Examine the recent contributions made by Indian scientists’ towards global scientific community.
Refer - The Indian Express
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
The Physics, Physiology and Chemistry Nobels this year have deep connections to India, Indian scientists and institutes.
Physics Nobel Prize
· The Physics Nobel was awarded to Rainer Weiss, Barry C Barish and Kip S Thorne for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.
· 37 Indian scientists from nine Indian institutions contributing to LIGO’s (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) work.
· Aspects of research contributed from India include –
a) Obtaining estimates of the mass and spin of the final black hole, and the energy and peak power radiated by the binary in gravitational waves.
b) Astrophysical interpretation.
c) Exquisite tests of Einstein’s gravitation in the so-called strong field limit.
d) Distinguishing astrophysical signals from transient terrestrial noise in the data and instrument.
Physiology Nobel Prize
· The Nobel for Physiology went to Jeffrey C Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm.
· Their discoveries of the body clock, and how it adapts to the rhythms of day and night, used the fruit fly as a model organism by which to study this daily rhythm.
· India has a strong and vibrant community of fruit fly scientists.
· Hall and Rosbach have close interactions with Indian scientists studying neurogenetics, and have visited NCBS (National Centre for Biological Sciences) several times.
Chemistry Nobel Prize
· The Chemistry Nobel was awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson for developing Cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution.
· K R Vinoth Kumar, renowned Indian scientist, himself joined Henderson’s lab as a post-doctoral fellow and spent over a decade working with him.
· India has recently established its most advanced CryoEM facility for lifesciences at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (InStem) in Bengaluru.
· Richard Henderson and Indian-origin Nobel Laureate VenkatramanRamakrishnan, who won the Prize for Chemistry in 2009, played important roles in its establishment.
· This helps Indian structural and cell biologists collect data without travelling to Europe or the US.
