Aditi Jain

Degrading air quality in metro cities is a matter of concern for public health. Massive tree plantation drives are often conducted in order to provide oxygen to choking cities. But trees, much like humans, also are severely affected by pollutants in the air.

Nanotechnology deals with particles that are several thousand times smaller than the human hair, and it is being put to use in a variety of applications such as drug delivery and diagnostic tests. 

Indian scientists have developed a remote sensing technique that uses satellite data to delineate between various coastal landforms like beaches, mangroves and marshes. This method can help monitor and understand impacts of natural disasters as well as human activities on coastal ecosystem.

Weeds are a persistent problem for farmers. A recent assessment by the Directorate of Weed Research shows that India loses crops worth $ 11 billion every year to these farm intruders. 

Persistent use of chemical pesticides to increase crop productivity has led to their accumulation in soil, water and even food. Now a group of researchers from Pune have isolated an enzyme from a pest and found that it can be used to clean up pesticide residues from food and environment.