To the range of symptoms attached to COVID-19, scientists are now considering “loss of smell''.

Indian herpetologists have discovered a new species of viper family in Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and named it after Salazar Slytherin, a fictional character in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

The study, titled State of India’s Birds 2020, states raptors, migratory seabirds & habitat specialist birds were most affected in past decades.

To prepare for such an event, several national labs are planning to chip in with the testing, Satyajit Mayor, the director of National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), a DAE-funded institution in Bengaluru, told The Wire Science

Bengaluru based National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) have received approval to immediately undertake projects that aim to develop affordable, field-deployable actions in the fight against COVID-19.

Read more about BLiSC efforts here:

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Tata Memorial Centre, Bangalore Life Science Cluster, IndiaBiosciene and Vigyan Prasar have teamed up in this multi-lingual communication exercise.

The Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC) has announced that it will soon start proposing projects intended to achieve an immediate and medium-term response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BLiSC community has been working toward ensuring everyone on campus has the support they require to remain healthy and protected from the mental health challenges that come with this unusual period in our history. There are multiple efforts by individuals and groups, to put in place short-term and long-term systems for assisting the community.

Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/75138775.cms?utm_source=c...

 Deepa Agashe, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the National Center for Biolo