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Moving objects and flowing air: How bees position their antennae during flight
Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore propose that airflow measured by bee antennae could be critical for their ability to gauge flight speed. And to do this, they must be able to position their antennae correctly.
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The rise of the complex modern cell
Complex modern cells - the ones that you and I are made up of - may be the result of a long-drawn courtship, rather than a hasty marriage between two types of structurally simple cells.
Every modern eukaryotic cell is distinct from prokaryotic cells in two striking ways. One, eukaryotes possess mitochondria or 'powerhouses' that generate energy, and two, every eukaryotic cell is elaborately divided into dynamic compartments with distinct functions. The origin of these compartments has been a source of intense debate.
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Guarding the gatekeepers
Latest research from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, gives us new insights into how Orai proteins are regulated. Researcher Bipan Kumar Deb from Gaiti Hasan's group has discovered that the protein Septin 7 guards Orai function by acting as a 'molecular brake' to Orai activation.
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Large wildlife important for carbon storage in tropical forests
In a recent study in the journal Nature Communications, researchers find that large-seeded tree species which depend on big animals for seed dispersal, grow to greater sizes as adults and thus have higher carbon storage potential than species with smaller seeds in tropical forests worldwide.
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Reconstructing the cell surface in a test tube
Scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore have managed to do exactly that - construct the cell surface from its constituent parts, namely, a mixture of lipids and proteins. This reconstruction creates a crucial tool researchers can use to test theories on cell surface dynamics.
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Spelling mutations and evolutionary advantages
Working on the bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens, the research group created several synonymous variants of a gene called fae. This gene codes for a metabolic enzyme essential for survival and growth in an environment where the only source of carbon comes from methanol or methylamine.
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Accelerating the application of stem cell technology in human disease
The campus recently announced the launch of a major new collaborative initiative centred around the use of stem cell technology in research, diagnostics and therapeutics at an event held at the Bangalore Life Science Cluster campus.
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Karl Deisseroth visits NCBS
Karl Deisseroth, the D. H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University visited the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, while he was in the city as the featured speaker for the Cell Press-TNQ India Distinguished Lectureship Series 2016.
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NCBS Annual Talks 2016 – Photostory
The National Centre for Biological Sciences held its much-awaited yearly event, the Annual Talks from 11th to 13th January this year.
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NCBS Annual Talks 2016 – Coming of age: Transitions in biological systems
The NCBS Annual talks for 2016 will be held from 11th to13th January. A full schedule for the presentations this year can be found here.