Weekly Newsletter | Issue #2
08 Jan 2025, Stories on pollutant-eating bacteria, Touchless biometrics, a virtual India simulator, securing underwater communications and stabilizing the Chenab Bridge.
Greetings from Research Matters!
This week, India lost two doyens of Science in Prof K S Manilal and Dr. Rajagopala Chidambaram. We at Research Matters deeply mourn this loss to the science community. In the obituary section, read about their contributions to Indian science and society.
We also have stories on pollutant-eating bacteria, touchless biometrics, a virtual India simulator, securing underwater communications and stabilizing the Chenab Bridge. There are also stories from other media outlets and events taking place this week around the country. Don’t forget to check out our Scidle game for a new science word every day.
Stories in this edition
Bacterial cocktail for farm soil to clean up pollutants and pesticides and enhance crop yield | IIT Bombay
IIT Bombay researchers have identified bacteria that can consume toxic pollutants in the soil and produce helpful nutrients as a byproduct.
Researchers Explore Touchless Fingerprints: The Next Step in Biometric Technology | Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, IIT Bombay, IIT Indore
Researchers have devised a method for identifying fingerprints based on photos of fingers, negating the need to physically touch a scanner.
BharatSim: A Virtual World to Tackle Real-World Health Challenges | Ashoka University and ThoughtWorks Technologies
The zirconium-based aerogel is a lightweight, porous material and is efficient at absorbing gold ions, even when present in trace amounts.
Beneath the Waves: Enhancing Secure Communication in Underwater Environments | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman
Scientists have developed a multi-path routing algorithm and an encryption scheme that can offer a secure and reliable means of underwater communication.
Science Behind Stabilizing the Chenab Rail Bridge - World's Tallest Railway Bridge. | IISc
A new study examines complex jointed rocks making up the slopes on the banks of the Chenab River to improve the stability and safety of the Chenab bridge that rests on it.
Science Games & Puzzles
Have you played Scidle, a science wordle by Research Matters. We have a new science word every day!
Obituary
In Memoriam: K S Manilal - A Botanical Luminary and Dedicated Scholar
Remembering Dr. Rajagopala Chidambaram: A Visionary Architect of India's Scientific Renaissance
Videos
Bacterial cocktail for farm soil to clean up pollutants and pesticides and enhance crop yield
BharatSim: A Virtual World to Tackle Real-World Health Challenges
Science Behind Stabilizing the Chenab Rail Bridge - World's Tallest Railway Bridge!
Regional
We are thrilled to collaborate with Janasuddi for bringing out our stories in Kannada. As a bonus, we also have an audio version of it in Kannada. We are grateful to Dr Kollegala Sharma and his Janasuddi team for this.
ನೋವು ನೀಡದ, ಸೂಜಿ ಇಲ್ಲದ, ಶಾಕ್ ಸಿರಿಂಜು
Research Beat | Research-based news in other media
Indian astronomers discover a new galaxy being raised in distant space - India Today
Cowpea sprouts unveil first leaves in space: ISRO shares images - The Hindu
Theory of relativity, quantum physics key to explaining Big Bang, says scientist - The Hindu
IIT Bombay develops bacteria to combat soil pollution and boost agriculture - DD News
US-India partnership: NISAR set to track Earth’s hidden changes like never before - News Nine
R Chidambaram: The mind behind India’s nuclear leap - Mathrubhumi English.
V Narayanan appointed New ISRO Chief, will take over from S Somanath - NDTV
Explained: Why is it so difficult to decipher the Harappan writing system?
Events
Pratidhvani
Do listen to Prof GV Pavan Kumar's fantastic podcast, Pratidhvani, with a new episode where he is in conversation with Prof Sanjeeta Kale, Dean at DIAT, Pune.