On 13th February 2020, Prof Smita Srinivas delivered a keynote speech at the National Law School of India University on "Global South Classification Challenges in Economic Development Plans". The keynote was part of the international seminar at the NLSIU's Institute for Public Policy and a project led by Dr. Anjali Karol, funded by the Urban Studies Foundation with Indian and Colombian scholars looking at urban, regional, and national considerations of planning and policy.

The NCBS Annual Talks 2020 were held from 14th January to 17th January, 2020. Annual talks mark an important event in the campus calendar when everyone comes together, perhaps for the only time in the year, to hear fellow researchers talk about their science. The idea of looking back at the achievements, and the glimpses of the future has been consistent. However, the history of this event has been quite dynamic. The current form of the annual talks has evolved over the years.

 Image: miRNAs stop specific mRNAs from making proteins. This study shows how specific sequences (shown in black stars) in the hairpin loops from which miRNAs originate are essential for the selection of miRNA regions.

This press release is in reference to media reports that grossly misrepresent the facts concerning a study of bats in Nagaland. We are issuing this statement to correct the record, in the public interest. We strongly appeal to the media, stakeholders, and the public, to only obtain information from reliable and verified sources, and to help prevent the spread of misinformation and panic during a global public health crisis.

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Dr M K Bhan on 26th January 2020, in Delhi.

For humans, trade is second nature and civilizations have flourished and fallen with the fate of their trade. In fact, the mutual scratching of backs is a cornerstone of many animal societies. On the other hand, deep and sustained mutualisms across species were long thought to be quirks of evolution, where radically different players managed to stick together and trade for mutual benefit.

Chandni Gurusrikar

Changing landscapes, habitat loss, fragmentation, and global climate change have been listed as the main reasons for biodiversity decline worldwide. Now, a new study from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has added to the growing knowledge that anthropogenic activities can impact genetic connectivity or the movement among habitat patches usually resulting in mating and genetic exchange.

Recently, the campus had the pleasure of hosting two eminent French scientists. Dr Pascale Cossart of the Institut Pasteur and Dr Didier Roux of the National Academy of Technologies of France spent time at the Cluster over two days this October.

The state of bees, and work from Dr Axel Brockmann's Honey Bee lab at NCBS is covered by the Live Mint in this article.