SpaDeX, Quantum dots, Microplastics, Microsoft's MatterGen, Tigers of Panna & more
Weekly Newsletter | Issue #4 - 22 Jan, 2025
Greetings from Research Matters!
This week, India’s SpaDeX mission finally succeeded in docking two satellites in space after a couple of delays, making India only the 4th country to achieve this feat. Read all about it in our article.
We also have stories on quantum dots to detect antibiotics, microplastics in Mumbai’s mangroves, Microsoft’s new MatterGen simulator and the reintroduced tigers of Panna Reserve. Check out our regional section for stories in Indian languages. There are also stories from other media and events happening this week. Don’t forget to check out Scidle - the science wordle, for a new science word every day. If you have events/talks workshops that you would like us to add to the newsletter, please hit us up on any of our social media channels or email.
Stories in this edition
From Delay to Triumph: ISRO's SpaDeX Docking Successful. | ISRO
In the early hours of Thursday, ISRO finally confirmed the success of the space-docking experiment SpaDex
Researchers develop Quantum Dots that can help detect Antibiotics| JNU, NII
Quantum dots made of Zinc Oxide were capped with polymers to change their optical properties, and they were then used to detect antibodies.
Understanding Microplastics in Mumbai's Mangroves | ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education
Researchers categorized the microplastics found in Mumbai's mangroves to estimate the extent of the pollution from these tiny threats in the ecosystem.
Microsoft’s MatterGen could be the AI Revolution in Materials Discovery | Microsoft Research AI for Science, UK, and the Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China
On 17th January 2025, Satya Nadella, Microsoft's Chairman and CEO, took to X to announce a research paper published in Nature that caught our attention.
Podcast:
This podcast was created with the help of AI. The script, originally generated by AI, was carefully edited to ensure factual and grammatical accuracy, with additional punctuation added to emphasize key sections. As this remains an experimental endeavour, we welcome your feedback on this innovative approach to text-to-audio generation and the role of AI tools in science communication.
Understanding the Behavior of Panna's Reintroduced Tigers in Their New Home | WII, Dehradun
In 2009, after suffering a local extinction, the Panna Tiger Reserve in Central India witnessed a reintroduction initiative aimed at reviving its once-thriving tiger population. How has it fared so far?
Science Games & Puzzles
Try the science wordle game - Scidle, and share your score with the world!
Regional
ಕಳ್ಳತನದಿಂದ ಸಾಗಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ತೆಯಾದ ಹೊಸ ಪ್ಯಾಂಗೊಲಿನ್ ಪ್ರಭೇದ
ಕಳ್ಳತನದಿಂದ ಸಾಗಾಟವಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಪ್ಯಾಂಗೋಲಿನ್ ನ ಹೊಸ ಪ್ರಭೇದವನ್ನು ಪತ್ತೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.
Brought to you in collaboration with Janasuddi by Dr Kollegala Sharma and team.
Videos
Microsoft's MatterGen is revolutionizing the field of #materials discovery.
#Microplastics: A bigger problem than it already is
Research Beat | Research-based news in other media
Four new tarantula species identified in Western Ghats - Scroll.in
How the Sun played a role in SpaDex success - The Indian Express
Kick-off meeting of Quantum Sensing Hub at IIT Bombay strategizes way forward - PIB
RRI scientist honoured with Gates-Cambridge Impact Prize 2025 - Deccan Herald
Global survey finds public trust in science second highest in India - Deccan Herald
23 species of blood-sucking flies recorded in Andaman & Nicobar Islands - The Hindu
Indian cryptography research gears up to face the quantum challenge - The Hindu
[SNG2]: A new prion discovered in yeast - IndiaBioscience
How we can spur Indian R&D and Innovation - The Times of India
Events
Talk: Celestial Geometry: Sun-facing Monuments in South India - Srikumar M. Menon| IISc - 24th January 2025.
Events: Science and Community: One Health Series at Southern India Science Fair 2025, Puducherry | Department of School Education, Puducherry.
Technology Dialogue | Ministry of External Affairs & Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India - 24-25th January 2025.
Kaapi with Kuriosity: Quantum Mechanics: The Wild World of Atoms - Klaus Mølmer | ICTS - 4 PM, 25th January 2025, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium.
Talk: Are we living in the Matrix? What quantum experiments reveal about the world and our powers in it, and what the future may hold - Howard Wiseman | ICTS - 4:30 PM, 27 January 2025.
Event: Science Gallery Bengaluru: From Moon to Mars & Sci560 | Open now.