A Defence Against the Next Flu Pandemic Could Lie in the Skin of a Western Ghats Frog

Aug 9th, 2017 Amazing 1 min read

A protein found on the beautifully coloured skin of a frog from the Western Ghats has the potential to be a weapon against the influenza virus, a recent study has found. The ‘weapon’ protein has been named ‘urumin’ after urumi, a sword with a flexible, whip-like blade used in Kalaripayattu, a martial arts form native to Kerala. The frog is the widespread fungoid frog (Hydrophylax bahuvistara)….

Does fishing make corals sick?

Jul 20th, 2015 Conservation 1 min read

Coral reefs, teeming with life, are home to vibrant fish communities — which makes them extremely attractive places to go fishing. However, fishing in reefs may injure corals, which in turn allows disease to fester, a recent study on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef reports. Coral disease is a major problem for reefs around the world. When a coral is battling an infection, its growth rate,…