diff --git a/wiki/blogposts/dna.md b/wiki/blogposts/dna.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f668e0be9297c4de8b10f2b74016d9893710bb69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wiki/blogposts/dna.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+title: DNA
+author: Krishna Bhikadiya
+date: 21 August 2024
+---
+
+DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a special molecule that carries genetic instructions for life. One can think of DNA as an instruction manual for building and running living organisms. It directs the synthesis of proteins and regulates various biological processes. It is present inside the nucleus of the cell (eukaryotic) or in the cytoplasm (prokaryotic), and is responsible for transmission of inherent characters from parents to progeny (heredity).
+
+### What is DNA Made Up Of?
+
+DNA is a long chain polymer made up of small units call **nucleotides**. Hence, it is also called a polynucleotide. A nucleotide has two components - a backbone made from deoxyribose sugar and phosphate groups, and nitrogenous bases.
+
+The nucleotides are joined together by covalent bonds called **phosphodiester linkages** between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate of another - resulting in alternate sugar-phosphate backbond. The nucleotides contain nitrogenous bases, which in the case of DNA are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). This forms the primary structure of DNA. The sequence of bases is unique for a particular organism, and it is what makes us unique. The sequence of bases is also what stores genetic information, and the proteins encoded by the DNA.
+
+### Structure of DNA
+
+In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the famous double helix model based on X-ray diffraction data obtained by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. DNA does not usually exist as single strand or chain but instead as a pair of strands that are tightly held together. These two long strands coil around each other in the shape of a double helix.
+
+The DNA double helix is stabilised primarily by two forces -- hydrogen bonds between nucleotides and base stacking interactions among aromatic nucleobases. The two strands are complementary to each other because hydrogen bonds are formed between specific bases only - adenine with thymine, and cytosine with guanine. Both strands of DNA store the same biological information. The DNA chain measures 2.2-2.6nm wide, and one nucleotide unit measures 0.33nm long.
+
+A large part of DNA (more than 98%) in human is [non-coding](#), meaning that these sections do not serve as patterns for protein synthesis. The genetic information carried by DNA is held in sequences of pieces of DNA called [genes](#). These genes regulate protein synthesis resulting in traits of organisms.
+
+DNA [replicates](#) itself before cell division into two so each cell gets a copy when they divide. It is due to this fundamental process that genetic inheritance takes place. Very often, [mutations](#) occur during DNA replication, leading to variations in the population.
+
+Understanding DNA and genetic mechanisms allows scientists to study evolutionary relationships and trace the lineage of various species. DNA is very special because it serves as a foundation of life. Think of it as a set of recipes that tells your body how to make everything it needs, from your eye colour to how your cells work.
+
+#### References:
+1. Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. The Structure and Function of DNA.
diff --git a/wiki/pages/aiim.html b/wiki/pages/aiim.html
index 95b0627b5ca1ad032485230fe334673019c792a4..ede710763737ff3845a936899834204b2f9254ea 100644
--- a/wiki/pages/aiim.html
+++ b/wiki/pages/aiim.html
@@ -4,12 +4,22 @@
{% block lead %}The Compilation of all the events organised as a part of All India iGEM Meet (AIIM) in IISc Bangalore{% endblock %}
{% block page_content %}
-
-<div class="container">
+<style>
+ p {
+ text-align: justify;
+ }
+ h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
+ text-align: center;
+ padding-top: 2rem;
+ padding-bottom: 2rem;}
+</style>
+<div class="container"> <div class="row justify-content-center">
+ <div class="col-lg-10">
<h1 class="text-center display-4">{{ note.metadata.title }}</h1>
<p class="text-muted text-center">By {{ note.metadata.author }} | {{ note.metadata.date }}</p>
<link href="{{ url_for('static', filename = 'blog.css') }}" rel="stylesheet">
<p class="body-text">{{ note|safe }}</p>
-</div>
+</div></div></div>
+<div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wiki/pages/home.html b/wiki/pages/home.html
index 3286c1a38f427b9cedd236728c5a7fe86ef42d9f..f3b064ed5b951363fbf9ae18f64ce5e332430704 100644
--- a/wiki/pages/home.html
+++ b/wiki/pages/home.html
@@ -36,6 +36,37 @@
.carousel-caption h3 {
font-size: 5vw;
}
+
+ body {
+ font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
+ margin: 0;
+ padding: 0;
+ display: flex;
+ justify-content: center;
+ align-items: center;
+ flex-direction: column;
+ min-height: 100vh;
+ background-color: #f4f4f4;
+ }
+
+ .container {
+ max-width: 900px;
+ padding: 20px;
+ background-color: white;
+ box-shadow: 0px 0px 15px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
+ margin: 20px;
+ text-align: justify;
+ }
+
+ h1, h2 {
+ text-align: center;
+ }
+
+ @media (max-width: 768px) {
+ .container {
+ padding: 10px;
+ }
+ }
}
</style>
@@ -58,6 +89,27 @@
</div>
</div>
</div>
+<div style="height: 3rem;"></div>
+
+ <div class="container"><div class="row justify-content-center"><div class="col-lg-8 text-center">
+ <div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+ <h1 class="text-center padding">A Fine Blur: Aging or Dementia?</h1>
+ <p class="text-center padding">Dementia is a syndrome that involves deterioration of neurons and brain damage followed by cognitive breakdown, fading control in emotion and behavior. Normal aging and dementia are not easy to distinguish, bringing difficulties in accurate diagnosis.</p>
+ <div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+ <h2 class="text-center padding">Misfolded Chaos and Toxic Tangles</h2>
+ <p class="text-center padding">The roots for dementia are the misfolding of tau proteins that result from their hyperphosphorylation under certain conditions. Misfolded tau proteins rapidly, autocatalytically aggregate to form tangles leading to neuron damage and drastic reduce in brain functionality.</p>
+ <div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+ <h2 class="text-center padding">Dissolving the Chaos</h2>
+ <p class="text-center padding">Specific clearing of aggregated proteins without disturbing the tau monomers would alleviate the difficulties. Proteasomes are factories for scavenging unwanted proteins. Decoration of aggregated proteins with small molecules mark them for proteosomal degradation. Such a process is called ‘Targeted Protein Degradation’ (TPD).</p>
+ <div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+ <h2 class="text-center padding">Harnessing TPD - Our Solution: AptalXero</h2>
+ <p class="text-center padding">Aptamers are artificial oligonucleotide or oligopeptide sequences that can bind to undesired aggregated proteins with very high specificity and binding affinity. We present ‘AptalXero’ that aims to use aptamers for decorating protein aggregates with small molecules like ubiquitin that can drive their fate towards degradation via the UPS System.</p>
+ <div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+ <h2 class="text-center padding">Motivation for Model System: Alzheimer's!</h2>
+ <p class="text-center padding">There are ma ny neurodegenerative disorders that follow dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most popularly known example. Statistically, Alzheimer’s disease leads the surge in dementia occurrences.</p>
+ </div></div></div>
+
+
<div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
diff --git a/wiki/pages/inclusivity.html b/wiki/pages/inclusivity.html
index 5f420a32889b5d0e51e47c92585cc0110c72fc05..e6718eb2767b0409e41adc9cf71bf309ccc1e754 100644
--- a/wiki/pages/inclusivity.html
+++ b/wiki/pages/inclusivity.html
@@ -5,47 +5,140 @@
{% block page_content %}
-<div class="row mt-4">
- <div class="col">
- <div class="bd-callout bd-callout-info">
- <h4>Silver Medal Criterion #2</h4>
- <p>Explain how you have determined your work is responsible and good for the world.</p>
- <hr>
- <p>Please see the <a href="https://competition.igem.org/judging/medals">2024 Medals Page</a> for more information.</p>
- </div>
-
- <div class="bd-callout bd-callout-info">
- <h4>Best Integrated Human Practices</h4>
- <p>How does your project affect society and how does society influence the direction of your project? How might ethical considerations and stakeholder input guide your project purpose and design and the experiments you conduct in the lab? How does this feedback enter into the process of your work all through the iGEM competition? Document a thoughtful and creative approach to exploring these questions and how your project evolved in the process to compete for this award!</p>
- <p>To compete for the Best Integrated Human Practices prize, select the prize on the <a href="https://competition.igem.org/deliverables/judging-form">judging form</a> and describe your work on this page.</p>
- <hr>
- <p>Please see the <a href="https://competition.igem.org/judging/awards">2024 Awards Page</a> for more information.</p>
- </div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="row mt-4">
- <div class="col-lg-8">
- <h2>Overview</h2>
- <hr>
- <p>At iGEM we believe societal considerations should be upfront and integrated throughout the design and execution of synthetic biology projects. “Human Practices†refers to iGEM teams' efforts to actively consider how the world affects their work and their work affects the world. Through your Human Practices activities, your team should demonstrate how you have thought carefully and creatively about whether your project is responsible and good for the world. We invite you to explore issues relating (but not limited) to the ethics, safety, security, and sustainability of your project, and to show how this exploration feeds back into your project purpose, design, and execution.</p>
- <p>Please note you can compete for the Silver Medal criterion #2 and the Best Integrated Human Practices prize with this page.</p>
- <p>For more information, please see the <a href="https://responsibility.igem.org/human-practices/what-is-human-practices">Human Practices Hub</a>.</p>
- <p>On this page, your team should document all of your Human Practices work and activities. You should write about the Human Practices topics you considered in your project, document any activities you conducted to explore these topics (such as engaging with experts and stakeholders), describe why you took a particular approach (including referencing any work you built upon), and explain if and how you integrated takeaways from your Human Practices work back into your project purpose, design and/or execution.</p>
- </div>
- <div class="col-lg-4">
- <h2>Inspirations</h2>
- <hr>
- <ul>
- <li><a href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:Thessaly/Human_Practices">2019 Thessaly</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:Linkoping_Sweden/Human_Practices">2019 Linkoping Sweden</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2019.igem.org/Team:FDR-HB_Peru/Human_Practices">2019 FDR HB Peru</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:William_and_Mary/Human_Practices">2020 William and Mary</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:Rochester/Human_Practices">2020 Rochester</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:Leiden/Human_Practices">2020 Leiden</a></li>
- <li><a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:Baltimore_BioCrew/Human_Practices">2020 Baltimore BioCrew</a></li>
- </ul>
- </div>
-</div>
+
+ <style>
+ h1 {
+ text-align: center;
+ padding-top: 2rem;
+ padding-bottom: 2rem;
+ }
+
+ h2 {
+ padding-top: 1rem;
+ padding-bottom: 1rem;
+ text-align: center;
+ }
+
+ @media (max-width: 768px) {
+ .container {
+ padding: 10px;
+ }
+ }
+
+ p {
+ text-align: justify;
+ }
+ </style>
+
+ <div class="container"><div class="row justify-content-center">
+ <div class="col-lg-10">
+ <h1>Inclusivity</h1>
+
+ <p>Fields in STEM and Synthetic Biology are rapidly expanding, with more and more people contributing to active research. At this stage, it becomes important evaluate whether we have equal representation from all sections of society.</p>
+
+ <h2>Our Inclusive Team</h2>
+ <p>Starting at the personal level, we evaluated the diversity in representation within our team. Avani, Manya, Anushka and Asmita represent the active female members of our team, and have contributed in various capacities - from holding important positions - Avani being the Wet Lab Coordinator and Anushka handling web development and design - to all four of them playing a key role in Wet Lab research. Their invaluable contributions are detailed in the Attributions section.</p>
+ <div style="height: 3rem;"></div>
+ <p>Our team also represents diversity in having members from all parts of the country. Subhanan, Shouvik, Arjun and several others hail from West Bengal and Aishik from Tripura in Eastern India, Suvam from Odisha in the south east, Parth and Avani from Northern India, Anushka from Central India and Anurag, Manya, Geeth and Harish from South India, among many more. Our team being very vast was successful in accommodating all cultures and communities and all of them had an equal say in the work without any distinction whatsoever.</p>
+
+ <p>Towards the end of our project, we received significant assistance from the junior batch (the future iGEMers of IISc), and they, too, presented a diverse crowd.</p>
+ <div style="height: 3rem;"></div>
+ <h2>Surveys on Inclusivity</h2>
+ <p>Our regular surveys included questions related to inclusivity and accessibility in research in STEM and SynBio. We posed these questions to people through online surveys as well as those on the streets of Bangalore.</p>
+ <div style="height: 2rem;"></div>
+ <h3>Questions:</h3>
+ <ol>
+ <li>Do you feel that women are under-represented in STEM fields and research?</li>
+ <li>Do you feel that minority communities are under-represented in STEM fields and research?</li>
+ <li>Do you feel that it is our societal obligation to be inclusive?</li>
+ <li>What do you think are the barriers to inclusivity?</li>
+ <li>In your experience, has inclusivity increased or decreased over time?</li>
+ <li>What measures can we take to improve inclusivity and accessibility in these areas?</li>
+ </ol>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>Some Interesting Answers:</h3>
+ <p>“Inclusivity isn’t there in a lot of fields in India. We can improve the situation by not being biased and giving equal opportunities to these sections of society.â€</p>
+ <p>“We should have campaigns to spread awareness, especially in places like villages.â€</p>
+ <p>“Isn’t inclusivity already there since there is now a women’s quota at the IITs?â€</p>
+ <p>“I'm doing a PhD in Chemistry, and all my colleagues are women - so I feel we are inclusive enough.â€</p>
+ <p>“What's needed is for us to increase awareness in rural areas. Because there, what most families want is to marry off their daughters and for them to lead domestic lives.â€</p>
+ <p>“In India, there is no inclusivity for a lot of things. Inclusivity is seen only in very few fields. So yes, we do think it’s required.â€</p>
+ <p>“Yeah, probably by not being biased and giving more opportunities to those sections of society.â€</p>
+ <div style="height: 3rem;"></div>
+ <h2>Women in STEM: A Fireside Chat</h2>
+ <p>As part of the All India iGEM Meet, Avani and Manya from our team conducted a fireside chat with Prof. Sanhita Sinharay from the Department of Bioengineering, IISc, and Prof. Attreyee Ghosh from the Centre for Earth Sciences, IISc.</p>
+
+ <p>Avani and Manya were curious to know about the inspiration the panelists had had to pursue a career in their fields, and who their role models and mentors had been. Dr. Attreyee recounted her time in high school and how Sudipta Sengupta – the first Indian woman to travel to Antarctica – was a huge inspiration to her, whereas Dr. Sanhitha always had an appetite for knowledge and explored various fields throughout her career - moving from Chemistry to Biology. She had various role models in her life, each prominent during a different stage of her life.</p>
+
+ <p>Avani and Manya further asked if the panelists could reason out why among STEM fields, a lot of women choose to go into life sciences as compared to other areas. Neither of them had a definitive answer and raised some possibilities as to why this may be. The next question tried to address the importance of cultural background shaping and influencing one as a person. Both agreed that their supportive families and academically driven environments helped them nurture their worldviews and encouraged them to pursue a career in science. Consequently, science made them think logically and brought more discipline into their life.</p>
+
+ <p>Finally, Avani and Manya asked for the panelists' views on the significance of science communication, to which they said that they enjoy giving talks to younger students and are always happy to see them getting inspired. The chat was concluded after taking more questions from the audience.</p>
+ <div style="height: 3rem;"></div>
+ <h2>Analysis:</h2>
+ <p>Inclusivity in STEM and Synthetic Biology fields in India faces several barriers, often related to cultural, socioeconomic, and systemic factors. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach. Here are some key challenges and suggestions for overcoming them:</p>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>1. Gender Bias</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> Gender bias is prevalent in STEM fields globally, and in India, societal expectations often deter women from pursuing careers in research. Gender stereotypes, lack of female role models, and workplace discrimination contribute to underrepresentation.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Mentorship Programs:</strong> Establish networks that connect women researchers with mentors to provide guidance, support, and professional development.</li>
+ <li><strong>Flexible Work Policies:</strong> Promote family-friendly policies like maternity leave, child care support, and flexible working hours to help women balance family and work.</li>
+ <li><strong>Address Stereotypes:</strong> Encourage early education initiatives that challenge traditional gender roles, and promote girls' participation in STEM through scholarships, competitions, and awareness campaigns.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>2. Socioeconomic Barriers</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> Research often requires access to resources, such as laboratories, advanced tools, and education. Individuals from marginalized communities may not have access to these resources due to financial limitations.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Scholarships and Grants:</strong> Increase financial support for students from economically weaker sections, particularly for higher education and research positions.</li>
+ <li><strong>Public Research Labs:</strong> Provide open access to government-funded labs and resources for researchers from underprivileged backgrounds, or offer subsidized programs to reduce entry barriers.</li>
+ <li><strong>Skill Development:</strong> Offer programs aimed at enhancing technical and research skills for students in rural and underdeveloped areas.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>3. Language Barriers</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> English is often the primary language of instruction and research publication in India, but many students, especially from non-urban areas, may not have strong English proficiency, limiting their participation in research.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Multilingual Education:</strong> Develop educational materials and conduct training in regional languages, alongside English, to make research fields more accessible.</li>
+ <li><strong>Translational Research:</strong> Promote translation of important research papers and resources into local languages to foster inclusivity.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>4. Lack of Interdisciplinary Exposure</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> Many students in India are confined to traditional streams of education without much exposure to interdisciplinary fields like Synthetic Biology, which combines biology, engineering, and computational science.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Interdisciplinary Curriculum:</strong> Encourage the inclusion of interdisciplinary courses in universities that merge different STEM fields, providing broader exposure and sparking interest in emerging areas like SynBio.</li>
+ <li><strong>Workshops and Seminars:</strong> Organize collaborative events between different departments to promote interdisciplinary learning and break down barriers between specialized fields.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>5. Representation of Marginalized Communities</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> Marginalized communities (based on caste, religion, etc.) are underrepresented in research due to historical inequalities, which limits diversity in ideas and perspectives.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Affirmative Action:</strong> Continue and enhance reservation policies in higher education and research institutions for marginalized communities, ensuring equitable representation.</li>
+ <li><strong>Cultural Sensitization:</strong> Foster an inclusive environment by promoting cultural awareness and anti-discrimination training in research institutions.</li>
+ <li><strong>Outreach Programs:</strong> Initiate outreach programs targeting marginalized communities to raise awareness about research opportunities and provide guidance on career paths in STEM and SynBio.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>6. Lack of Awareness and Role Models</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> A lack of visible role models from underrepresented groups in research fields limits aspirations for young students. This is especially true in emerging fields like SynBio, where awareness of career paths is low.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Highlight Role Models:</strong> Showcase successful scientists from diverse backgrounds, particularly women and individuals from marginalized communities, to inspire students.</li>
+ <li><strong>Public Engagement:</strong> Promote STEM and SynBio career paths through public outreach programs, science festivals, and social media campaigns to increase visibility of these fields.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <h3>7. Institutional Barriers and Research Opportunities</h3>
+ <p><strong>Barriers:</strong> Research opportunities are often concentrated in urban institutions, with rural and tier-2/3 cities lacking access to cutting-edge research infrastructure.</p>
+ <p><strong>Suggestions:</strong></p>
+ <ul>
+ <li><strong>Decentralize Research Funding:</strong> Allocate funding to institutions in smaller cities and rural areas to create opportunities for students from these regions to participate in research.</li>
+ <li><strong>Collaboration with Industry:</strong> Encourage partnerships between universities and industries to provide internships, training programs, and job opportunities to students across a wide geographic area.</li>
+ </ul>
+ <div style="height: 1rem;"></div>
+ <p>By addressing these barriers through policy changes, awareness campaigns, and educational reforms, the inclusivity of STEM and SynBio fields in India can be significantly improved. These efforts would ensure that a diverse group of talented individuals contribute to scientific advancements, making the research community more dynamic and innovative.</p>
+ </div></div></div>
+<div style="height: 10rem;"></div>
+
{% endblock %}