Science & technology

Under a new model, volunteers will be infected with viruses or bacteria The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is close to finalising three projects worth Rs. 135 crore, involving Indian and European scientists, to develop new influenza vaccines. What will make these projects unique is that they involve a Controlled Human …

Indigenous Astra missile tested five times The indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile Astra was successfully test-fired five times by the Air Force between September 16 and 19 from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha, the Defence Research and Development Organisation said on Thursday. …

In a bid to provide wider access to adaptive learning technologies, the Centre plans to launch a new scheme in partnership with companies using artificial intelligence to make learning a more personalised and customised experience as per the learner’s requirements. Start-ups which join the government platform must offer 25% free …

To prepare for the next mission to Mars in 2020, NASA has taken to the lava fields of Iceland to get its new robotic space explorer ready for the job. With its black basalt sand, wind-swept dunes and craggy peaks, the Lambahraun lava field at the foot of Iceland’s second …

Nanopowder may replace commercially available substitute Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, have developed a process by which bone implant materials can be synthesised from eggshells. The research seeks to produce bone substitute materials such as tricalcium phosphate, a …

It is to enter the lunar orbit on Aug. 20 The Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander-orbiter was on Wednesday set on course to exit earth’s gravity as it began a seven-day journey to the moon in the wee hours, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. The spacecraft, which was launched on …

Still a month away from its scheduled landing on the moon, Chandrayaan-2 on Tuesday had its orbit slung further towards the moon at 1.42 lakh km from the earth. “The next manoeuvre is the Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI), which is scheduled for August 14 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.,” …

Data sets compared by machine learning techniques can predict risk of cancer and other diseases The Department of Biotechology (DBT) plans to scan nearly 20,000 Indian genomes over five years, in a two-phase exercise, and develop diagnostic tests that can be used for cancer. The first phase involves sequencing the …

The Defence Research Development Organisation on Sunday successfully test-fired the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur. “Two missiles have been tested against two live targets, meeting complete mission objectives of engaging the targets. The systems have been tested in final configuration …

Airport rolls out biometric-based self-boarding facility Passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will soon have the option of boarding their flight without producing travel documents at each touch point, with the KIA rolling out a biometric-based self-boarding facility. Vistara passengers travelling from Bengaluru to Mumbai on Monday were the …

“All these cryptocurrencies have been created by non-sovereigns.” The report went on to highlight the fact that crypto-currencies do not have any intrinsic value of their own and lack any of the attributes of a currency. “Therefore, the Committee is of clear view that the private crytocurrencies should not be …

‘Lunar programme will get boost thanks to Chandrayaan-2’ The launch of Chandrayaan-2 illustrates the prowess of Indian scientists and the determination of 130 crore countrymen to scale new frontiers of science, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. Soon after the launch, the PM took to Twitter to hail the …

China’s Chang’e mission in December July 2019 is a special year for space history. Other than it being the successful launch of Chandrayaan-2 into earth orbit, it also marks the 50th anniversay of the famed Apollo 11 mission of July 1969 that for the first time saw humans land on …

ISRO has initiated talks with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for a mission in 2024 After an Indian lander mission shot off to the Moon on Monday, is a Chandrayaan-3 in the offing around 2024 to bring soil and rock samples back from the lunar South Pole? The Indian Space …

India’s second lunar journey and its first-ever interplanetary mission to be spearheaded by two women, Project Director M. Vanitha and Mission Director Ritu Kharidhal, got a boost after the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission, headed to the moon’s South Pole region, and achieved an orbit 6,000 km more than what was targeted. …

Targeted date just a day later than the earlier schedule; module’s twin phases tweaked, says official The loss of a week due to the aborted launch of India’s second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, on July 15 has not hampered the mission’s targeted landing date on the moon’s South Pole with ISRO …

An outstanding example of reforestation is Philippines Global warming, largely caused by industrial development and consumer demands, has been causing havoc across the world. Temperatures are shooting up, floods have been ravaging South China and Northeast India, unseasonal rains and, ironically, delayed and poor monsoon rains are experienced. A major …

Two adaptor proteins act like a clutch, help protein condensates get into the correct slot A unique summer institute held at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in the U.S. (during 2013-2018) helped unlock a few mysteries of the immune system. A team of leading biologists and biochemists identified a …

Preliminary data from vaccination in Congo suggest the vaccine has 97.5% efficacy in preventing Ebola The 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic mainly in the three western African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has been the most deadly one since the virus became known in 1976. It caused disease in 28,616 …

Engineered plants can produce anthocyanin and flavonol which have medicinal uses, the team finds A team from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has found that the rich colour in fruits and leaves of plants are indirectly controlled by specific micro RNAs — miR828 and miR858. Grape plants …