NEWS ALERT 

World's most efficient lithium-sulfur battery developed
The world's most efficient lithium-sulphur (Li-S) battery has been developed, which could outperform current market leaders by more than four times; It has better performance and less environmental impact than current lithium-ion products. The researchers at Monash University, Australia have an approved filed patent for their manufacturing process, and the prototype cells have been successfully fabricated by Fraunhofer Institute, their German R&D partners, for Material and Beam Technology. Some of the world's largest manufacturers of lithium batteries in China and Europe have expressed interest in upscaling production, with further testing to take place in Australia in early 2020. Using the same materials in standard lithium-ion batteries, researchers reconfigured the design of sulphur cathodes so they could accommodate higher stress loads without impacting the overall capacity or performance. The team engineered a method that created bonds between particles to accommodate stress and deliver a level of stability not seen in any battery to date. Attractive performance, along with lower manufacturing costs, abundant supply of material, ease of processing and reduced environmental footprint make this new battery design attractive for future real-world applications.

Discussions over Ethics of Neuro-Technology
Neurotechnology has become the next emerging technology to generate international concern about ethical risks. 36 member-states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), have issued a formal recommendation that governments, companies and researchers world-wide pay greater attention to governance of the possible misuse of neurotechnology. The statement articulates nine basic ethical principles to follow for safeguarding privacy and safety. The OECD recommendation represents the first formally agreed international statement on the topic, though it has no legally binding force on anyone. It follows heightened scrutiny of ethics in other unprecedented technologies, such as an agreement last year by the Group of 20 largest countries on a set of general ethical principles for the safe use of artificial intelligence. Some applications are already in use clinically, such as wearable devices to monitor patients’ brain activityor implants to help people move disabled hands or legs. It is at the heart of several mega-research efforts – such as the European Commission’s big Human Brain Project and the US BRAIN initiative to map, model and understand as to how the brain works. Some companies have developed AI tools to analyse patients’ brain waves, help diagnose mental disorders and personalise antidepressant treatment. So far, the applications have been benign. But experts worry how these and as-yet undeveloped technologies could be used in future. For instance, in theory neurotechnologies could one day be used to enhance human mental powers, change people’s personalities or alter how they perceive the world. Brain data could be used to categorise people by intelligence or temperament – so companies could target marketing individual-by-individual, or authoritarian governments could control citizens.

The 107th Indian Science Congress inaugurated
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Delivering the inaugural address, the Prime Minister said, “The growth story of India depends on its achievements in the Science & Technology sector. There is a need to revolutionise the landscape of Indian Science Technology and Innovation.” The focus of his assertions was on providing a level playing field in making opportunities accessible to all and harnessing science for society. As India now stands at 3rd position globally, in the number of Peer-reviewed Science and Engineering Publications and have risen its rank on the Innovation Index to 52, the technology is to be deployed for achieving Good Governance. The themes which would be significant in this event include Digitalisation and E Commerce, Agricultural technologies, and Big Data. On this occasion the I-STEM Portal was also launched.

Development of Indigenous Graphene Supercapacitor for Energy Storage
A technology for generating functionalized graphene at lower costs has been developed jointly by The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and SPEL Technologies, Pune. It was stated by Department of Science & Technology (DST) that this process will be used for the development of graphene-based super-capacitors for energy storage, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The supercapacitors will be fabricated at SPEL. This new way of reducing graphene oxide is claimed to lead to the formation of self-healed ambient stable, reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The release also stated that the cost of raw materials for the production of one gram of rGO is estimated to be less than INR 700 (~$9.81). This is much lower than is currently commercially available. The ‘High-Performance Graphene-Based Super Capacitor’ project is supported and funded by the Technology Mission Division (Energy and Water), DST, under the Material for Energy Storage Program. The DST is supporting research on energy materials through a Materials for Energy Conservation and Storage Platform (MECSP) which supports research and development for the entire spectrum of energy conservation and storage technologies from early-stage research to technology breakthroughs in materials, systems, and scalable technologies to maximize resource use efficiency.

Scientists decode Indian cobra genome
Safe and effective antivenom is a major unmet social need in India and other parts of the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified snakebite as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Using a combination of cutting-edge genomic technologies, the experiment has identified 19 key toxin genes in the Cobra, primarily expressed in the venom glands. Scientists from SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF), India, along with a team of international collaborators from academia and industry have reported the sequencing and assembly of genome of Indian cobra (Naja naja). Currently, antivenom is produced through a cumbersome process and possesses varying efficacy and side effects. Targeting these 19 specific toxins using synthetic human antibodies will lead to a safe and effective antivenom for treating Indian cobra bites.

Preventions and Treatment of Infections using Next-Generation Wound Gel
Efforts have been made to discover new ways for treating infections and inflammation without using antibiotics. Researchers from Sweden have developed a new hydrogel based on the body's natural peptide defense. The gel can prevent and treat infections in wounds. And kills multi-resistant bacteria. The researchers have previously shown that the peptides in the gel can inactivate so-called lipopolysaccharides (LPS), that are found in cell walls of bacteria, which trigger an inflammatory reaction. The reaction is an essential part of the immune system as a response to fight bacteria. The gel lowers the inflammatory response within 24 hours of the treatment, and then further reduces the bacterial levels over a period of 3 to 4 days. It opens up a whole new type of treatment that uses nature's own principles by not only killing bacteria but also acting as an immune-modulator. A company in2cure AB is involved, in order to get the gel approved for clinical studies involving patients with burn injuries. They are working on developing new peptide-based drugs for infections in eyes and other internal organs.

New chemical approach for converting carbon dioxide to fuel
A new copper- and iron-based catalyst that uses light to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane, the primary component of natural gas has been developed by researchers at University of Michigan. With further improvement, the catalyst could help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The method uses GaN nanowires grown on top of a commercially available silicon wafer. They then used a standard technique called electro-deposition to add tiny 5 to 10-nanometer-wide particles consisting of a mix of copper and iron. Under light and in the presence of CO2 and water, the setup converts 51% of the energy in light into methane. The new catalyst has the highest ever combination of efficiency and output in converting CO2 to methane for a light-driven catalyst. In contrast to many other fuel-generating light absorbers and catalysts, all the components of the current approach are cheap, abundant, and already used in industry. The next steps will likely be to improve the efficiency and rate of methane production, both of which would make the current system operational at mass scale. Considering the potential of this new approach, it could offer society a way to use sunlight for making fue

DRDO’s Presence in “Pride of India-Science Expo-2020”
DRDO is the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence, with more than 52 laboratories and establishments mainly engaged in the development of weapon systems, platforms and equipment for the Armed Forces. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is participating in “Pride of India-Science Expo-2020” being held from 3-7 January at the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC). The event is organized at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. 31 DRDO laboratories with more than 150 exhibits and models are participating in the expo. Star attractions of outdoor exhibits at DRDO Pavilion include the Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM), Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile system (QRSAM), ASTRA Missile, Radars including Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR), ASLESHA and BHARANI, MINI-UGV Autonomous Surveillance Robot, Sentry Autonomous Surveillance Robot, etc. Indoor exhibits include models from each technology cluster of DRDO. Some of them are AEW&C, UAV Rustom-I and Tapas, Nirbhay Missile, Akash Missle System, Prithvi missile, Nag missile, HELINA, Maareech – Advanced Torpedo Defence System, Bukhari-the heating system, Ready-to-Eat Packaged Foods, Juices etc. It will be a landmark occasion for public at large to witness India’s Defence technology prowess.

Launch of I-STEM Portal
The Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) website was launched recently by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. It will help researchers from all over India to have access to scientific equipments from any university, college or laboratory, across the country. This One Nation-One Research Web Portal, will establish and promote collaborations among institutions and private laboratories, at national levels. The website has information on all the research and development (R&D) facilities present in institutions around the country. Scientists can log on to the web portal and use a map to find the specific facility they require. They can check availability of the equipment, make reservation for the equipment and pay for it through the online portal. The idea is to make the process as smooth and hassle-free for the researchers. All academic institutions, national research labs, and aided/affiliated institutions with R&D facilities funded by agencies of the GoI, will be listed on the I-STEM Portal. Currently, more than 17,000 equipment located at about 427 institutions across India have already been listed on the website. Through this initiative, institution will cut cost of buy expensive machines that are already present in other institutions; smaller academic universities will be relieved of huge financial pressure. This website will get rid of duplication of the equipment and will also ensure that they are being used to their full potential. The portal also has a panel of experts from various fields of science, engineering and technology, to guide and mentor researchers on their R&D projects.

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