Category Career Queries

What is mycology?

Essentially, mycology is the study of fungi. Here, mycologists directly focus on the taxonomy, genetics, application as well as many other characteristics of this group of organisms.

Fungi are eukaryotic organism which belong to their own kingdom. Until advances in DNA technology, it was assumed that fungi were an offshoot of the plant kingdom. DNA and biochemical analysis has revealed that fungi are a separate lineage of eukaryotes, distinguished by their unique cell wall made of chitin and glucans which often surrounds multinucleated cells. 

A specialized field of mycology is mycotoxicology, or the study of the toxins produced by mushrooms. Typically, a mycotoxicologist has a doctorate degree in biochemistry or organic chemistry, or a medical doctorate with concentrations in mycology and toxins. Fungi produce a variety of chemicals which have toxic effects on all kinds of organisms. Humans have eaten mushrooms since the earliest hunter-gatherers, but many mushrooms remain highly toxic. Other compounds found in mushrooms have potentially beneficial properties which could be used in medicine. Many mycotoxicologists work for pharmaceutical companies, trying to develop new drugs based on these compounds.

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Who was Gertrude B. Elion?

Gertrude B. Elion was an American pharmacologist, who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Medicine, along with George H. Hitchings and Sir James W. Black, for pioneering work in drug development.

Gertrude B. Elion was born in New York City in 1918. She graduated from Hunter College in New York City with the degree in biochemistry in 1937. Unable to obtain graduate research position, she took up jobs as a secretary, a chemistry teacher, and an assistant in a lab. During this time, she pursued graduate studies at night school in the New York University. As she could not devote herself to full-time studies, Elion never received a PhD.

In 1944, she started to work as an assistant (and later became a colleague) to George H. Hitchings at the Burroughs-Wellcome pharmaceutical company (now GlaxoSmithKline). Elion and Hitchings developed an array of new drugs that were effective against leukemia, auto immune disorders, urinary tract infection, gout, malaria, and viral herpes. They revolutionised the way drugs were being developed. Their unique method involved studying the chemical composition of diseased cells. Rather than relying on trial and error methods, they used the differences in biochemistry between normal human cells and pathogens (disease causing agents) to design drugs that block viral infections. Elion also discovered treatments to reduce the body’s rejection of foreign tissue in kidney transplants between unrelated donors. In all, Elion developed 45 patents in medicine. In 1991 she was awarded a National Medal of Science and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

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What does the Ramachandran plot help understand?

In biochemistry, a Ramachandran plot (also known as a Rama plot, a Ramachandran diagram or a [?,?] plot), originally developed in 1963 by G. N. Ramachandran, C. Ramakrishnan, and V. Sasisekharan, is a way to visualize energetically allowed regions for backbone dihedral angles ? against ? of amino acid residues in protein structure. The figure on the left illustrates the definition of the ? and ? backbone dihedral angles (called ? and ?’ by Ramachandran). The ? angle at the peptide bond is normally 180°, since the partial-double-bond character keeps the peptide planar.

A Ramachandran plot can be used in two somewhat different ways. One is to show in theory which values, or conformations, of the ? and ? angles are possible for an amino-acid residue in a protein (as at top right). A second is to show the empirical distribution of datapoints observed in a single structure in usage for structure validation, or else in a database of many structures. Either case is usually shown against outlines for the theoretically favored regions.

 

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How are bulletproof vests made?

Bulletproof clothing are designed to protect the wearer from the impact of bullets on his/her vital organs Bulletproof vests are made of many Layers of tightly-woven fibres such as Dyneema and Kevlar. Kevlar is considered seven times stronger than steel while Dyneema is 15 times stronger. These fibres are basically a type of plastic (polyethylene) with high tensile strength owing to their tightly bound, parallel molecules. Layers of fibre are sealed together into a vest shaped sheet or panel. This panel is inserted into a carrier, ensuring it is tightly held at proper position on the wearer’s body. This carrier and the panels constitute bulletproof clothing.

So, what do these layers of fibre do? The layers of this tough material deform the incoming bullet, stripping it of its energy. They absorb the energy from the bullet, slow it down through friction and bring it to a stop. However, some layers may be penetrated. Hence, unlike the name suggests, a bulletproof vest is not truly bulletproof but actually bullet resistant. It can prevent bullets from penetrating the body however, even after a bullet is stopped, the impact can sometimes injure the wearer. There are different vests for different guns. Some higher level armours allow for metal plates to be inserted, providing extra protection.

 

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How can you develop your skills using the World Wide Web?

Social media and online games are often the things that come to people’s mind when someone mentions the Web. But there is more to it than just networking with people or passing time. You can use the Web to express yourself creatively, while also keeping in touch with your friends and fulfilling your academic responsibilities.

1. Make personalised greetings

COVID-19 might have forced you to stay indoors, but that doesn’t have to stop you from celebrating your loved ones birthdays. There are several downloadable software such as Adobe Photoshop and GIMP, as well as online websites such as Canva and Adobe Spark, which let you personalise and design birthday cards. You can create your card, mail it to your loved ones and wish them virtually if you can’t meet them in person. It will be sure to touch their hearts.

Meanwhile, you can also use these software and websites to explore your creativity when it comes to art and graphic design.

2. Host games and meetings

Are you the person who loves organising get-togethers and hosting events? Then, why not do it virtually? There are dozens of group video calling software available online for free. Most of these let you host a meet-up with at least 50 people. So, like you would do for a physical get-together, design an invite with all the details and mail it to your friends/family members. You can come up with your own games that can be played virtually, or you can take the help of online websites that let you play multiplayer games such as Tambola or Mystery Rooms. Don’t let the pandemic stop you from catching up with your friends and putting on a show.

3. For the author in you

Have you ever been inspired to write novels after reading some of those chilling mystery books? Or perhaps you like flash fiction, where you can narrate a story in just a few sentences? Fiction or non-fiction, the Web is an amazing platform to explore your writing skills before you take the plunge and publish a book of your own. There are several blogging sites that let you publish content for free. You can start your own blog and share your stories in it. You can also share the blog with your friends and family and invite them to give you feedback that will help you improve as you progress.

4. Ready, set, action

If expressing yourself in front of the camera or from behind the camera is more your thing, get up, take that smartphone and explore your neighbourhood. Thousands of people from all over the world share their experiences through the camera lens every day. With sites and apps like YouTube, Vimeo and Instagram giving you the freedom to share your content, make the best use of your creativity and shoot and edit videos. You can put up any kind of content from singing, dancing, DIY crafts, or even presentations on topics that interest you.

5. Lend your voice

If you love voicing out characters or narrating stories, the Web can fulfil that wish too. There are several websites online that let you host your own podcast and share it with people. If you are more of a storyteller who loves narrating stories, you could also lend your voice to free audiobooks online. Some sites, such as Librivox, encourage you to narrate popular books so that people online can consume them.

This is a great way to learn more about voice modulation and expression, and will also be a great platform for you if you wish to be a voiceover artist or radio jockey in the future.

 

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What is the career in the field of music therapy?

The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it. Masks, sanitisers, social distancing have become the new normal. In such stressful times, music has come to the aid of many across the world. Singing, listening to songs is helping people cope with quarantine and isolation. And that’s exactly what the field of musical therapy is all about Music therapists draw upon the healing power of music to improve the well-being of their clients, especially those with disabilities and illnesses.

There are several psychological benefits associated with music. It has been known to help in treating stress and strain, fear, anxiety and depression, and to enhance concentration and memory in children. It is also used for patients with dementia and autism.

How it works

Music therapy is an emerging field backed by mounting scientific evidence. Music therapists work alongside paediatricians and nurses and other allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers.

What are the job prospects

Depending on your interest, you can work as a music therapist in different sectors. Primarily, music therapists work as consultants with hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Music therapy is used for children with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities. Their treatment does not involve medication. Instead, it focusses on bringing about behavioural and cognitive changes. Similarly, schools for differently abled children may also consult music therapists to help children cope with school work. Many corporate houses ask music therapists to conduct workshops to relieve anxiety and stress of employees.

What to study

To work as a music therapist, a Bachelor’s degree in music or psychology, special education, occupational therapy, social work or nursing is a prerequisite.

Where:

  • St Mira’s College, Pune: One-year, full-time, and two-year, part time, Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Music Therapy
  • Chennai School of Music Therapy: An online, foundation course to train aspirants in the basics of music therapy. Individuals with a Bachelors in Music or related fields can opt for the Postgraduate Diploma programme in Music Therapy
  • Nada, Centre for Music Therapy, Chennai and Delhi: Certificate course in Music Therapy – a distance-learning course offered in affiliation with the Directorate of Distance Learning
  • Mumbai Educational Trust’s Institute of Alternative Careers, Mumbai: Certificate in Music Therapy – a six-month, part-time course.
  • S.H Centre for Music Therapy and Mental Health, Amritsar: A distance-education course in Music Therapy. The centre is affiliated to Bharat Sevak Samaj, an agency promoted by the Government of India.

 

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