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Megaregion Mobility

Unlocking Bengaluru's Future: A Vision for Megaregional Mobility Bengaluru, often hailed as India's "Silicon Valley," is at a crossroads. Rapid urbanization and a booming population, growing at the fastest rate among major Indian cities at 2.94% year-over-year, have brought with them significant challenges: severe traffic congestion, strained infrastructure, and environmental degradation. The city's reliance on water pumped from 70 km away and its distinction of having the highest number of private cars in India further highlight the urgency of the situation. But what if Bengaluru's future wasn't just about managing growth within its current boundaries, but about strategically expanding its reach? This is the core idea behind megaregional mobility – a concept explored in a recent white paper by the institutions in the Bengaluru Science and Technology (BeST) Cluster . What is a Megaregion and Why Bengaluru Needs One? A megaregion is a network of interco...

Mobility and Health

Health on the Move: How Urban Mobility Shapes Our Well-being Our daily commutes and the way we navigate our cities do far more than just get us from one place to another. Urban mobility systems have a profound, often overlooked, impact on our public health. In a rapidly urbanizing world, understanding this critical intersection is key to building healthier, more livable cities. The Unseen Costs of Unsustainable Mobility When urban mobility prioritizes private vehicles and extensive road networks, the consequences for public health can be severe: • Air Pollution: Idling cars and heavy traffic lead to increased emissions of harmful pollutants,contributing to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and even premature deaths. These airborne toxins disproportionately affect vulnerable populations living near busy roads. • Physical Inactivity: A car-dependent urban design discourages walking and cycling, leading to more sedentary lifestyles. This, in turn, fuels the rise of no...

Pheromones in Insects

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( Image Courtesy: ©kozorog | AdobeStock) Definition of pheromones: Pheromones are chemicals produced as messengers that affect the behavior of other individuals of insects or other animals. They are usually wind borne but may be placed on soil, vegetation or various items. Tom Eisner, a foremost authority in the science of chemical use by insects, claims that each species of insect relies on some one hundred chemicals in its life, to engage in such routine activities as finding food and mates, aggregating to take advantage of food resources, protecting sites of oviposition, and escaping predation. It has been found that pheromones may convey different signals when presented in combinations or concentrations. Pheromones differ from sight or sound signals in a number of ways. They travel slowly, do not fade quickly, and are effective over a long range. Sound and sight receptors are not needed for pheromone detection, and pheromone direction is not limited to straight lines. Exa...

Startup Story: Savemom

Startup Story: Kyntox Biotech, Revolutionizing the healthcare through passive immunotherapy

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We are a growing company trying to overcome the hurdles in healthcare industry. We believe that with our expertise on IgY antibody technology, we can definitely improve the quality of life and save many more lives from diseases caused by various microbials. Our unique approach and knowledge base enable the creation of immune health solutions that address a range of needs related to the health of humans and animals. Antimicrobials   Many therapeutic approaches are available to address the pathogens which includes, probiotics, antibiotics, bacteriophages and others, but safety and antibiotic resistance is the major concern. To address these limitations, Kyntox Biotech is using avian (IgY) antibody technology that is safe and effective against specific and narrow targeted bacteria/ fungi/viruses. Being polyclonal, our technology prevents the generation of resistance to therapy, unlike any antibiotics/small molecules for long term dosing. IgY based Therapeutics: For selective removal o...

Startup Story: StrideAIde

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 The startup scene in India has been seeing tremendous activity in the last few years and with the emergence of Artificial intelligence , it has only lead to a faster growth in people trying to use AI in giving solutions to everyday problems. The startup scene in India has been seeing tremendous activity in the last few years and with the emergence of Artificial intelligence , it has only lead to a faster growth in people trying to use AI in giving solutions to everyday problems. StrideAIde was an offshoot of collaborative research between IISC & KIER. The scientists from IISC lead by Dr.Ananthasuresh from the mechanical engineering department and doctors from KIER lead by Dr.Belehalli Pavan from the department of Podiatry where working on giving solutions to diabetic population with diabetic foot wounds. After their first product – “Dynamic self offloading foot insoles” showed amazing field results , it was decided to take this collaboration a step further and include Artifici...

Digital Podiatry Clinic (D-PoC) predicts diabetic foot ulcers early on

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 " Can we predict diabetic foot ulcers before they happen ? Can we predict a charcot s foot ? "  These were the questions that we ( KIER-IISc research wing) have set out on. We learnt that using artificial intelligence and machine learning we can do much more than that by creating a " DIGITAL FOOT TWIN" which can undergo the same changes as that of a patient . We used this system to come up with a risk stratification system for diabetic foot   The result was D-PoC ( Digital podiatry clinic) which not only quantities the deadly complication of diabetic foot but also can be used both as a diabetic foot registry as well as a screening and alarm system for indicating the impending complications. This is the first step in the long road of reducing the amputation rates in India . Meanwhile KIER - IISc research wing keeps up to its promise of simplifying health using technology. Special thanks to dr. Anil kumar , Dr. Vishu, Dr.Prabdeep , Mr.Ravi and the BeST cluster , Dr.a...