Blog

"People often ask me, “Why go through all the trouble of collecting floral scents directly from the field? Can’t you just pluck the flowers, boil them, and extract the essence?” Well, sure, I could do that—but it would only give me a chemical snapshot of the flowers, but not the story behind the fragrance."

"While exploring the forests of Chotanagpur Plateau, one of the most ancient land masses of the world, I realized that Myrmarachne melanocephala is not the only ant-mimicking spider species present. There are many others too."

"I was constantly hounded by mosquitoes throughout my childhood. People fell ill around me all the time because of them. They were everywhere, biting me and everyone I knew all the time. I used to specifically study late at night hoping these pests wouldn’t annoy me. But I was wrong. Mosquitoes were the bane of my existence."

"In this post, Abhijit takes us through a day in the life of a gut microbiome researcher. Yup! Some microbes happily thrive in the guts, and they serve important survival functions for human beings."

"The defense mechanisms I built around myself to cope with being overwhelmed— routines, structure, and emotional detachment—seemed to fit seamlessly into lab life. Over time, it felt like my personal life and lab life were two parts of the same system, so intertwined that one couldn’t exist without the other."

"My organisms are human cells that grow and divide. These babies are actually grown outside the human body in specialised dishes. They need their customised food for energy, a nice warm and humid environment, and like any child, they need enough space to play and grow. They also need other cells as their friends to connect with!"

"After returning to my guest house, as I was just about to wash the starfruit to eat it, I observed a translucent cotton-like structure stuck between its ridges. When I removed the structure, I found an ant inside which jumped as it attempted to escape . It struck me as quite unusual that ants would make cottony nests and jump in that fashion."

"In this post, Alka and Nisththa through their light hearted narratives on travails with lab equipments and reagents, talk about how laboratory life impacts the personal life of a researcher."

"This collage aims to present the elements of my journey from being a trained biologist to pursuing research in critical science studies presently. By including details from laboratory work that are seldom overlooked, and juxtaposing them with elements of critical science studies that constitute my current motivation, I aim to give a glimpse into what compelled me to undergo this shift."

"One of the unexpected joys of research is the relationships you build. Whether it’s staying up late with your lab mates troubleshooting an experiment or exchanging ideas at a conference, science becomes a shared journey. At conferences, we exchange ideas, share stories, and connect with people from all over the world who are just as passionate as you. The science is exciting, but the sense of community makes the journey even more special."