S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences

Scientists have uncovered how gold nanoparticles—the tiny particles that give rise to powerful optical technologies—change their behaviour when exposed to certain every day molecules like Amino Acids & Salts, paving the way towards smarter biosensors, better diagnostic tools, and even more reliable drug delivery systems.

A hidden protein that protects our cells from mechanical stress could provide a new direction to therapeutic strategies for diseases where protein stability under force is compromised like heart muscle disease or genetic disorders called laminopathies.

A new property of the largest antibody so far identified in our body, changes our existing understanding of antibodies from chemical keys that fit into microbial locks to mechanical engineers, altering the physical properties of molecules to protect us This could inspire new therapies by designing antibodies that mechanically stiffen dangerous proteins and disarming them.

Sunlight and water could now be turned into a powerful disinfectant - Hydrogen peroxide (H?O?) - using a photocatalyst. The new method of synthesis of this chemical, with uses ranging from cleaning wounds, purifying water, powering fuel cells and driving industrial chemistry, could open up new avenues for green chemistry.