Category: Tech

A team of scientists at the University of California at San Diego, US have used CRISPR-based gene editing to create bacteria they believe can detect tumor DNA in the colons of mice. The researchers note that if the technology is applied successfully to humans, this would represent a non-invasive diagnostic tool that could identify cancer or pre-cancerous DNA. The study was recently published in the journal Science.

The researchers targeted a specific trait that certain bacteria have, i.e. the ability to take free-floating DNA from its environment into itself. The team then engineered a certain bacterium, Acinetobacter baylyi, to specifically ingest the DNA shed by colorectal cancer tumors. If a person has cancerous cells in their body, the engineered bacteria would endure and be able to signal the presence of those cells. If someone were cancer free, the bacteria would not survive to signal back, producing a negative result.

Jeff Hasty, PhD, a study lead and a professor at the UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences and Jacobs School of Engineering, in a press release, said that the research could someday produce a diagnostic tool that can locate tumors before a cancer starts or spreads.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a series of Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests for India’s proposed human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.

The tests were conducted at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE)/DRDO from August 8-10.

India’s Gaganyaan mission entails the safe transportation of astronauts to space and back. The mission deploys drogue parachutes, which play an important role in stabilising the crew module and reducing its velocity to a safe level during re-entry, said the space agency on August 11.

Drogue parachutes are packed within pyro-based devices known as mortars. These parachutes are ingeniously designed to eject the parachutes into the air upon command. These conical ribbon-type parachutes of a diameter of 5.8 meters employ a single-stage reefing mechanism, skillfully minimising canopy area and mitigating opening shock, ensuring a smooth and controlled descent.

During the three comprehensive tests conducted at the RTRS facility, a range of real-world scenarios were simulated to evaluate the performance and reliability of the drogue parachutes. The successful tests confirm the parachutes’ readiness for integration into the upcoming mission.

The United Kingdom’s first drone delivery service has been launched on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland. The joint operation, launched by Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services on August 1, will initially operate on the islands for three months.

Under the new service, mail is being transported from Royal Mail’s Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drones are delivering items to staff members on Graemsay and Hoy for postal workers to carry out their regular island delivery routes.

The Royal Mail, in a statement, said that the drone service is expected to considerably improve service levels and delivery times to Graemsay and Hoy, as weather and geography can cause disruption to delivery services. It added that the use of electric drones for inter-island delivery will bring significant safety in the system helping postal workers deliver between ports without risk.

While the service will operate for three months in the initial phase, it could be continued permanently under existing regulatory frameworks due to Orkney’s unique landscape and the proximity of the islands to one another.

The world’s first operational drone delivery service was launched in the capital of Iceland,  Reykjavik in 2017. It enabled shoppers to get food and other goods directly at their doorsteps. In 2022, pharmacy retailer Boots became the first community pharmacy in the UK to deliver prescription medicines by drone.

A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a low-cost energy storage system using cement, water and carbon black, a fine black powder primarily formed of pure carbon.

The device – a supercapacitor – works like a rechargeable battery and could be integrated into roads and building foundations to facilitate the renewable energy transition, believe the researchers.

Unlike batteries, which rely on materials in limited supply such as lithium, the technology could be produced cheaply with materials that are readily available – cement and carbon black. The technology could ease the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power by permitting energy networks to remain stable despite fluctuations in the supply.

The researchers expect that their supercapacitor in due course could be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house – and help store a day’s worth of energy – or used in a concrete roadway, providing contactless recharging for electric vehicles as they take that road.

The details of the technology were carried in the journal PNAS, in a paper by MIT Professors Franz-Josef Ulm, Admir Masic, and Yang-Shao Horn, and four other researchers at MIT and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can detect breast cancer in mammograms as effectively as experienced radiologists, and could cut their workload by about half, according to a new study.

The preliminary analysis of a long-term trial of 80,000 women in Sweden, published on August 1 in the journal Lancet Oncology, showed that AI readings of mammograms actually detected 20% more cases of breast cancer than the “standard” reading by two radiologists. The AI assessments were verified by one or two radiologists, depending on the patient’s risk profile.

The development has led the researchers to conclude that using AI in mammography screening is a “safe” way to help cut patient waiting times and reduce the pressure on radiologists amid a global workforce shortage. However, they say that it may be a while before mammograms will be read by a machine, as the experts warn that AI models need to be trained and tested more before they can be deployed in health-care settings.

The new findings are according to the new research that shows AI could help humans identify cancer earlier or more accurately, possibly leading to better outcomes for patients. The study is the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the use of AI in mammography screening, according to its authors.

The Government of India on August 4 deferred the implementation of the import restriction order on laptops, computers and tablets by about three months, till October 31. The move now gives more time to electronic companies to import these devices without a licence.

On August 3, the Centre put the import of these devices under a licence regime with immediate effect, leading to complaints from industry on the notification. With the latest order, the companies now would need to take a licence from the government to import these devices from November 1.

In its order, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) added that a “liberal transitional arrangement is provided for import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers and servers … till October 31, 2023.”

The Centre had imposed the restrictions for security reasons and to promote domestic manufacturing. It will curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea. It will also allow the government to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming.

The decision will also spur domestic manufacturing. Under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI 2.0) IT hardware scheme, 44 companies have already been registered and two companies have filed their applications on the scheme portal by July 31. The companies can submit applications till August 30.

Researchers and surgeons at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, have successfully implanted a microchip that was developed with artificial intelligence algorithms to re-link a paralysed man’s body and spinal cord, to help him move and feel again.

The patient, Keith Thomas, 45, has, thus, become the first human to have the microchip successfully implanted. The native of Massapequa, New York suffered a spine injury after a diving accident in July 2020 that left him paralysed from the chest down and unable to feel. In March 2023, he was implanted the microchip at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, in a 15-hour-long surgery.  He can now move his arm simply by thinking about it and can feel the touch of a hand for the first time in three years.

The breakthrough happened with an innovative “double neural bypass” procedure, wherein surgeons first implanted microchips in Thomas’ brain in the regions that control movement and touch sensation in the hand. The chip interfaces with AI algorithms that “re-link his brain to his body and spinal cord” interpreting Thomas’ thoughts and translating them into actions.

As the patient has more than doubled his arm strength within just four months of receiving the implants, researchers believe that repeated use of the bypass could promote lasting natural recovery over time. The brain, body and spinal cord may be able to relearn forgotten communication pathways.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced Rajmargyatra, a unified mobile application to provide comprehensive information and efficient complaint redressal for national highway users.

The user-friendly app is available for download on both Google Play Store and iOS App Store. It is currently available in Hindi and English. The app offers real-time weather conditions, timely broadcast notifications, and details about nearby toll plazas, petrol pumps, hospitals, hotels, and other essential services, ensuring a seamless and safe journey on National Highways.

Users can report highway-related issues and attach geo-tagged videos or photos for clarity. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said that complaints will be handled promptly, with system-generated escalations to higher authorities in case of delays. Users can track the status of their grievances for transparency.

Rajmargyatra also integrates FASTag services, allowing users to recharge their FASTags, avail monthly passes, and access other related banking services within the app. The app also sends over-speeding notifications and offers voice-assistance to promote responsible and safe driving behaviour.

With the app, NHAI aims to provide a user-friendly experience for highway travellers, ensuring safety and convenience while fostering a more efficient road network for all.

India’s third moon mission spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3, is now one step closer to a lunar landing, as it successfully entered the moon’s orbit on August 5. The Indian space agency released the first images of the moon taken by the spacecraft on Saturday. The images show craters on the lunar surface getting larger and larger as the spacecraft draws closer.

In a tweet on X, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that a retro-burning at the Perilune was commanded from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX), at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.  ISRO reported that all systems are healthy.

The development marks the completion of a critical manoeuvre, Lunar Orbit Injection. It would now fire its onboard engines to slow itself down and get captured into lunar orbit, and begin to circle the moon in a highly-elliptical orbit.

On July 31, the spacecraft performed Trans-Lunar injection (TLI), a long-duration firing of its engines, beginning a journey that pushed it out of Earth’s gravitational influence and towards lunar gravitational influence. During the first weeks of August, it is set to complete five to six orbits around the moon before a precise landing site on the moon’s South Pole area is determined.

Singapore-headquartered global investment firm Temasek has executed a binding agreement to invest Rs 1,200 crore in Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd (MEAL), the four-wheeler (4W) passenger electric vehicles company.

Temasek will invest the amount in the form of Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) at a valuation of up to Rs 80,580 crore, resulting in its ownership of a 1.49-2.97% stake in MEAL.

MEAL also has British International Investments (BII) as an investor. With the new investment, Mahindra’s EV subsidiary’s valuation has gone up by 15% from up to Rs.70,070 crore to Rs. 80,580 crore.

In a statement, MEAL said that Temasek is globally known for their strong governance, and its investment is a crucial step in the vehicle company’s strategy towards future leadership in electric SUVs. With Temasek as an investor, MEAL has strengthened its global strategic partnerships and is now targeting 20% to 30% of Mahindra SUVs sales from electric vehicles by 2027.

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest multinational companies with 2,60,000 employees in over 100 countries.