The third edition of Techno’s Human Library held last week at Techno India University campus was a seminar on clinical psychology and mental health awareness. Pschology is defined as the study of the human mind and is derived from the Greek words psyche, meaning soul, and logos means study. Soul study, or what we call mental health, is a crucial topic, especially for the younger generation.
At the Techno event, the distinguished guest was psychologist Sumantra Chattarji. Formerly of the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Chattarji has studied the impact of stress on the brain. He has also studied the causes of autism.
The seminar, which was inaugurated by Techno India co-chairperson Manoshi Roychowdhury, focussed on the tension, stress and anxiety that students face every day and which at times leads to depression.
Nowadays, this has become common among people across all age groups. The seminar also addressed the problem of social media addiction among the young. The other issue it highlighted was our generation’s dependence on artificial intelligence, which is reducing our capability to think, focus and concentrate.
Many students and participants also asked for tips to alleviate anxiety and stress.
Debargha Roy,
Second year, media science, Techno India Salt Lake, Calcutta
Research and remedy
Afungus, Candida albicans (in pic), lives in the human body as part of the normal microbiota. It is commonly found in the mouth, throat, gut, vagina and on the skin, without causing harm in healthy individuals. But sometimes it causes systemic candidiasis, a severe, invasive fungal infection that spreads into the bloodstream and internal organs. In India, 34 people in a lakh get invasive candidiasis, which is fatal in 63 per cent cases.
Now, researchers at the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) at IIT Madras and the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health have developed a unique approach to fight Candida albicans. The multidisciplinary approach combines large-scale computational modelling and experimental validation to identify critical metabolic vulnerabilities in Candida albicans. The findings were published in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling.
Karthik Raman of the WSAI, who led the research, says, “Currently, we have validated key findings in animal models. The next steps would include collaboration with
clinical partners to investigate these insights on real-world patient samples and for industry to develop these findings into antifungal treatments.”
The rise of drug-resistant strains and lack of new antifungal drugs underline the urgent need for new therapeutic options.