Manjeera Gowravaram

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Bats are important animals that help maintain ecosystem balance and human well-being. They play key roles like pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, and controlling insect populations. But of late they have become popular for a different reason: their unique ability to harbour viruses without succumbing to disease. SARS, MERS, Ebola, COVID-19 — some of the most devastating human diseases of the past century are believed to have originated in bats.

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Our brain depends on a finely tuned network of neurons, signals, and protective barriers to function seamlessly. This intricate setup underpins every thought, memory, and movement we make. But as we age, or under certain conditions, this system can break down. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) slowly damage neurons and over time these conditions lead to severe memory loss, confusion, and loss of independence.

1 month ago | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Every year, farmers battle an invisible, relentless, formidable enemy: plant viruses. Unlike bacteria or fungi, which can be controlled with pesticides or fungicides, there is no straightforward way to cure crops of viral infections. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), plant pests and diseases destroy nearly 40% of the world’s annual crop, costing the world more than $220 billion. Of that, plant viruses alone contribute to over in losses each year.

Dec 3, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Once brushed aside as a curiosity, extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is now taking centrestage in the complex field of cancer biology. Scientists first discovered it as a small fragment of genetic material in cancer cells 50 years ago. Because it was present in only 1.4% of tumours, they didn’t consider it to be important.

Nov 6, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

On October 16, a biotechnology company in Massachusetts in the U.S. named Wave Life Sciences made headlines for becoming the first company to treat a genetic condition by editing RNA at the clinical level. But for all that this is a breakthrough, scientists had anticipated it. The role of RNA in a function called RNA interference — where small RNA molecules keep a gene from being expressed — has been essential for the success of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing.