Science Academy of India - Chennai

Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions have long been thought to occur primarily via stepwise mechanisms, but it has now been shown that such reactions typically proceed through concerted processes https://rdcu.be/3cPl (freeview link)

Concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitutions Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions have long been thought to occur primarily via stepwise mechanisms. New and sensitive methodology for measuring carbon kinetic isotope effects now shows that most such substitutions actually occur through concerted mechanisms.

https://medtechboston.medstro.com/blog/2018/01/21/mit-researchers-develop-a-living-tattoo-made-from-3d-printed-bacteria/

MIT Researchers Develop a “Living Tattoo” Made from 3D Printed Bacteria Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking 3D printing one step further. Their findings, recently published in Advanced Materials, indicate that the methods used for traditional 3D printing can also be used to print living materials; they were able to integrate programmable....

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25458?utm_source=fbk_nr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=naturemarketing

The axolotl genome and the evolution of key tissue formation regulators Sequencing and assembly of the 32-Gb genome of the Mexican axolotl reveals that it lacks the developmental gene Pax3, which is essential in other vertebrates; the genome sequence could improve our understanding of the evolution of the axolotl’s remarkable regenerative capabilities.

Evolution is acting on every creature including humans but sometimes it can happen quickly even in complex animals.

A New Bird Species Has Evolved on Galapagos And Scientists Watched It Happen For the first time, scientists have been able to observe something amazing: the evolution of a completely new species, in the wild, in real-time. And it took just two generations.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/chameleon-bones-florescent-ultraviolet-light-spd/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170118news-chameleonbones&utm_campaign=Content&sf179563189=1

Chameleon Bones Glow in the Dark, Even Through Skin A new study reveals that the color changers can also glow in the dark under ultraviolet light.

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/study-reveals-forests-have-yet-another-climate-protection-superpower/

Study reveals forests have yet another climate-protection superpower As big carbon storehouses, forests have the power to influence the climate. So much so that the protection and expansion of forests is a key part of the Paris Agreement,…

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41540-017-0042-z?WT.mc_id=FBK_NPJSBA_1801_s41540-017-0042-z

Regeneration in distantly related species: common strategies and pathways All animals capable of regenerating a lost body part, from an organ or a limb to the whole organism, use a common set of genes. This is the striking discovery of a team of researchers from the Center for Complexity and Biosystems of the University of Milan, led by Caterina La Porta. They analyzed...

http://www.livemint.com/Science/9JRNZtcy8r8BnBjtzJJliO/Manu-Prakash-A-pocketful-of-inventions.html

Manu Prakash: A pocketful of inventions A bioengineer at Stanford University wants to transform healthcare and bring science to the masses, one frugal invention at a time

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-017-08775-4?WT.mc_id=FBK_1801_BHNVFOODADDITIVEPATHOGENS_PORTFOLIO

Pathogens boosted by food additive Epidemic strains of the bacterium Clostridium difficile have now been found to grow on unusually low levels of the food additive trehalose, providing a possible explanation for C. difficile outbreaks since 2001.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-gene-editing-save-the-worlds-chocolate/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sa-editorial-social&utm_content&utm_term

Can Gene Editing Save the World's Chocolate? Scientists are racing to save cacao trees from devastating viruses and fungi

http://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-017-0167-9.epdf?shared_access_token=crb3Rh9A5m5L0m4ExJU-1NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NsFYZxzRUitbDEIQsC2pO89ZIgFyQcZEZaGaouc_GzLJ7kERkgSOhDg7QrdUqGvvXro6cs30SEZr46a2nwfR8uQ25e2klrea11Ngmk-8eLDrrF2nW9Smkgp6rOn9XoW_A%3D

Surveillance nanotechnology for multi-organ cancer metastases Rare-earth-doped albumin-encapsulated nanoparticles emitting short-wave infrared light enable whole-body real-time tracking of metastatic lesions in multiple organs in mice.

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/video-power-lines-killing-the-last-remaining-great-indian-bustards-in-india/

Video: Power lines killing the last remaining Great Indian Bustards in India On Dec. 9, researchers discovered the remains of an extremely rare bird in India’s Thar Desert, in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. All that remained was a pile of bones,…