineers and scientists will benefit from the Centre every year.

Contact:

IISc Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in

About Axis Bank:

Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture and Retail Businesses. With its 4,760 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 16,043 ATMs across the country as on 30th September 2022, the network of Axis Bank spreads across 2,676 cities and towns, enabling the Bank to reach out to a large cross-section of customers with an array of products and services. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge and Axis Bank Foundation. For further information on Axis Bank, please refer to the website: https://www.axisbank.com

For Media Queries, please contact:

Axis Bank

Piyali Reddy
+91 9322657983
piyali.reddy@axisbank.com

Shruti Mudup
+91 9820651056
Shruti.Mudup@axisbank.com

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10^th January 2023

– Shrivallabh Deshpande

A new study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) sheds light on how blackbucks in India have fared in the face of natural and human-induced challenges to their survival. The work, among the first of its kind in its scope, involved analysing the genetic profiles of blackbucks found across the country.

An adult male blackbuck (left) and a pair of female blackbucks with a suckling fawn (right). Credits: Ananya Jana

Increased human activities like indiscriminate cutting of trees and building dams across rivers have sliced up natural landscapes. These changing landscapes are restricting animal species to smaller areas, and preventing them from moving to farther regions in order to find new mates, a factor that is crucial for maintaining their genetic diversity. “We need genetic diversity to sustain a population because if you have genetic diversity, the population is more adaptable to changing environments,” explains Praveen Karanth, Professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), IISc and senior author of the study published in Conservation Genetics.

The blackbuck is found only in the Indian subcontinent. Males have corkscrew-shaped horns and black-to-dark brown coats, while the females are fawn-coloured. The animals are mainly seen in three broad clusters across India that pertain to the northern, the southern, and the eastern regions. This geographic separation as well as dense human habitation between the clusters would be expected to make it difficult for them to move from one location to another. “We went in with the idea that these populations might be genetically constricted, and going forward, they may be in danger of getting incurring inbreeding depression [decreased biological fitness because of inbreeding],” recalls Ananya Jana, a former PhD student from CES and first author of the study.

Innumerable blackbucks dotted across rolling grasslands. Only few such habitats continue to thrive in India. Credits: Ananya Jana

Karanth and Jana collected faecal samples of blackbucks froCredits: Ananya Janam 12 different locations spread across eight states of India. The researchers tracked the animals on foot and in vehicles from a distance to collect the samples. When they returned to the lab, they extracted and sequenced the DNA from the faecal samples to study the genetic makeup of blackbucks, and deployed computational tools to map the geographic locations with the genetic data. The team also used simulations to trace how the three present-day clusters may have evolved from their common ancestor.

What they found was that an ancestral blackbuck population first split into two groups: the northern and the southern cluster. The eastern cluster – even though geographically close to the northern cluster – seems to have emerged from the southern cluster. “This was indeed a very surprising result,” adds Karanth. Next, the team found that despite all odds, male blackbucks appear to disperse more than expected, thus contributing to geneflow in this species. Females, on the other hand, appear to stay largely within their native population ranges, which the researchers inferred from unique mitochondrial signatures in each population. The data also showed an increasing trend in blackbuck population numbers as compared to the recent past.

Herds of blackbucks browsing in agricultural fields. Blackbucks are also seen in such human-dominated landscapes, albeit in relatively smaller groups. Such areas also face additional challenges of human-wildlife conflicts. Credits: Ananya Jana

“So, [it] looks like this species has managed to survive in a human-dominated landscape,” notes Karanth. In future studies, the researchers plan to unravel the blackbucks’ secrets to surviving in the face of human-induced threats to their landscape, by studying changes in their DNA and gut microbiome. Such studies could provide better insight into their conservation.

REFERENCE:

Jana A, Karanth KP, Not all is black and white: Phylogeography and population genetics of the endemic blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Conservation Genetics (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-022-01479-x

CONTACT:

K Praveen Karanth
Professor
Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES)
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: karanth@iisc.ac.in
Phone: 080-22933105

Lab website: https://praveenkaranth.weebly.com/

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.
b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

12^th January 2023

– Narmada Khare

In two recent studies, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Unilever have collaborated to develop computational models of bacterial cell walls that can speed up the screening of antimicrobials – molecules which can kill disease-causing bacteria.

Schematic illustration of surfactant molecules interacting with the bacterial peptidoglycan cell wall. The greater the tendency for surfactants to form aggregates, the lower is bacterial kill efficacy. Credit: Pradyumn Sharma-

Each bacterial cell is enveloped by a cell membrane, which is in turn surrounded by a cell wall. Some bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli) are Gram-negative – their cell walls contain a layer of peptide-sugar complexes called peptidoglycans and an outer lipid membrane. Others such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are Gram-positive – their cell walls only have several layers of peptidoglycans.

Antimicrobials kill bacteria either by disrupting the cell wall’s lipid membrane and destabilising the peptidoglycan layer, or by translocating through the cell wall layers and disrupting the cell membrane inside. However, the actual mechanisms of interaction between antimicrobial molecules and these cellular barriers are poorly understood. “The cell envelope is a big part of this puzzle, and it is often overlooked,” says Pradyumn Sharma, a former PhD student at the Department of Chemical Engineering (CE), IISc, and one of the authors.

In one study, the team created an ‘atomistic model’, a computer simulation that recreates the structure of the cell wall down to the level of individual atoms. They incorporated parameters such as the sizes of sugar chains in the peptidoglycans, the orientation of peptides, and the distribution of void size.

“The structure of the peptidoglycan layer is semi-permeable, because nutrients and proteins that bacteria need, have to pass through,” explains Ganapathy Ayappa, Professor at CE and corresponding author. These are the same voids that the antimicrobials also pass through. Rakesh Vaiwala, a Research Associate at CE and one of the authors, adds that their team is the first to propose a comprehensive molecular model of the cell wall for S. aureus.

Using the supercomputing facility at IISc, the team tested the effectiveness of their model with several known antimicrobials. One of these, melittin, a short peptide, binds with higher efficiency to the E. coli cell wall than that of S. aureus. The researchers found that melittin interacts with peptides involved in a process called transpeptidation in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and can potentially disrupt cell wall integrity. Thymol, a naturally occurring small molecule, translocated rapidly through the whole stack of peptidoglycans in the cell wall of S. aureus.

In the other study, the team used their model to compare the movement of different surfactant molecules through the peptidoglycan layer in E. coli. Like detergents, surfactants have a water-loving ‘head’ attached to a water-avoiding ‘tail’ chain. The team showed for the first time the link between the length of the tail and antimicrobial efficacy of surfactants. Surfactants like laurate with shorter chains translocated more efficiently than longer chain oleate. This was corroborated by experiments carried out by scientists in the Unilever team, which showed that shorter chain surfactants killed bacteria at a higher rate than surfactants with longer chains.

The team also collaborated with Jaydeep Kumar Basu, Professor in the Department of Physics, to create vesicles composed of E. coli extract and observed their interaction with surfactants under a microscope. The vesicles were found to burst open at a much faster in the presence of laurate compared to oleate.

“The goal with Unilever is to facilitate rapid screening of molecules using the computational models we have developed, to narrow down the search for potential antimicrobials to a smaller subset of molecules which can be tested in the laboratory,” explains Ganapathy Ayappa.

REFERENCES:

Sharma P, Vaiwala R, Parthasarathi S, Patil N, Verma A, Waskar M, Raut JS, Basu JK, Ayappa KG, Interactions of surfactants with the bacterial cell wall and inner membrane: Revealing the link between aggregation and antimicrobial activity, Langmuir (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02520

Vaiwala R, Sharma P, Ayappa KG, Differentiating interactions of antimicrobials with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cell walls using molecular dynamics simulations, Biointerphases (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002087

CONTACT:

K Ganapathy Ayappa

Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering

Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

Email: ayappa@iisc.ac.in

Phone: +91-80-2293 2769

Lab website: https://kgalabiisc.wixsite.com/kgalab

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.

b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

16^th January 2023

Astronomers from McGill University in Canada and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have used data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune to detect a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an extremely distant galaxy. The astronomical distance over which such a signal has been picked up is the largest so far by a large margin. This is also the first confirmed detection of strong lensing of 21 cm emission from a galaxy. The findings have been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Atomic hydrogen is the basic fuel required for star formation in a galaxy. When hot ionised gas from the surrounding medium of a galaxy falls onto the galaxy, the gas cools and forms atomic hydrogen, which then becomes molecular hydrogen, and eventually leads to the formation of stars. Therefore, understanding the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time requires tracing the evolution of neutral gas at different cosmological epochs.

Illustration showing detection of the lensed 21 cm atomic hydrogen emission signal from a distant galaxy. Credit: Swadha Pardesi

Atomic hydrogen emits radio waves of 21 cm wavelength, which can be detected using low frequency radio telescopes like the GMRT. Thus, 21 cm emission is a direct tracer of the atomic gas content in both nearby and distant galaxies. However, this radio signal is extremely weak and it is nearly impossible to detect the emission from a distant galaxy using current telescopes due to their limited sensitivity. Until now, the most distant galaxy detected using 21 cm emission was at redshift z=0.376, which corresponds to a look-back time – the time elapsed between detecting the signal and its original emission – of 4.1 billion years (Redshift represents the change in wavelength of the signal depending on the object’s location and movement; a greater value of z indicates a farther object).

Images of the atomic hydrogen signal, the detection spectrum and the lens. Credits: Left and middle panels: Chakraborty & Roy, GMRT/NCRA-TIFR Right panel: ESA/NASA HST and eHST/STScI/CADC

Using GMRT data, Arnab Chakraborty, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics and Trottier Space Institute of McGill University, and Nirupam Roy, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, IISc have detected a radio signal from atomic hydrogen in a distant galaxy at redshift z=1.29.

“Due to the immense distance to the galaxy, the 21 cm emission line had redshifted to 48 cm by the time the signal travelled from the source to the telescope,” says Chakraborty. The signal detected by the team was emitted from this galaxy when the universe was only 4.9 billion years old; in other words, the look-back time for this source is 8.8 billion years.

This detection was made possible by a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, in which the light emitted by the source is bent due to the presence of another massive body, such as an early type elliptical galaxy, between the target galaxy and the observer, effectively resulting in the “magnification” of the signal. “In this specific case, the magnification of the signal was about a factor of 30, allowing us to see through the high redshift universe,” explains Roy.

The team also observed that the atomic hydrogen mass of this particular galaxy is almost twice as high as its stellar mass. These results demonstrate the feasibility of observing atomic gas from galaxies at cosmological distances in similar lensed systems with a modest amount of observing time. It also opens up exciting new possibilities for probing the cosmic evolution of neutral gas with existing and upcoming low-frequency radio telescopes in the near future.

Yashwant Gupta, Center Director at NCRA, said, “Detecting neutral hydrogen in emission from the distant Universe is extremely challenging and has been one of the key science goals of GMRT. We are happy with this new path breaking result with the GMRT, and hope that the same can be confirmed and improved upon in the future.”

The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope was built and is operated by NCRA-TIFR. The research was funded by McGill and IISc.

REFERENCE:

Chakraborty A, Roy N, Detection of H I 21 cm emission from a strongly lensed galaxy at z ∼ 1.3, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2023), Volume 519, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac3696

CONTACT:

Arnab Chakraborty
Postdoctoral researcher
Department of Physics and Trottier Space Institute
McGill University
Email: arnab.chakraborty2@mail.mcgill.ca
Phone: (+1) 5148295756

Nirupam Roy
Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: nroy@iisc.ac.in
Phone: 7337687132

IISc Office of Communications
Email: news@iisc.ac.in

NCRA-TIFR:
Yashwant Gupta
Email: ygupta@ncra.tifr.res.in
Phone: 020-25719242

CH Ishwara-Chandra
Email: ishwar@ncra.tifr.res.in
Phone: 9403136630

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.
b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

1^st February 2023

Brunel University London and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have launched a £100,000 (₹1,00,00,000) programme for joint research projects in areas including combustion, manufacturing, design and energy.

The Brunel–IISc International Collaboration Programme, announced today (1 February) during a visit by Brunel’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Jones to IISc’s campus in Bengaluru, is in support of the universities’ aim to build a long-term research and educational collaboration.

Professor Jones and other senior administrators from Brunel visited IISc and interacted with faculty members, and a signed certificate was exchanged between the two institutions to mark the programme’s launch.

The funding will support a number of short, exploratory joint ‘seed’ research projects running until the end of July 2023, with the expectation of later progression to larger, externally funded collaborative research.

Professor Jones said, “Over the past couple of years, academics from our universities have been working to develop an understanding of our joint research capabilities in combustion, manufacturing, design and energy, each of which are areas of internationally excellent research for Brunel and for IISc.

“The Brunel–IISc International Collaboration Programme takes this understanding to the next level. It provides an opportunity for our academics to work together more closely, and to start delivering impactful research that will benefit the UK and India and the relationship between our two countries.”

Professor Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc, said: “We are gratified by the collaborations we’ve had with Brunel over the past couple of years through various joint workshops, webinars and research projects/exchanges. I am sure the launch of the Brunel–IISc International Collaboration Programme will add value to the ongoing interactions and strengthen our relationship further. We anticipate the extension of this cooperation to other interdisciplinary areas, where we look forward to working together and solving problems with global impact.”

Contact:

Joe Buchanunn, Brunel University London | press-office@brunel.ac.uk

IISc Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in

IISc Office of International Relations | oir.admin@iisc.ac.in

8^th February 2023

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) announced a new partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to promote research and development in the field of on-chip Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection. The research agreement was exchanged by Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP & MD at Samsung Semiconductor India Research, Bengaluru, and Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in the presence of delegates from Samsung and IISc.

The partnership seeks to build cutting-edge ESD device solutions to protect ultra-high-speed serial interfaces in advanced Integrated Circuits (ICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) products. The related research will be carried out by Prof Mayank Shrivastava’s group at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (DESE), IISc. Solutions arising from this research will be deployed in Samsung’s advanced process nodes.

ICs and SoCs are essential for practically any system, from small to big, that we see around us, but they are very sensitive to ESD failures, especially those developed using advanced nanoscale CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technologies. The majority of IC chip failures and field returns are attributed to ESD failures. This is also rare expertise and industries holding the art of designing ESD protection devices and interface concepts lead the market. Thus, R&D in ESD technology for highly reliable interfaces and SoCs that operate at low power and high speed is an integral part of the semiconductor innovation effort. IISc is one of the few institutes in the world leading ESD device research.

“We are glad to partner with IISc to boost semiconductor innovation and envisage developing ESD knowledge along with expertise available in IISc. Our goal is also to increase capacity building through training programs at the postgraduate level, opening up opportunities for students to pursue industry internships, and encourage entrepreneurial ventures by young researchers,” said Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP & MD, SSIR.

Commenting on the partnership, Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc, said, “We are excited to collaborate with Samsung Semiconductor India Research in the crucial area of advanced nanoelectronics device research. The partnership reinforces our commitment to strengthen industry-academia engagements that can make a significant impact in the coming years.”

“We have been collaborating extensively with semiconductor industries worldwide on advanced nanoelectronics technologies, including solutions to ESD reliability threats to advanced SoCs. We have carried out both fundamental and applied research on ESD protection devices, with a strong emphasis on creating practical solutions for the semiconductor industry in a range of technology nodes,” said Prof Mayank Shrivastava, who heads the MSDLab, and will be leading this collaborative effort.

Samsung Semiconductor India Research, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, is the technology hub enabling innovative growth in both hardware development as well as software powered solutions in semiconductor technologies. IISc is India’s top academic institution offering world-class education to train future leaders in science and engineering. Working towards a collective goal, partnerships like these will unlock the true potential of semiconductor innovation to power the next generation of hyperintelligent devices.

About Samsung Semiconductor India Research:

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) is a part of the global network of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. for providing component solutions, featuring industry-leading technologies in the areas of System LSI, Memory and Foundry. At SSIR, we offer our engineers a foundation to work on cutting edge technologies such as Foundation IP Design, Serial Interfaces, Multimedia IPs, Mobile SoCs, Storage Solutions, 4G/5G solutions, Neural processors, AI/ML and much more. For more details, please visit: https://semiconductor.samsung.com/

About IISc:

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was established in 1909 by a visionary partnership between the industrialist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Mysore royal family and the Government of India. Over the last 113 years, IISc has become India’s premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education. Its mandate is “to provide for advanced instruction and to conduct original investigations in all branches of knowledge as are likely to promote the material and industrial welfare of India.” In 2018, IISc was selected as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) by the Government of India, and it consistently figures among the top Indian institutions in world university rankings. For more details, please visit www.iisc.ac.in.

Contact:

IISc Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in

15th February 2023

In a landmark development in philanthropic support for deep science in India, the Pratiksha Trust signed an MoU on 15 February 2023 with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) – an autonomous Centre of IISc located on the Institute campus – to support fundamental and translational research on neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly population.

Under this MoU, the Pratiksha Trust has generously agreed to provide support to CBR in perpetuity, with an initial outlay to the tune of Rs 450.27 crore (approximately USD 55 million) over the next 10 years, for research, innovation and translation.

Earlier in 2014, the Pratiksha Trust, established by philanthropists Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mrs Sudha Gopalakrishnan, had helped set up this unique centre in the IISc campus. The Trust has been supporting the R&D activities and has helped create world-class infrastructure in CBR since its establishment in 2014. In addition, the Trust entirely funded the construction of a state-of-the-art building for CBR. The current MoU is an extension of this support for securing the future of CBR and strengthening its long-term studies on the aging brain. In a parallel initiative, the Pratiksha Trust will be supporting several ambitious, high-risk-high-reward interdisciplinary extramural projects in aging brain research.

Since 2014, CBR has dedicated itself to the deep intellectual pursuit of reducing the burden of neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Vascular Dementia) among a key population – the elderly and their families. A strong foundation was laid under the visionary leadership of founder Director Prof Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath, during her tenure until the end of May 2022. CBR is now a lively hub of talented and dedicated molecular and cellular biologists, neuroscientists, clinician-researchers, computational geneticists, data scientists, and bright PhD students who are engaged in interdisciplinary translational research. The Centre currently has 10 Principal Investigators supported by more than 20 Research Scientists, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Medical Officers, and 22 PhD students.

The Centre has initiated and completed four years of two unique longitudinal studies to track the aging brain over a 15 to 20-year period in individuals older than 45 years of age – one for a rural cohort (in Srinivasapura Taluk of Kolar District, Karnataka) with 10,000 volunteers, and the other for an urban cohort (in and around Bengaluru) with 1,000 volunteers. In the rural cohort, more than 5,400 volunteers have already been recruited and more than 6,600 multi-modal assessments have been completed (baseline as well as yearly follow-ups). The corresponding figures for the urban cohort (a project supported by the Tata Trusts) are more than 1,100 recruitments and more than 2,300 assessments. These cohort studies are providing a wealth of data, and preliminary analyses of the data collected so far are revealing important insights with implications for understanding the risk factors and protective factors for neurodegeneration. CBR is also leading a large-scale, nation-wide initiative involving 20 institutions called “Genome-India” (supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India), which aims to discover India-specific genetic basis for diseases through whole genome sequencing of 10,000 samples collected from across the length and breadth of India. CBR has caught the attention of the global community of researchers through more than 30 publications in high-impact journals including Nature Reviews Neurology, Journal of Neuroscience, and Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The Centre has started attracting notable funding from external agencies.

The substantial extension of support by the Pratiksha Trust through the current MoU will help scale up the research and innovation activities at the Centre significantly. It will help identify new early biomarkers and molecular targets for novel drugs. The funding will help initiate and investigate the efficacy of evidence-based interventions (lifestyle-based as well as therapeutic). The funding will also enable the Centre to proactively explore and achieve complete bench-to-bedside translation of the outcomes from the interdisciplinary research.

“The human brain is one of the world’s biggest mysteries, which is yet to be fully understood. By funding this Centre, with the help of IISc, we are working towards creating and sustaining a globally recognised, state-of-the-art research and innovation hub that will be at the cutting edge of research on the human brain,” said Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan. “We are committed to supporting this Centre in its mission to reduce the pain, agony, and burden of an important part of our society: the elderly population. We wish the Centre all success and hope that it becomes the world’s leading centre for aging brain research by 2030.”

Prof G Rangarajan, Director, IISc, said, “India’s elderly population is expected to grow rapidly to a staggering 32 crore by 2050, leading to a corresponding increase in the burden of dementia and other aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. CBR is uniquely positioned to take on the challenge of tackling this impending healthcare and socioeconomic crisis. I thank Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mrs Sudha Gopalakrishnan for their continued commitment to such crucial research and the unprecedented level of support that they have given.”

Prof Y Narahari (Computer Science and Automation, IISc), the current Director of CBR, said, “CBR is privileged to have had the sustained support of Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mrs Sudha Gopalakrishnan. Their generous contributions will help us pursue transformational research in mission mode, which will help reduce the burden of neurodegenerative diseases as well as improve the quality of life for the elderly. We are grateful for the exemplary vision and munificence of the donors. With determination and fortitude, CBR will make a single-minded effort to tackle the scientifically-challenging problems ahead and dedicate itself to the service of the nation.”

About the Pratiksha Trust 

The Pratiksha Trust is a charitable trust founded by Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan (Co-Founder, Infosys Technologies and Chairperson, Axilor Ventures) and Mrs Sudha Gopalakrishnan. The Trust has provided philanthropic support to many high-impact scientific initiatives for social good including the Centre for Brain Research. The Trust has supported frontline research and innovation in several top-ranking institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The Pratiksha Trust has also recently launched a unique, extra-mural funding initiative called EMSTAR (Extra Mural Support for Transformational Aging Brain Research) to fund high-risk, high-reward inter-disciplinary projects in aging brain research and innovation.

About the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) 

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was established in 1909 by a visionary partnership between the industrialist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Mysore royal family and the Government of India. Over the last 113 years, IISc has become India’s premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education. Its mandate is “to provide for advanced instruction and to conduct original investigations in all branches of knowledge as are likely to promote the material and industrial welfare of India.” In 2018, IISc was selected as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) by the Government of India, and it consistently figures among the top Indian institutions in world university rankings.

About the Centre for Brain Research, IISc Campus 

The Centre for Brain Research (CBR) is an autonomous centre of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), set up to foster interdisciplinary research in basic and clinical neuroscience, to understand brain aging and aging-related brain disorders through advanced genetic, biochemical, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive investigations. The Centre aims to understand how cognitive functions can be preserved during aging and how the burden of neurodegenerative disorders can be reduced through early diagnosis, prevention, postponement, and innovative interventions. It brings together neuroscientists, neuro-physicians (psychiatrists and neurologists), engineers, and computational scientists to conduct mission-oriented translational research and innovation. The foundation stone for CBR was laid by India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 18, 2015. The state-of-the-art building housing the CBR activities was inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi on June 20, 2022. 

 Contact 

Centre for Brain Research | office.cbr@iisc.ac.in  
IISc Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in