News on Science, Technology and Research in India
The origins of Genrobotics can be traced to a group of engineering students who were interested in building advanced machines. The founding team consisted of Vimal Govind M.K., Rashid K., Nikhil N.P. and Arun George, who studied at MES College of Engineering in Kuttippuram, Kerala. Their early experimentation included the construction of a large wearable robotic structure inspired by powered exoskeletons.
The processor uses superconducting transmon qubits, one of the leading hardware approaches in contemporary quantum computing. Transmons are fabricated as microscopic electrical circuits containing superconducting components and Josephson junctions.
Researchers from the MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) combined traditional taxonomic methods with modern molecular phylogenetics to reassess species diversity and evolutionary relationships within one of the most diverse genera of the lichen family Graphidaceae.
The SHetA2 anti-HPV therapeutic candidate has been licensed to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited for further development. The technology is intended for the treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, a precancerous condition associated with persistent human papillomavirus infection.
The Indian Grey Hornbill, scientifically known as Ocyceros birostris, was once a familiar part of the Gir landscape. Historical records indicate that the species remained common in the region until the mid-1930s, particularly during winter, before its presence declined during the following decades.
A collaborative research team led by Dr. Urmimala Maitra from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) and Dr. Pradip Pachfule from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) has developed a new covalent organic framework (COF) material that could help make future rechargeable batteries charge much faster while remaining durable and reliable.
C-phycocyanin is the blue-coloured pigment-protein that gives Spirulina much of its distinctive blue-green appearance. Once extracted and purified, it can be converted into a stable, water-soluble blue powder suitable for several commercial applications. The food and beverage industry can use it as a natural colouring ingredient in confectionery, beverages, dairy preparations, desserts and nutritional formulations. Its biological origin makes it particularly relevant to the expanding clean-label market, where manufacturers and consumers increasingly prefer naturally derived ingredients.
A new study led by scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), along with researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, has shown that the slow movement of plasma continues much higher into the Sun’s atmosphere than previously known, revealing an underlying link between the Sun’s surface and its upper layers.
The vaccine, named the MA-104 Cell-Based Live Attenuated African Swine Fever Vaccine for Pigs, has been developed by the ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal. According to the minister, the development strengthens India’s preparedness against livestock diseases while advancing self-reliance in animal health through indigenous scientific innovation.
The cicada was reported during a field assessment around the Rani Reserve Forest landscape, close to Assam’s border with Meghalaya. Until recently, scientific accounts had principally linked the species with Ri Bhoi district, particularly Saiden village and forested areas near the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary. Its presence in Assam suggests that populations may occur across a wider belt of suitable forest and bamboo habitat extending across the state boundary.
