Visual, non-invasive monitoring of body temperature of patients in hospitals without using a thermometer may become a reality thanks to the work carried out by a team of scientists led by Dr. John Philip, Head of the SMART section at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam near Chennai. The concept is based... Continue Reading →
IIT Bombay uses mango leaves to make fluorescent graphene quantum dots
Using mango leaves to synthesise fluorescent graphene quantum dots (nanocrystals of semiconductor material), researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have been able to produce cheap probes for bioimaging and for intracellular temperature sensing. Unlike the currently used dyes, quantum dots synthesised from mango leaves are biocompatible, have excellent photostability and show no... Continue Reading →
IISc designs a novel graphene electrical conductor
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Benagluru have been able to experimentally produce a new type of electrical conductor that was theoretically predicted nearly 20 years ago. A team led by Prof. Arindam Ghosh from the Department of Physics, IISc successful produced graphene that is single or a few layers thick to conduct... Continue Reading →
Weighing the risks and benefits of CT scans in childhood
John Mathews, University of Melbourne As a parent, should you be worried if your child needs to have a CT scan? CT (computed tomography) scans are special medical X-rays that make three-dimensional pictures. These are very useful in the diagnosis and management of health conditions and injuries. Their potential downside is, the kind of radiation... Continue Reading →
Indian researchers use graphene sieves to turn seawater into drinking water
Producing potable water through desalination may become more efficient and less energy intensive if researchers at the University of Manchester are able to successfully use graphene oxide (GO) membranes to filter common salts present in seawater on a commercial scale. When the spacing between two successive graphene oxide sheets was nearly 10 Å (1 angstrom... Continue Reading →
IISc researchers’ novel, eco-friendly way of recycling e-waste
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have found a novel way of recycling the mounting pile of electronic waste more efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner. According to the United National Environmental Programme, about 50 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually across the world. The new approach is based on the idea of... Continue Reading →
How to keep your mobile phone connected when the network is down
Paul Gardner-Stephen, Flinders University When Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit Queensland this week, one of the casualties was the region’s mobile phone network. Phone towers can stop working because they have been damaged by the wind, or because they have run out of diesel to run their generators. Whatever the cause, the end result is the... Continue Reading →
India begins caged trials of GM mosquitoes to control dengue, chikungunya
Outdoor caged trials to demonstrate the efficiency of genetically modified mosquitoes to suppress wild female Aedes aegypti mosquito populations that causes dengue, chinkungunya and Zika were launched on January 23 in Dawalwadi, Badnapur in Maharashtra's Jalna district. Based on the results of the caged trials, which use the Release of Insects carrying Dominant Lethal genes... Continue Reading →
IIT Madras develops a novel electrode material for lithium batteries
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has been able to enhance the capacity retention of anode material in lithium ion batteries four-fold compared with commercially available ones. The team was able to develop a novel composite which can deliver specific capacity retention of 1,120 mAh/g after 10,000 cycles, and... Continue Reading →
