Most of us see mosquitoes as blood-sucking pests and wonder if the world would be a better place if there were none. Do they have anything good to offer apart from giving us itchy rashes and deadly diseases? Yes, says science.

How do scientists proclaim an ecosystem like the Western Ghats as an ‘biodiversity hotspot’ and push for its conservation? They do so by ‘ecological sampling’, a technique used to find diversity and abundance of animals and plants in a habitat. They collect samples of plants and animals from different locations within an area and extrapolate the possible biodiversity that exists in the area.

In India, about five lakh road accidents were reported in 2015, killing about 1.5 lakh people. Of the victims, 18-34 year-olds were the most affected. Often, such victims are declared ‘brain-dead’ where the brain loses all its function from the resulting trauma due to the accident.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, develop a polymer based bioartificial pancreas which can be implanted into the body to help diabetic patients.

A grapevine in India’s maternity scene is that cesarean births have become rampant in recent years and vaginal delivery is almost a miracle. Although natural, doctors advice against vaginal birth in cases where pregnancy-related complications could endanger the lives of the mother and the baby. Instead, a surgical procedure, called C-section or cesarean section, is performed where the uterus is cut open to deliver the baby.

The forests of the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot of India, have been revealing several new species of amphibians and reptiles in the recent years. This time, however, amphibian researchers from the University of Delhi have discovered a new frog species which was hiding in plain sight in a roadside puddle in Southern India.

Researchers from the University of Madras and ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey & Land Use Planning, have estimated the urban sprawl of Nagpur, a city in central India. The findings of this study play a pivotal role in careful urban planning for sustainable development.

Researchers suggest a method for comparing battery systems as power backup in India.

One of the greatest threats to biodiversity is the fragmentation or breaking apart of habitats. Climate change, volcanic eruptions and other geological processes can gradually modify the area in which a species finds food, shelter, and mates. By natural selection and adaptation, speciation occurs, adding to the richness of life. Conversely, human activities of deforestation, agriculture and urbanisation have accelerated habitat loss to such a degree that species are unable to adapt to the changes, leading to ecosystem decay and, ultimately, extinction.

In a series of studies, researchers from India, UK and Australia, have provided an up-to-date account of the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes, its prevalent clinical care, and the challenges faced by the public health system challenges in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.