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  • The Age of Probiotics

    The Age of Probiotics

    What are Probiotics?.. The market is flooded with Probiotics.. Know more about Probiotics…

    Indian markets are flooded with probiotic supplements that claim to improve digestion, gut health and food absorption. They come in liquid form, capsules or powder form. Probiotics today have become a huge industry even when the published research is conflicting. What are probiotics? How effective are they and whether your body really needs these gut supplements? Be probiotic savvy before you decide to gulp these supplements. You can always opt for naturally occurring probiotics in your regular diet.

    Understanding the Microorganism flora

    Trillions of microbes, together form a microbiome – like a forest of diverse community of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, viruses and protozoa. These naturally live on your body and within you. Interestingly, these co-exist peacefully. Each individual’s microbiome is unique determined by your DNA; no two people have the same microbial cells.

    The gut microbiome plays a very important role in your health. It includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea (single-celled organisms) and helminthes (worm-like parasites). Most of the gut flora comprises of bacteria living in your colon or large intestine. Majority of these bacteria are harmless, in fact some are helpful while there are others that cause disease. The good bacteria help digest food, fight the disease-causing cells and produce vitamins.

    Research suggests that imbalance in gut microbiome could be linked to diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes. When there is infection in your body, the bad bacteria knocks your system out of balance and does more harm than good. You need extra good bacteria to fight the bad ones. This is the time when probiotic supplements, which contain friendly living microrganisms, help in restoring good health.   

    What are Probiotics?

    Mostly probiotics are good bacteria but certain types of yeasts also are used as probiotics. In addition to the supplements, you can also get probiotics from foods prepared by bacterial fermentation. When you ingest probiotics, they colonize your gut along with other microorganisms.

    Probiotics are identified by their genus, species, and specific strains. Like broad-spectrum antibiotics, some probiotic supplements also are denoted as broad-spectrum or multi probiotics, which combine different species in the same product.  The most common probiotic bacteria are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Others include Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia and Bacillus. The most common yeast found in probiotics is Sachharomyces boulardii.

    Probiotic-use

    Probiotic bacteria most importantly help to build a healthy immune system. Currently researchers are trying to identify the disorders for which probiotics can be used. Certain conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea, constipation, yeast infections etc. can be controlled by increasing the quantity of probiotics through food or supplements. Certain research studies have shown that probiotics give relief from antibiotic induced diahrroea. Antibiotics fight an infection and kill the bad bacteria. But in the process even the good bacteria get eliminated. That is where probiotics may help.

    Are Probiotics safe to consume?

    Microbes in probiotics already exist in your body. Hence they are considered safe. However, there are people with certain health issues, who should avoid probiotic consumptions.

    • Serious medical conditions
    • Weakened immune system
    • Recent surgery

    Sources of Probiotics

    Your gut microbe flora can be strongly influenced by the food you eat. Therefore, adding more probiotic rich foods to your daily diet can improve your overall health. Naturally occurring probiotics in food are in plenty, for instance, yogurt or curd, pickles, fermented tea (kombucha), fermented dairy drink (kefir), sour dough bread, cottage cheese, tempeh, kimchi, fermented sauerkraut, miso soup etc.

    Probiotic supplements are commercially available. These come in many forms such as drinks, powders, liquids and capsules or pills. The supplements may be combined with prebiotics, which are foods for the microorganisms present in the gut. Prebiotics basically are complex carbohydrates. A combination of probiotics with prebiotics also called synbiotics can help maintain good gut health.

    When you go to buy probiotics, check the labels to ensure their storage process and expiration date. This is because certain bacterial strains can be fragile and may break up due to heat, light, humidity and oxygen. Refrigeration may be required to keep some probiotics viable. If probiotics are shelf stable they do not need cooling.

    A probiotic must meet stringent regulations if it is marketed as a drug for treatment of a disease. The safety and effectiveness then needs to be determined and approved by the medical community and drug advisory bodies. As such there is no specific dosage for consumption and data regarding the efficacy of a probiotic. Use your discretion to select a probiotic that you wish to consume.

    -Dr. Parul R. Sheth

    Freelance Science Writer. NCSC

     

     

  • Charm of Charminar

    Ancient Science : Vigyan

    Charm of Charminar

    Built in 1591 CE in Hyderabad by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Sultan of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty, the iconic Charminar has been standing tall for more than four centuries. Studies on all the ingredients that could have been used to make the lime mortar is considered to be the secret to its longevity.

    Researchers have revealed that the key component used was water fermented with plant extracts. This fermented plant extract, which was used to mix the lime mortar, contained alcohol which slowed down the process of carbonation. Additionally, the lime mortar was also found to have carbohydrates from plant extracts, which acted as a perfect binding agent that controlled the breaking of the mortar.

    Additionally, they also knew the correct lime to sand ratio, which is 1:3. This ratio has been proved to have better mechanical properties, reduce pores and boost carbonisation (the process of making solid carbon).

    Do you know?

    Charminar is built on a square structure and has four grand arches and four minarets on each corner that are built into the main structure. It is interesting to note that the number ‘char’ or four and its multiples can be figured in at least 22 spots in the design of the structure.

    -Dr Shobha Tawade

    Team ScienceNow

     

  • Acharya Nagarjuna

    Ancient Science : Vaigyanik

    Acharya Nagarjuna

    Acharaya Nagarjuna was the Head of Nalanda University, writer of many treatises on Rasayana alchemy and developer of the philosophy of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras. He was the great Buddhist philosopher

    Nagarjuna was born in Andhra Pradesh Centuries after his death his biographies were written in Chinese and Tibetan. It is expected that he lived between 150-250 CE.

    The most important contribution of Nagarjuna is the concept of śūnyatā, or “emptiness. Nagarjuna taught the concept of relativity. He explained that shortness is only possible because of long length relative to it. He wrote many writings, sutras and responsible for spreading Mahayana Buddhism. He was a teacher at Nalanda University and because of his preaching he later came to be known as Acharaya.

    -Dr Shobha Tawde

    Team ScienceNow

     

  • Oxygen Free Organism

    Oxygen Free Organism

    Can you believe it! Scientists have found an animal that does not require oxygen to breathe…

    Hiding in the muscles of Salmon, scientists have discovered an unusual species of parasite that doesn’t breathe oxygen. Comprising of just ten cells, the tiny species is unlike all other animals known to science. The species called Henneguya Salminicola doesn’t breathe oxygen at all!

    No Breathing

    During its evolution, the parasite abandoned breathing and consuming oxygen in order to produce more energy. Scientists said that aerobic respiration was thought to be universal in animals, but now it is confirmed that this is not the case. The discovery shows that evolution can go in strange directions. Aerobic respiration is a major source of energy, and yet it is found an animal that gave up this critical pathway…

    Oxy Free Organisms

    Several fungi species, as well as Amoeba, have lost the ability to breathe oxygen over long periods of evolution. When scientists sequenced the genome of the Myxozoan species, a relative of jellyfish and corals, they found its mitochondrial genome was missing. The mitochondria are responsible for collecting oxygen and converting it into energy. Because the parasite is without mitochondria, scientists determined Henneguya salminicola no longer breathes oxygen. The parasite provides proof that animals can survive anaerobic environments.

    Course of Evolution

    The first large and diverse group of complex, multicellular life forms emerged around the time that oxygen levels on Earth rose dramatically. Scientists have long assumed that aerobic respiration is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. There is still a lot of scientists who don’t know about the unusual parasite. It’s not yet clear as to how the parasite generates energy, It may be drawing it from the surrounding fish cells, or it may have a different type of respiration such as oxygen-free breathing, which typically characterizes anaerobic non-animal organisms.

    The new parasite species undermines another scientific assumption, a principle of evolution. Organisms are supposed to get more complex as they evolve. Simple organisms are interpreted as the ancestors of more modern, complex species. But the new animal whose evolutionary process is opposite. Living in an oxygen-free environment, it has shed unnecessary genes responsible for aerobic respiration and become an even simpler organism.

    –Manoj Mahanta

    Team ScienceNow

  • Cultivation of Microalgae in Industrial Waste Water

    Cultivation of Microalgae in Industrial Waste Water

    The development of autotrophic green algae took place 3.5 billion years ago. From the ancient times to the present the manifold algal species remain more important than most people realize. Algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic aquatic organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. These organisms are present widely throughout the earth and serve as an unexplored source of beneficial applications. The innovative method of Cultivation of Microalgae is developed using the Industrial Waste water as media source. The technique will bring in sustainability as well as help in the production of Microalgae in a very cost effective manner

    Algae

    Algae present in the oceans, rivers and lakes of the world are thought to produce about half of the oxygen produced on the planet. The algal species are adapted to extreme environmental conditions and diverse habitats which has made them tolerant against elevated nutrient levels.

    Microalgae are small eukaryotic organisms which are found in a range of habitats such as marine or freshwater ecosystems and are responsible for the significant portion of ocean’s biogeochemical cycling. Microalgae and cyanobacterial species have a wide ecological role in assuring survival of life on earth. These organisms can perform photosynthesis due to the presence of a range of photosynthetic pigments. Microalgae utilize sunlight and CO2 to generate a variety of organic molecules and efficient biomass.

    Pollution

    Water pollution is a widespread problem which occurs when harmful substances such as chemicals, organic wastes, domestic wastes, xenobiotics, micro-organisms etc. are released into the water bodies. This results in deterioration of water quality and renders it to be toxic to humans and the environment. Surface water pollution has become a serious problem in India due to increasing human activities which has affected the quality of rivers and lakes. Industrialization, Civilization and the living standards of people are the factors related to water pollution.

    Industrial Waste Water

    Industrial waste water is generated by manufacturing or industrial processes. The waste water generated in specific industries can be a good source of nutrients for algal cultivation. After the treatment, this industrial effluent is let out into brooks and ditches. Even after the costly treatment processes incorporated by industries, the treated water does not meet the required standards of usable water. This adds to the amount of waste water pollution.

    Microalga

    Certain algal strains are capable of growing in industrial treated waste water as well as untreated waste water. Algal cultivation technology involves extensive usage of water resources for media preparation, washing or cleaning of bioreactors during maintenance. Incorporation of industrial waste water to satisfy the water demands of algal cultivation reduces dependency on water resources.

    Waste Water as Media

    Reuse of this waste water for cultivation of algae is a novel technology that serves the idea of conservation of natural resources and building of sustainable techniques. Reclaiming industrial waste water, treating it and reusing it can provide alternative supply in place of water requirements. Reuse and recycling of waste water enhances water security, sustainability, resilience and provides an opportunity to control the wastage of industrial water.

    Even by the expensive treatment processes followed by the industries, treated water remains far away from the parameters of usable water. Post ETP treated industrial effluent water is let out into brooks and ditches which leads to the wastage of water and resources used in the treatment process.

    Algal Culture

    Microalgae possess inbuilt mechanism to capture CO2 from the atmosphere even in smallest concentration. This mechanism is referred to as Carbon Capture Mechanism (CCM). These micro-algae have the ability to absorb and accumulate nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, heavy metal contaminants, organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater sources. Also, they show high nutrient removal efficiency from wastewater. Microalgal species grow rapidly and have high photosynthetic efficiency to produce various bioproducts which makes them an appropriate candidate for serving as industrial raw materials. Microalgae can be grown in Industrial waste water by capturing carbon from atmosphere.

    Novel solution

    The water needs and resources should be managed efficiently which is a very crucial step towards achieving the country’s water mission goals. Reusing and recycling our water resources is essential in attaining sustainable development. The proposed Technology will benefit production of algae in industrial waste water to produce algal biomass . The novelty even leads to Sustainable Development.

    -Swapnil Kadam

     

  • Make Some Ghost Bubbles

    Experiment

    Make Some Ghost Bubbles

    Bubbles are cool, but bubbles filled with fog are even cooler. Ghost Bubbles are what you get when you fill a bubble with a ghostly carbon dioxide cloud. But Ghost Bubbles are truly magical because you can roll them on your hands, bounce them off your sleeve, and pop them to release the burst of fog. It’s the combination of science and performance art that will leave everyone awestruck

    Materials

    • 1 cup of dry ice
    • Insulated gloves for handling dry ice
    • 2 cups lukewarm water
    • 1 tbs. Liquid soap
    • Some water to mix with the soap
    • 1 rubber hose
    • 1 plastic nozzle
    • A jar with a hole in the lid to fit the hose
    • Safety glasses
    • Cotton towels for the bubbles to land on Bubbles are cool, but bubbles filled with fog are even cooler.

    PROCEDURE

    Step 1: Mix 1 tbs. liquid soap with water to your liking in a small container.

    Step 2: Get a jar that has a lid

    Step 3: Puncture a hole in it big enough to tightly fit the hose in it.

    Step 4: Take the rubber hose and place it in the punctured hole. If it fits loosely, use tape to make a good seal.

    Step 5: Place a plastic nozzle or something equivalent on the end of the rubber hose.

    Step 6: In the jar, add the water and then the dry ice.

    Step 7: Dip the nozzle in the soapy mixture. Step 8: Cap the lid and watch the bubbles form

    What’s happening ?

    Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form. At temperatures above -56.4 °C (-69.5 °F), dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas, without ever being a liquid. This process is called sublimation. When dry ice is put in water it accelerates the sublimation process, creating clouds of fog that fill up your dry ice bubble until the pressure becomes too much and the bubble explodes. Dry ice is sometimes used as part of theatre productions and performances to create a dense foggy effect. It is also used to preserve food, freeze lab samples and even to make ice cream!

    –Noel Fernandes

    Team ScienceNow Digital

  • Career

    Career

    Importance of Information and Data

    Information and Data is important is executing Scientific Research. The proper knowledge and implementation is required to build a successful Career…

    Everything starts with information, for example there is a college in Mumbai which has 3500 students. It is an Arts & Science College. There are 1300 girls and rest are boys. So this can be called information in technical terms. Now in other words, same college is a prestigious Institute in Maharashtra as well as in India. It has produced not less than 27 scientist belonging to the science stream. Five international Economist & 3 IAS officers are alumnus of this college. There is a tough entrance to enter into this college, which allows only one student out of 13 students appearing for that examination. This then becomes an important data of national interest, as well as for those who want to study in the Science and Arts streams after 10th or 12th standard.

    Data

    Another example of big data is about Corona epidemic which troubled the whole world. How many people got infected? How many died & in which country? What was the death rate? This can be called as simple information. But when you start digging into that information with segregating numbers that is how many above 80 yrs died, how many above 60 yrs died, how many were having other collateral diseases along with covid-19 virus? This becomes important medico social data.

    Analytics

    Still further, if one examines whether a country was successful in lock down and control covid-19 or lock down was unnecessary in that country?  Using mask was very effective or not? Using mask really prevented each and every person from getting infected? This is analysing the data for some sort of experiment or research purpose.

    Results

    In research no one knows the result of the experiment.  In other words you cannot conclude the outcome of the research. You have to accept the outcome as it comes which is the pre requisite for research. Most of the classic inventions in the human history are totally accidental. They are serendipitous outcome of unscheduled research work or even accidental one. First antibiotic Penicillin, was an accidental outcome.

    Physics & Chemistry have some lineage of sequential outcome with interaction of elements. But Bioscience is a very vast subject for collecting data and analysing is equally complex. In life sciences everyday some species get extinct, some species change their habitat, migrate and modify accordingly. Most of the bacteria as well as viruses mutate for some reason to survive.

    Fallacies & Blind faith

    Keeping blind faith on some of the hypothesis or the concepts while learning or in research work is not unknown in the scientific community. Such dogmatic interpretations hamper research. Getting over it is and sticking to the rational thinking is required. This is the important point to be a scientist or researcher. It is the responsibility or in technical language logic.

    Variables in Research

    In principle, things work in normal habitat or in normal situation in laboratory in accordance with the physical or chemical theories. but sometimes what is proven in the labs shows deviations in real life. For example the laws about temperature, pressure, volume are very well defined in Physics and taught in for last 100 years. But when it comes to Climate theories sometimes  it is not  possible to predict with the same accuracy as in laboratory. The reason is unanswerable because of huge data variations are involved in it.

    Another example is still obscure even to understand, the surface temperature of sun is around 6000 Degree Celsius, but the same temperature rises to more than 10 lakh Degrees Celsius as you go away from the surface of the Sun. which is still an unexplained phenomenon.

    Moon is very close to earth as compared to other planets but still we don’t know or know very little about the other side moon which we don’t see from Earth.

    Superconductivity is the dream of human beings. It is achieved in laboratory 25 years back, but in practice it has eluded us constantly.

    Genome of all viruses is known or analysed in the Laboratories. But treating the viruses is totally unknown to us and no medicines are available.

    Big Data

    Understanding of the system or structure does not mean that you can control it. Such grey areas are always very challenging for the researcher. The information and data plays key role in the advancement of Science…Big Data and Information plays a bigger role…

    Dr Shreeram Geet

    Senior Career Counsellor

  • How Great is our God?

    Book Review

    How Great is our God?

    100 Indescribable Devotions about God and Science Pastor Louie Giglio has compiled 100 more devotions that invite kids to explore the wonders of the universe, from the deadliest creature on Earth (the sea wasp jellyfish) to spider rain in Australia to the Earth’s trip around the sun.

    Written for elementary-age kids who are curious about the natural world and God’s role in it, the book: “How Great Is Our God – 100 Indescribable Devotions about God and Science” is packed with amazing scientific facts, beautiful photography, and fun illustrations by the same artist who illustrated Indescribable (Nicola Anderson), covering topics such as space and time, earth and weather, the human body animals, plants and more

    -Team ScienceNow

  • Riddle

    Riddle

    Q I can rush, I can be still, I can be hot, I can be cold, I can be hard, I can slip through almost anything. What am I?

    A Water

     

    Q Which four periodic elements, when combined, make up something that terrifies criminals?

    A Carbon, Oxygen, Phosphorous and Sulphur (C+O+P+S)

     

    Q What is neither water nor land, and is always soaking wet?

    A Wetlands

     

    Q Which two periodic elements, when combined, heal? Helium and Aluminium (HE + AL) It is impossible for me to be created, and I can never be destroyed, I can only change form. What am I?

    A Energy

    -Team ScienceNow

  • Science Smiles

    -Team ScienceNow