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Newly discovered species of butterfly in Northern Ireland. Photo Courtesy: www.bigbutterflycount.org |
1 July 2011: In a path-breaking discovery, the chemical biology group at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala has identified three peptides (chain of proteins) from the skin of Indian Bronzed frog, known as Hylarana temporalis from the evergreen forests of Western Ghats region. The three peptides identified are 'brevinin-1 TEa', 'brevinin-2 TEa', 'brevinin-2-TEb' are powerful to kill innumerable microbes especially the multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria. The study report was published in the Journal of Peptide Science. Link: http://rgcb.res.in/
2 July 2011: Pakistan has become the world’s sixth country and the first Muslim nation to map the genome of the first Pakistani individual. The complete genome mapping was done jointly by the Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine & Drug Research (PCMD) at Karachi University and Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) in China. Eminent Pakistani chemist and former chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman was the first Muslim and Pakistani whose complete genome was mapped. The mapping of the entire genome took just10 months. Link: http://www.iccs.edu/pcmd/index.php
3 July 2011: Scientists have discovered that the Lesser Water Boatman, also known as Micronecta scholtzi makes the loudest sound relative to its body size than any other animal on earth .The insect can make noise as loud as 99.2 decibels. The noise is big as being close as 15 meters from a running freight train. The researchers at University of Strathclyde who made this discovery have presented their work at Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow. Link: http://www.strath.ac.uk/
4 July 2011: The Gemasolar Power Plant near Seville in southern Spain has completed the construction of the world’s first solar power plant capable of generating electricity all day and night. The plant is able to produce electricity all day and night due to the fact that it has 15 hours of energy storage to back it up, when cloudy and at night too. The plant consists of an incredible 2,650 panels spread across 185 hectares of rural land. This is a 19.9 MW plant that is expected to produce 110,000 MWh or 110 GWh per year. Link: http://www.torresolenergy.com/
5 July 2011: The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas recently hosted five undergraduate students from theIndian Institute of Science and Technology (IIST) in Thiravanathapuram, Kerala. The students were accepted as part of the 2011 Universities Space Research Association (USRA) undergraduate student research program. The program was made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USRA and IIST. The University of Texas at Arlington also participated in the program as a collaborative partner. Link: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/
6 July 2011: Conservation efforts to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction have been given a boost by the publication of their entire genetic sequence. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are small carnivorous marsupials, native to the Australian island state of Tasmania. The population is in dramatic decline due to a highly contagious cancer called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).Thirty scientists from Australia, Denmark and the USA collaborated on the study, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Link:http://www.pnas.org/
7 July 2011: China's monopoly over rare-earth metals could be challenged by the discovery of massive deposits in thick mud at great depths on the Pacific floor. Japanese geologists studied samples from 78 sites in the centre-eastern Pacific. China accounts for 97 per cent of the world's production of 17 rare-earth elements, which are essential for making a variety of products from computer screens to electric cars. The study is published in the journal Nature. Genetics.Link: http://www.nature.com/ng/index.html
8 July 2011:After 30 years, NASA's space shuttle programme finally drew to a close on today night with the successful launch of the space shuttle 'Atlantis'. Indian scientists have also contributed to the success of the space programme. Between April 29 and May 6, 1985, an Indian cosmic ray experiment, 'Anuradha', a joint venture of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, (TIFR), was carried on the space shuttle 'Challenger'. Link: http://www.nasa.gov/
9 July 2011: A team from the University of Liverpool, UK, have sequenced the genome of Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber) and the "first draft" of the genome available online for other researchers. The Naked Mole, native to the deserts of East Africa, can live over 30 years.The animals are resistant to many diseases, particularly cancer. So, the researchers believe that it is a first step to uncovering the mysteries longevity and resistance to diseases. Link: http://www.liv.ac.uk/
10 July 2011:Special interest magazine publisher Next Gen Publishing has announced the launch of Popular Science India, the ninth magazine from the group. The magazine will hit the stands in August, and will cost Rs 100. Next Gen is introducing Popular Science in the country, licensed from Bonnier Corporation, one of the largest consumer publishing groups in the US. Popular Science has been a leading source of science news all over the world, since its inception in 1872. Link: http://www.nextgenpublishing.in/
11 July 2011: With the help of a mural at the mosque of Madani in Srinagar, researchers claim to have found the “first firm record” of a supernova event, which occurred in the Indian subcontinent centuries ago.Researchers from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the University of Kashmir said the mural, depicted on a door arch in the mosque, shows the supernova as a dragon-head on the tail of the Sagittarius constellation. The finding is published in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten. Link: http://www.aip.de/AN/
12 July 2011: Neptune is celebrating its very first birthday today because exactly one Neptunian year — or 164.79 Earth years have passed since its discovery.Neptune was mathematically predicted before it was first telescopically observed on 24 September 1846. Astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle and his assistant Heinrich Louis d’Arrest located the planet. It was the first planet to have been discovered deliberately.Neptune’s only earthly visitor has been the Voyager 2 which flew past the planet in August 1989. Link: http://nineplanets.org/neptune.html
13 July 2011: The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium (PGSC), an international team of scientists from industry and academia in 14 countries, has published the potato genome sequence in the journal Nature. In late 2009, the PGSC released a preliminary sequence of the potato genome. The work is expected to help potato breeders to reduce the 10 to 12 years currently needed to breed new varieties and possibly will help prevent starvation in the developing countries. Link: http://www.potatogenome.net/
17 July 2011: Researchers at the University of Illinois may have discovered a new method of tracking tsunamis, which could potentially help current early-warning systems form a better picture of a destructive wave. According to the reserchers the undulations of water as the wave moved across the ocean caused atmospheric “gravity waves” that traveled up and caused the light phenomenon known as “airglow”. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters.Link:http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
19 July 2011: Russia's long-delayed Spektr-R radio telescope successfully launched July 18 aboard a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.Featuring a giant 30-foot (10-meter) wide antenna, the Spektr-R observatory is part of the international Radioastron astronomy project. Scientists from more than 20 nations, including the United States, are participating in the project. Spektr-R will permit interferometry measurements during the observatory's planned five years of operations. Link: http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/
20 July 2011: Today is the 189th birthday of Gregor Johann Mendel, hailed as the father of Genetics. He was born on July 20, 1822 in Heinzendorf, Austria (now in the Czech Pepublic). Mendel formulated the Laws of Heredity largely based on his experiments on Pea plants. He died at the age of 61 on January 6, 1884. It was only after his death,the importance of his works was realised. He is also credited as a master of experimental and statistical analysis. Link: http://www.mendelmuseum.muni.cz/en/
23 July 2011: Indian Broadcasting day is observed today. Though Radio Broadcasting started in India in the early 1920's, Central Government took over the transmission only in 1930 under the name, Indian Broadcasting Service. In 1936, it was changed to All India Radio (AIR). By 1957 it attained the name, Akashvani which is now brought under Prasar Bharti. However the National Public Service Broadcasting Day is 12th November. It was on this day Mahatma Gandhi first spoke on Radio addressing a refugee camp from Pakistan. Link: http://india.gov.in/knowindia/radio.php
24 July 2011: NASA astronomers have discovered a fourth satellite orbiting planet Pluto. The tiny, new satellite, temporarily designated P4, was uncovered in a survey using the Hubble space telescope, searching for rings around the planet. P4 was first seen in a photo taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 June 28. It was confirmed in subsequent Hubble pictures taken July 3 and July 18. It is the smallest moon discovered orbiting Pluto. It has an estimated diameter of 13 to 34 km. By comparison, Charon is Pluto's largest moon - is 1,043 km across. Link: http://hubblesite.org/
26 July 2011: NASA’s Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission has discovered a long-hidden companion of the Earth, the first Trojan asteroid circling the sun in the Earth’s orbit.Trojans are asteroids that share an orbit with a planet, locked in stable orbits by a gravitational balancing act between a planet and the Sun. Neptune, Mars and Jupiter are known to have Trojans. Two of Saturn’s moons share orbits with Trojans. Link: http://www.nasa.gov/
27 July 2011: A Chinese mini-submarine dove 5,057 metres today in the Pacific Ocean as it seeks to claim the title of deepest-diving submersible. It is a part of the "Jiaolong project" which began in 2002, as a part of a programme by China to explore the seabed for raw materials. The Jiaolong did not reach the 6,500 metre-depth, set by the Japanese Shinkai submersible in 1989, but its designer said it could eventually dive 7,000 metres. Link: http://www.nasa.gov/
28 July 2011: In recognition of outstanding contributions to the Ocean Science & Technology, the Ministry of Earth Sciences honours Dr. B.L. Deekshatulu with National Award in Ocean Science and Technology for the year 2011. Dr.B.L.Deekshatulu was instrumental in the formation of Marine Satellite Information Service (MARSIS) program, in 1992, of Department of Ocean Development (presently Ministry of Earth Sciences) and Department of Space. Link: http://dod.nic.in/
29 July 2011: A streak of light believed to be an UFO was caught on camera above Fort Worth, Texas by local television station KXAS at 5:40 a.m today. Watched on live television, the UFO zoomed down rapidly from the top of of the screen, appeared to stop when it hit land, and then exited to the right at approximately a 45 degree angle. Robert Kessler, Senior Systems Engineer at CSS, pointed out that the UFO could be a meteor. The Perseid, Delta Aquarid and Alpha Capricornid meteor showers are all active at the moment. Link: http://youtu.be/3UimdYBzKOU
30 July 2011: Researchers, led by an Indian origin scientist, have indicated that exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) is associated with increased risk of hearing loss among adolescents. Studies have associated exposure to second hand smoke prenatally or during childhood with various health conditions, from low birth weight and respiratory infections to behavioural problems. Children exposed to SHS are more likely to develop recurrent otitis media. The study has been published in The Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Link: http://archotol.ama-assn.org/
30 July 2011: Researchers, led by an Indian origin scientist, have indicated that exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) is associated with increased risk of hearing loss among adolescents. Studies have associated exposure to second hand smoke prenatally or during childhood with various health conditions, from low birth weight and respiratory infections to behavioural problems. Children exposed to SHS are more likely to develop recurrent otitis media. The study has been published in The Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Link: http://archotol.ama-assn.org/
31 July 2011: A research team from Seul National University (SNU) said the genetically modified female Beagle, named Tegon has been found to glow fluorescent green under ultraviolet light if given a doxycycline antibiotic. The dog was created using the Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer technology that the university team used to make the world's first cloned dog, Snuppy, in 2005. The latest discovery published in 'Genesis', an international journal, took four years of research with to make the dog and conduct the necessary verification tests. Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
