Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, unveiled the pilot trial of MD15 buses and prototype launch of M100 (100% methanol) at an event organised by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) at Vidhana Soudha on March 12. BMTC along with NITI Aayog, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Ashok Leyland are conducting the project, an official said. “This will eventually lead to a considerable reduction in emission levels,” he added. BMTC plans to induct 80 methanol-run buses for the pilot project. Out of them, 20 Ashok Leyland buses will be ind
OneWeb, the Bharti Group backed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications’ company, on March 10 confirmed the successful deployment and contact of 40 satellites launched by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The latest launch brings the total OneWeb constellation to 582 satellites. With these satellites now in orbit, the company will complete the global footprint of its ‘Gen 1 constellation’ with a launch set to take place later this month with NSIL, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation with the primary responsibility of enabling India
A transport aircraft from the US carrying a NASA-ISRO satellite landed in Bengaluru on March 8. The C-17 plane airlifted off California with the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture (NISAR) satellite for a joint mission to measure changes in Earth’s crust and land ice surfaces. The 2,800 kg satellite can penetrate through clouds and can produce high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions. It will be used to protect the earth from all kinds of threats. The satellite, which to be launched in 2024 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh, will also be used for various purpo
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă recently presented his “new honorary adviser,” an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to help the government know in real-time the proposals and wishes of Romanians by scanning social media networks. An “international first”, the AI assistant named “Ion” will chat with Romanians on the project's website. Ion "will use technology and artificial intelligence to capture opinions in society” using “data publicly available on social networks,” read a government document on the project. Ion, which has been developed by Romanian
Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates has said that no country in the world has built a more comprehensive digital infrastructure than India. He underlined that prior to digital infrastructure, accomplishing the number of bank accounts that the country has today would have taken 50 years. During his visit to India early March, Gates acknowledged India’s competitive private market, reliable and low-cost connectivity. He said that India will be one of the “cheapest 5G markets” globally. The country already sees a great digital network and high levels of smartphone use with really good connec
A San Francisco-based venture, Living Carbon has created poplar trees that are genetically engineered to grow larger and pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than standard trees do. In February, workers planted rows of these poplars in southern Georgia, kicking off the company’s plan to transform forestry. Living Carbon plans to plant 4 to 5 million trees by the middle of next year to help address the climate crisis. “Living Carbon is our answer to the question: Are we capable of storing carbon with the same ingenuity that allowed us to release it?” writes Maddie Hall, Living
Reliance Industries (RIL) is getting into genetic mapping space, says a Bloomberg report. The Indian conglomerate plans to make a healthcare trend launched by disruptive US ventures like 23andMe more affordable and extensive in India’s growing consumer market, the report added. RIL will roll out a comprehensive Rs 12,000 ($145) genome sequencing test within weeks, said Ramesh Hariharan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Strand Life Sciences, which has developed the product. RIL had acquired the Bengaluru-based firm in 2021, and owns about 80% of the company. The genome test, whi
Northwestern University researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind small, stretchable bandage that uses electrotherapy to a wound site to accelerate the healing process. In an animal study conducted by the US university, the new bandage healed diabetic ulcers 30% faster when applied for just 30 minutes per day. It also actively monitors the healing process and easily dissolves into the body when no longer needed. The new device could prove to be a useful tool for patients with diabetes, whose ulcers can lead to serious complications. Clinicians have used electrotherapy fo
UK-based satellite company Inmarsat has claimed that it achieved the world’s first carbon neutral rocket launch with the send-off of its I-6 F2 satellite into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. “We are offsetting roughly 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the launch,” said CEO Rajeev Suri. The CarbonNeutral Protocol certified the launch as a carbon neutral event. London-based Inmarsat sent its I-6 F2 satellite into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on February 17, lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Rajeev Suri said the rocket and spacecraft build emi
Researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a ‘recombinant protein toolbox’ that converts skin cells into heart cells. The heart cells produced using this toolbox can perform the same function as the original heart cells and regenerate damaged heart tissues. This technique is safer as the recombinant proteins disappear over time, without leaving toxic waste. The toolbox comprises six special proteins. The results of the research have been published in the journals, Current Research in Biotechnology, Molecular Biotechnology, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Applied Microbiol