Berty Ashley

Science communication (SciComm) can help break down barriers between scientific research and the public. While social media platforms present challenges, such as misinformation, trolling, and changing algorithms, they can also be powerful tools for SciComm. This booklet provides a guide to effective SciComm on social media, with a specific focus on the platforms LinkedIn and Instagram. In addition to platform-specific advice, the zine offers general tips, as well as dedicated sections on… Show more

Science communication (SciComm) can help break down barriers between scientific research and the public. While social media platforms present challenges, such as misinformation, trolling, and changing algorithms, they can also be powerful tools for SciComm. This booklet provides a guide to effective SciComm on social media, with a specific focus on the platforms LinkedIn and Instagram. In addition to platform-specific advice, the zine offers general tips, as well as dedicated sections on crafting compelling text and multimedia elements. Based on interviews, research, and collaborative efforts with science communicators in India and Switzerland, this booklet is meant to be a valuable resource for scientists, science communicators, and anyone interested in sharing scientific knowledge with a broader audience. By providing practical advice on how to raise awareness, facilitate dialogue, and promote public understanding of scientific topics, the co-authors aim to inspire and empower science communicators to make the most of social media opportunities. Show less

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder with defect in dystrophin gene that shows features of degeneration of muscle tissue at an early age. Here, we describe iPSC lines generated from LCL of two patients of Indian origin carrying 46-48 and 49-50 exons deletions in DMD. The resulting iPSC lines IGIBi006-A and IGIBi008-A showed all the characteristic features of pluripotency, differentiated into cells of three germ layers in vitro and have no major genetic alterations… Show more

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder with defect in dystrophin gene that shows features of degeneration of muscle tissue at an early age. Here, we describe iPSC lines generated from LCL of two patients of Indian origin carrying 46-48 and 49-50 exons deletions in DMD. The resulting iPSC lines IGIBi006-A and IGIBi008-A showed all the characteristic features of pluripotency, differentiated into cells of three germ layers in vitro and have no major genetic alterations due to reprogramming process. These lines can serve as a useful cell model for studying disease pathogenesis and will aid in precision therapy. Show less

Compounds that are able to bind to mRNAs have gained increasing interest as inhibition of protein expression can be helpful for controlling the course of genetic disorders. The two major therapeutics approaches in this field are the Antisense Oligonucleotides (AONs) that inhibit mRNA translation and the oligonucleotides which function via RNA interference.

In this study, we developed a 2.1 Mb custom DMD gene panel that spans the entire DMD gene, including the exons and introns and was used to identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and large deletions with precise breakpoints. We used this panel to evaluate the inheritance pattern of DMD mutations in maternal subjects representing 24 DMD patients and their matrilineage across four generations. Our data suggest that the DMD gene panel designed by us can be routinely used as a single genetic… Show more

In this study, we developed a 2.1 Mb custom DMD gene panel that spans the entire DMD gene, including the exons and introns and was used to identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and large deletions with precise breakpoints. We used this panel to evaluate the inheritance pattern of DMD mutations in maternal subjects representing 24 DMD patients and their matrilineage across four generations. Our data suggest that the DMD gene panel designed by us can be routinely used as a single genetic test to identify all DMD gene variants in DMD patients and the carrier mothers. Show less

Emmanuel Charpentier and Jennifer A Doudna received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the molecular mechanisms of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 immune system, which was repurposed into a tool for genome editing. Find out more about what it is all about.

The emerging issue of anti-microbial resistance across the world, what happens when microbes beat our defence systems

Did you know there is a single worm, which is longer than three buses?
Did you know there are microorganisms that are smaller than the dot of the letter ‘i’?

Isn’t it amazing to know that in spite of centuries of exploration and research, humans are still discovering new and fascinating things about nature?

In The Amazing Nature Quiz, authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis bring you a collection of trivia and facts presented in the form of questions to encourage you to look at… Show more

Did you know there is a single worm, which is longer than three buses?
Did you know there are microorganisms that are smaller than the dot of the letter ‘i’?

Isn’t it amazing to know that in spite of centuries of exploration and research, humans are still discovering new and fascinating things about nature?

In The Amazing Nature Quiz, authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis bring you a collection of trivia and facts presented in the form of questions to encourage you to look at nature with a newfound appreciation. This is a quiz book with a difference, one where you learn about bacteria that seem to defy belief, plants that defy physics, insects that defy the imagination and a whole lot more about nature that is simply astounding!

So take a walk on the wild side and get ready to astonish your friends and family with the extraordinary! Show less

Whether you are a pro at general knowledge or just want to have fun learning new and fascinating things, The Bumper Literature Quiz is the go-to book to challenge even the brightest of minds or introduce this world to a beginner.
Packed with hundreds of exciting questions about the world of books, you are sure to impress your friends and teachers with interesting details about authors, books and trivia about literature. From science fiction to children’s literature to biographies and… Show more

Whether you are a pro at general knowledge or just want to have fun learning new and fascinating things, The Bumper Literature Quiz is the go-to book to challenge even the brightest of minds or introduce this world to a beginner.
Packed with hundreds of exciting questions about the world of books, you are sure to impress your friends and teachers with interesting details about authors, books and trivia about literature. From science fiction to children’s literature to biographies and autobiographies, the book has questions on a wide range of topics.
Moreover, you will get to meet not only the very famous, but also many who are not that well-known. So put on your thinking cap and get ready to enter the world of letters! Show less

Whether history was your favourite subject or not, The Grand History Quiz will evoke keen interest in history as it unravels magnificent stories from the past, leading you on a quest of exciting discovery.
Authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis have clubbed a wide variety of questions that will make you want to learn more about certain periods and individuals, rather than merely finding the right answer. All the ten chapters have questions that cover cultural history, architecture, famous… Show more

Whether history was your favourite subject or not, The Grand History Quiz will evoke keen interest in history as it unravels magnificent stories from the past, leading you on a quest of exciting discovery.
Authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis have clubbed a wide variety of questions that will make you want to learn more about certain periods and individuals, rather than merely finding the right answer. All the ten chapters have questions that cover cultural history, architecture, famous rulers, important events and cities. So get ready to fight the toughest battles, meet kings and queens, discover ancient artefacts, explore buried cities and much more. Show less

Are you fascinated by sports? Do you have a mental record of statistics of famous sportspersons and sporting events? Do you know where famous sports records were set?
Or does sports bore you to death because everyone is always quoting facts and figures and there never seems to be anything you can contribute?
Whatever be your position, Berty and Akhila have got questions for you! Going beyond their love for certain sports, they have dug out some of the most interesting and intriguing… Show more

Are you fascinated by sports? Do you have a mental record of statistics of famous sportspersons and sporting events? Do you know where famous sports records were set?
Or does sports bore you to death because everyone is always quoting facts and figures and there never seems to be anything you can contribute?
Whatever be your position, Berty and Akhila have got questions for you! Going beyond their love for certain sports, they have dug out some of the most interesting and intriguing information related to the world of sports and sportspersons—from weird, new hybrid sports to sporting venues to strange records and feats. There’s something for everyone here! The Greatest Sports Quiz will not only entertain but also quickly make you smarter than your peers! Just be a good sport about it! Show less

Did you know that the US President George Bush Sr banned a green leafy vegetable in the White House, as it contained an unusual compound that made it bitter for him?

Did you know that it was the work of a woman scientist that led to the use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity?

In The Mega Science Quiz, authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis introduce you to many such interesting facts and concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.

The book has hundreds of questions… Show more

Did you know that the US President George Bush Sr banned a green leafy vegetable in the White House, as it contained an unusual compound that made it bitter for him?

Did you know that it was the work of a woman scientist that led to the use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity?

In The Mega Science Quiz, authors Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis introduce you to many such interesting facts and concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.

The book has hundreds of questions from various disciplines including Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Psychology. The questions contain more than one clue, so that you not only gain insight about the way the world works, but also feel amazed at the wide variety of invisible phenomena that govern our lives.

Rich with trivia about strange discoveries and obscure scientists, you will never have a dull moment reading this book! Show less

Did you know that the world’s highest waterfall is named after an American aviator who crashed his plane nearby?

Did you know that a national park in Argentina contains fossils from all seven ages of the Triassic period?

The Ultimate Geography Quiz is a rich and engaging guide that will help open up new worlds of knowledge through interesting trivia.

This book includes more than one hundred questions that will introduce you to new and exciting facts not just about places… Show more

Did you know that the world’s highest waterfall is named after an American aviator who crashed his plane nearby?

Did you know that a national park in Argentina contains fossils from all seven ages of the Triassic period?

The Ultimate Geography Quiz is a rich and engaging guide that will help open up new worlds of knowledge through interesting trivia.

This book includes more than one hundred questions that will introduce you to new and exciting facts not just about places, but also cultures, flags, experiences and even geographical phrases. Travellers and authors, Berty Ashley and Akhila Phadnis, share a background for every intriguing question, helping you grasp practical geographical concepts.

So get ready for an adventurous exploration around the earth! Show less

The issues surrounding genome sequencing

A look at personalized medicine and its possibilities of being a life changer for those suffering from rare genetic disorders.

Diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been a challenge as the mutations (deletion, duplication and point mutations in the DMD gene) in the DMD gene are heterogeneous and require more than one diagnostic strategy for the validation of the mutation. This study was planned to evaluate the targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) as a single platform to detect all types of mutations in the DMD gene, thereby reducing the time and costs compared to conventional sequential testing and… Show more

Diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been a challenge as the mutations (deletion, duplication and point mutations in the DMD gene) in the DMD gene are heterogeneous and require more than one diagnostic strategy for the validation of the mutation. This study was planned to evaluate the targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) as a single platform to detect all types of mutations in the DMD gene, thereby reducing the time and costs compared to conventional sequential testing and also provide precise genetic information for emerging gene therapies. Show less

A quiz book that makes you say: ‘Really? This is so cool! I had no idea!’
Have you ever wondered how ‘Bluetooth’ got its name? Or who wrote ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’? Packed with interesting facts, this book will help you answer almost every random question in a twinkling!

A compendium of the immensely popular ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning Quiz’ published in The Hindu’s Sunday Magazine, along with a whole lot of additional material and personal insights from the author make it an… Show more

A quiz book that makes you say: ‘Really? This is so cool! I had no idea!’
Have you ever wondered how ‘Bluetooth’ got its name? Or who wrote ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’? Packed with interesting facts, this book will help you answer almost every random question in a twinkling!

A compendium of the immensely popular ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning Quiz’ published in The Hindu’s Sunday Magazine, along with a whole lot of additional material and personal insights from the author make it an informative as well as a fun-read. In the pages of this book you will not only find out which is the largest animal that lived on earth, but also how to bake a cake in a mug, and how to make your own musical instrument! To top it all, there are also some hilarious jokes and puns! Show less