RAISON D’ÉTAT – RESEARCH CHALLENGES

The raison d'être of chemical ecology.

Chemical ecology is a mechanistic approach to understanding the causes and consequences of species interactions, distribution, abundance, and diversity. The promise of chemical ecology stems from its potential to provide causal mechanisms that further our understanding of ecological interactions and allow us to more effectively manipulate managed systems. Founded on the notion that all organism...

Spreading the practice of evidence-based medicine: MetaStar's raison d'etre.

On cytoadhesion of Plasmodium vivax: raison d'être?

It is generally accepted that Plasmodium vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, causes mild disease and that this species does not sequester in the deep capillaries of internal organs. Recent evidence, however, has demonstrated that there is severe disease, sometimes resulting in death, exclusively associated with P. vivax and that P. vivax-infected reticulocytes are able to...

Ayurveda research: Ontological challenges

Collaborative research involving Ayurveda and the current sciences is undoubtedly an imperative and is emerging as an exciting horizon, particularly in basic sciences. Some work in this direction is already going on and outcomes are awaited with bated breath. For instance the 'ASIIA (A Science Initiative In Ayurveda)' projects of Dept of Science and Technology, Govt of India, which include stud...

Challenges in translational research

We have seen, with some paternal pride, the first issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine (EMM). I am pleased to see the quality of the articles and the many lively sections of the journal; even more so because despite the excitement for this new initiative, I was slightly apprehensive about what seems to be a neverending proliferation of scientific journals. In the case of EMM, however, I feel that t...