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Have you been harbouring the misimpression that the worst thing that could happen to you while commuting to work is getting stuck in rush hour traffic? As it turns out, being trapped in your car for the duration is even worse because you could be inadvertently breathing in <keyword id="21593992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer-causing-air" source="keywords">cancer-causing air</keyword>. This is a real bummer, considering rolling down your windows would mean inhaling polluted air most of the time. New research has found <keyword id="21589825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flame-retardants" source="keywords">flame retardants</keyword> in nearly all (99%) of the cars tested in the US. These chemicals, including tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). Why is this a problem? These chemicals are linked to cancer, <keyword id="21593994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neurological-problems" source="keywords">neurological problems</keyword>, and even lower IQ in children. In fact, even firefighters seem to have been raising concerns about flame retardants potentially contributing to their high cancer rates. And companies have been adding these potentially carcinogenic flame retardants to car seats and other materials, off-gassing harmful chemicals into the air you breathe. “Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant <keyword id="21593993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-issue" source="keywords">public health issue</keyword>. It’s particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults,” explains lead author Rebecca Hoehn, a scientist at <keyword id="20075490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Duke-University" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Duke University" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Duke University">Duke University</keyword>. Here's the kicker: exposure seems to be worse during hot weather. Car interiors can reach scorching temperatures, causing these flame retardants to break down and pollute the air you breathe. The good news? There's a safer way. California, US, for example, updated its flammability standards for furniture and baby products to eliminate flame retardants without compromising safety. This update actually led to a decrease in flame retardant levels in homes, proving there's a better path forward. While opening windows and parking in the shade can help, the real solution lies in urging <keyword id="19996197" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="car-manufacturers" source="keywords">car manufacturers</keyword> and safety regulators to update outdated standards. We shouldn't have to choose between fire safety and our health. “Commuting to work shouldn’t come with a cancer risk, and children shouldn’t breathe in chemicals that can harm their brains on their way to school,” says the study’s co-author Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. The findings of this study have been detailed in Environmental Science &amp; Technology and can be accessed <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c10440">here</a>.

Toxic chemicals in your car seats could be increasing risks of cancer, study warns

Researchers have developed eco-friendly paper straws that are 100 per cent <keyword id="763264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodegradable" source="Orion">biodegradable</keyword>, perform better than conventional paper straws, and can be easily mass-produced. The paper straws that are currently available are not entirely made of paper. Straws made with 100 per cent paper become too soggy when they come in contact with liquids and cannot function as straws. Accordingly, their surfaces have to be coated. The researchers from the <keyword id="14630643" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="korea-research-institute-of-chemical-technology" source="Orion">Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology</keyword> synthesised a well-known biodegradable plastic, polybutylene succinate (<keyword id="350257" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pbs" source="Orion">PBS</keyword>), by adding a small number of cellulose nanocrystals to create a coating material. The added cellulose nanocrystals are the same material as the main component of paper, and this allows the biodegradable plastic to firmly attach to the paper surface during the coating process. The new paper straws do not become soggy easily or cause bubble formation in carbonated drinks because the coating material uniformly and strongly covers the surface of the straws, the researchers said. Also, the coating material is made of paper and biodegradable plastic and therefore will decompose and degrade completely, they said. "Turning a plastic straw we often use into a paper straw will not immediately impact our environment, but the difference will be profound over time," said lead researcher Oh <keyword id="16366347" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dongyeop" source="Orion">Dongyeop</keyword>. "If we gradually change from using convenient disposable plastic products to various eco-friendly products, our future environment will be much safer than what we now worry about," Dongyeop said. The research, published in the journal <keyword id="3163966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advanced-science" source="Orion">Advanced Science</keyword>, found that these eco-friendly paper straws maintain their physical integrity in both cold drinks and hot drinks. The team also found that the straws did not become soggy when used to stir various beverages such as water, tea, carbonated drinks, milk, and other drinks containing lipids, or upon prolonged contact with liquids. The researchers compared the degree of sogginess of the new paper straws and conventional paper straws. The conventional paper straw was severely bent when a weight of approximately 25 grammes was suspended after the straw was dipped in cold water at 5 degrees Celsius for one minute, they said. In contrast, the new paper straw did not bend as much even when the weight was more than 50 grammes under the same conditions. The new straws decompose well, even in the ocean. In general, paper or plastic decomposes much more slowly in the ocean than in soil because of the ocean's low temperature and high salinity, which impede growth of microbes. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lok-sabha-adjourned-till-2-pm-amidst-opposition-protests-over-adani-issue/articleshow/97640511.cms">Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amidst opposition protests over Adani issue</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/world-producing-record-amount-of-single-use-plastic-waste-than-ever-minderoo-foundation-report/articleshow/97643240.cms">World producing record amount of single-use plastic waste than ever: Minderoo Foundation report</a>

Scientists from Korea develop completely biodegradable paper straws

<ul><li>The global market for lab grown diamonds (<keyword id="10733616" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lgd" source="Orion">LGD</keyword>) that the Indian government has decided to focus on is expected to rise to $5 billion by 2025.</li><li>Besides, the jewellery industry, LGD are used in computer chips, satellites and 5G networks.</li><li>The LGD has vast application in the field of defence, optics, jewellery, thermal and medical industry.</li></ul>Chennai, The global market for lab grown diamonds (LGD) that the Indian government has decided to focus on is expected to rise to $5 billion by 2025 and exceed $15 billion by 2023 from the $1 billion in 2020. Besides, the jewellery industry, LGD are used in computer chips, satellites and 5G networks as they can be used in extreme environments due to their potential to operate at higher speeds while using less power than silicon-based chips. The LGD has vast application in the field of defence, optics, jewellery, thermal and medical industry. As the government figures, exports of cut and polished (worked) LGD from India has been growing at fast clip. During FY21 the exports were $637.97 million and shot up to $1,348.24 million in FY22. This fiscal -- FY23 -- the exports of LGD between April-December stood at $1,387.33 million. Presenting the Budget 2023-24 in the Parliament recently, Indian Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, said: "The LGD is a technology and innovation-driven emerging sector with high employment potential." "These environment-friendly diamonds have optically and chemically the same properties as natural diamonds. To encourage indigenous production of LGD seeds and machines and to reduce import dependency, a research and development grant will be provided to one of the IITs for five years," she added. As per a recommendation made by the <keyword id="113018" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="department-of-commerce" source="Orion">Department of Commerce</keyword>, the research grant of Rs 242 crore over a period of five years to <keyword id="55119" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-institute-of-technology" source="Orion">Indian Institute of Technology</keyword>, Madras (IIT-M) has been approved. It is proposed to establish an India Centre for lab grown diamond (InCent-LGD) at IIT-M with the estimated cost of Rs 242.96 crore over five years. The aim of this project is to provide, in mission mode, technical assistance to the industries, and entrepreneurs in the country, in promoting indigenous manufacturing of both chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) systems along with the recipes for expanding the LGD business at the upstream end. Research efforts would make the technology available for start-ups at affordable cost, increase employment opportunities, increase exports of LGD, thus play a significant role in fuelling India's economic growth. According to the Indian government, the gems and jewellery sector plays a significant role in the Indian economy, contributing around nine per cent to India's total merchandise export. Over the past decade, there has been several positive developments in the gem and jewellery sector globally. One of the major technological developments in this sector has been the LGD. Though, India is one of the leading producers of LGD using CVD technology it has to depend on other countries for the supply of critical machinery components and 'seeds' -- which are the raw material for producing synthetic diamonds. It is, therefore, imperative that India develops its own, indigenous technology for producing the critical machinery component seeds to remove the import dependence that we have in the case of natural diamonds, the government said. Good quality LGD with qualified certification, produced from the developed equipment and process parameters will attract many foreign customers increasing the export volume of LGD and scalability of production. The documented process parameters and the developed recipe will encourage new entrepreneurs to enter the LGD business making it easier and cost-effective to set up the facility, start the business and generate employment. "This is indeed the right time to set up a diamond factory in India, given that diamonds have thermal and electrical properties making them superior to contemporary technologies like silicon, <keyword id="1437475" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="silicon-carbide" source="Orion">silicon carbide</keyword> and gallium nitride. IIT-Madras will work towards producing diamond wafers suitable for electronic applications," V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M, had said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-chrome-rolls-out-memory-and-energy-saver-modes-heres-how-you-can-use-it/articleshow/98118135.cms">Google Chrome rolls out Memory and Energy Saver modes: Here’s how you can use it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/oneplus-11-concept-video-reveals-a-large-camera-and-a-rear-panel-that-lights-up/articleshow/98112845.cms">OnePlus 11 Concept video reveals a large camera and a rear panel that lights up</a>

Not just jewellery, lab grown diamonds used in satellites, computer chips too

The <keyword id="55119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Institute-of-Technology" source="Orion">Indian Institute of Technology</keyword>, Madras (IIT-M) will receive ₹242 crore as research grant for research and development of <keyword id="8933855" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lab-grown-diamonds" source="Orion">lab grown diamonds</keyword> (LGDs), the institute said on Thursday. The research will be focused on driving indigenisation of the LGD manufacturing process. Presenting the Budget 2023-24 in the Parliament on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said: "The LGD is a technology and innovation-driven emerging sector with high employment potential." "These environment-friendly diamonds have optically and chemically the same properties as natural diamonds. To encourage indigenous production of LGD seeds and machines and to reduce import dependency, a research and development grant will be provided to one of the IITs for five years," the Finance Minister added. As per a recommendation made by the Department of Commerce, the research grant of Rs 242 crore over a period of five years to IIT-M has been approved, the statement said. "This is indeed the right time to set up a diamond factory in India, given that diamonds have thermal and electrical properties making them superior to contemporary technologies like silicon, silicon carbide and gallium nitride. IIT-Madras will work towards producing diamond wafers suitable for electronic applications," Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M, said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/budget-to-aid-flagging-affordable-home-segment-boosts-demand-with-infra-push/articleshow/97556770.cms">Budget to aid flagging affordable home segment, boosts demand with infra push</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/credit-cards-personal-loans-more-indias-youngest-adults-lead-in-credit-inquiries/articleshow/97553940.cms">Credit cards, personal loans &amp; more – India’s youngest adults lead in credit inquiries</a>

IIT Madras to get ₹242 crore for R&D on lab grown diamonds

Biotechnology major Bharat Biotechs BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) facilities will play a pivotal role in empowering the company's plans to ramp-up production of India's first indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine. Accordingly, the biotechnology major plans to produce 700 million doses of <keyword id="9485939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="covaxin">Covaxin</keyword> per annum. The vaccine is regarded as one of the safest in the world and highly efficient against the UK, SA, Brazilian and the new Indian double mutant strain of Covid-19 virus. In a conversation with IANS, Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of <keyword id="149108" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Biotech">Bharat Biotech</keyword> International said the capacity expansion process has been initiated across multiple facilities since early 2021. Presently, the company manufactures 20 million doses per month of Covaxin which are supplied to the <keyword id="210071" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health">Ministry of Health</keyword> for the national vaccine rollout. "Manufacturing scale up has been carried out in a stepwise manner across multiple facilities at Hyderabad, and Bangalore," he said. "Inactivated vaccines, while highly safe, are extremely complex and expensive to manufacture, resulting in lower yields when compared to live virus vaccines." Notably, Bharat Biotech is able to expand Covaxin manufacturing capacity mainly due to the availability of four new specially designed BSL-3 facilities. In industry parlance, a BSL-3 facility is equipped to safely handle infectious biological pathogens in the highest stringent environmentally controlled manufacturing facility. At present, the company has four facilities BSL-3 facilities two in Hyderabad and two in Bengaluru. "These facilities have been repurposed due to a strong pre-existing expertise in development of <keyword id="11129299" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="viral-vaccines">viral vaccines</keyword> and know-how applied to manufacture, test and release the highly purified inactivated viral vaccine." The company has recently entered into a 'Master Collaborative Agreement' (<keyword id="6355225" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mca">MCA</keyword>) with <keyword id="1906647" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CSIR-Indian-Institute-of-Chemical-Technology">CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology</keyword> (CSIR-IICT), to collaborate on the development of novel platform technologies in developing a synthetic process route for adjuvant molecule 'TLR 7/8' for Covaxin. Bharat Biotech uses a proprietary adjuvant Algel-IMDG, that has now proven to be a safe and effective adjuvant, especially to stimulate memory T cell responses. The synthesis and manufacture of the <keyword id="11174611" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="imdg">IMDG</keyword> component has been successfully indigenised and will be manufactured at commercial scale within the country. This is the first instance where a novel adjuvant has been commercialised in India. Besides, the company has secured long term components, packing materials and single use consumables supplies for the manufacturing ramp-up To further increase bulk capacity Bharat Biotech has entered into agreements with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for Covaxin. "The technology transfer process is well underway and IIL has adequate capabilities to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale and under required 'GMP' standard." "We are also looking forward to getting into manufacturing partnerships in other countries." Currently, Covaxin has received 'Emergency Use Authorizations' in several countries across the globe with another 60 in process. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-vaccine-india-needs-a-separate-queue-for-second-dose/articleshow/82304003.cms">India may end up wasting millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses if there is no separate queue for second shots</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/if-you-have-just-recovered-from-covid-19-experts-say-you-dont-need-to-join-in-on-the-rush-for-vaccination-immediately/articleshow/82302460.cms">If you have just recovered from COVID-19, experts say you don't need to join in on the rush for vaccination immediately</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/atlassian-says-its-employees-only-need-to-come-into-the-office-4-times-a-year-under-its-new-team-anywhere-policy/articleshow/82304516.cms">Atlassian says its employees only need to come into the office 4 times a year under its new 'Team Anywhere' policy</a>

Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 aims to produce 700 million doses of Covaxin per annum

<ul><li>The ranking is done in six categories.</li><li>In the first category, IISc Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur have bagged the fourth and fifth ranks respectively. Seven IITs have figured in the top 10 list under the category. </li><li><keyword id="6398497" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Institute-of-Chemical-Technology">Institute of Chemical Technology</keyword>, Maharashtra, has been ranked at the top among state-funded universities, followed by <keyword id="49466" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Panjab-University">Panjab University</keyword> and Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. </li><li>Among state-funded autonomous institutes, College of Engineering, Pune, has bagged first rank followed by PES College of Engineering, Karnataka and Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu. </li></ul> Madras, Bombay and Delhi IITs have bagged the top three positions among centrally-funded institutes of national importance in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovations Achievements (ARIIA), announced on Tuesday. ARIIA is an initiative of the Ministry of Education to systematically rank higher education institutions and universities on indicators related to innovation. The ranking is done in six categories -- centrally-funded institutes of national importance, state-funded universities, state-funded autonomous institutions, deemed universities, private institutions, and women only higher educational institutions. In the first category, IISc Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur have bagged the fourth and fifth ranks respectively. Seven IITs have figured in the top 10 list under the category. Institute of Chemical Technology, Maharashtra, has been ranked at the top among state-funded universities, followed by Panjab University and Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. Among state-funded autonomous institutes, College of Engineering, Pune, has bagged first rank followed by PES College of Engineering, Karnataka and Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu. Kalinga <keyword id="9780158" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="institute-of-industrial-technology">Institute of Industrial Technology</keyword>, Odisha has been ranked at the top among private universities, followed by SRM Institute of Science and Technology and Vellore Institute of Technology, both in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at the occasion, Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' mentioned that the ranking is named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Under his leadership, India took many leaps in the field of Innovation. ARIIA gives us a reflection of our efforts and provides us with a reason to celebrate our achievements. A National Research Foundation (NRF) will be set up for invigorating innovation and research under recently released Nation Education Policy (NEP)," he said. The minister said this year, the category of women only higher educational institutions was introduced to encourage women and bringing gender parity in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women bagged the top prize in the category. Releasing the ranking, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said, "Innovation has always been key defining feature of human progress. India has its own illustrious history of innovations spanning at least 20 centuries right from the invention of 'zero' and the decimal system. India was known as the 'vishwa guru'. We must regain that intellectual leadership, we must again emerge as a global hub of learning and innovation." "We have highly talented youths brimming with new ideas, with a passion for implementation and willingness to forge a new path. The youth will define our country's future. They need encouragement, facilitation and recognition, they must be given needed guidance and freedom to explore new frontiers," Naidu added.

IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are the top three centrally-funded institutes

<ul><li>As many as 70 laboratories and institutions in the country are facing talent shortage as 2,896 scientist posts lie vacant. </li><li>Defence Research &amp; Development Organisation (DRDO) is also hiring for 40 vacancies. </li><li>The government’s budgetary allocation included nearly ₹50 billion for CSIR, ₹3 billion up from last year. </li><li><keyword id="446083" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Food-Technological-Research-Institute">Central Food technological Research Institute</keyword> (CSIR) Mysuru has 111 vacancies while <keyword id="64040" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Chemical-Laboratory">National Chemical Laboratory</keyword> Pune is filling 123 scientist positions.</li></ul>India is facing a serious dearth of scientists. As many as 70 laboratories and institutions in the country are facing talent shortage as many as <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/2900-scientist-positions-lying-vacant-says-minister/article28423428.ece">2,896 scientist posts lie vacant</a>, reveals the Ministry of Science &amp; Technology. And many such organizations are on a recruitment drive. The Council for Scientific &amp; Industrial Research (CSIR) has come up with a recruitment plan to fill as many vacant positions as possible. “Filling it at a go would mean a similar shortfall after, say 20 years. What we’re doing instead is following a formula that accounts for existing vacancies, the number of scientists who will retire. So we’ll fill these vacancies over time,” Shekhar Mande, Director-General, CSIR told The Hindu. These positions include over 100 vacancies each in National Institute of Oceanography Goa, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad(102), National Chemical Laboratory Pune(123), Fourth Paradigm Institute Bengaluru, and Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru (111), Financial Express <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs/2896-scientist-posts-lying-vacant-in-70-institutes-govt/1642417/">reported</a> citing Harsh Vardhan, Science and Technology Minister. Defence Research &amp; Development Organisation (DRDO) is also<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/jobs/drdo-recruitment-2019-for-engineer-drdo-scientist-recruitment-40-vacancies-rac-gov-in-how-to-apply-online-eligibility-criteria-all-you-need-to-know-119070900559_1.html"> looking to hire 40 vacancies</a>. The recruitment drive will be conducted by Recruitment and Assessment Centre (RAC) The Indian government, on its part, stepped up its efforts to address the challenges. “As and when a vacancy arises, the concerned laboratory/institute initiates steps to fill it up in accordance with the extant rules,” the ministry noted. The government allocated as much as ₹50 billion for CSIR, which is higher by ₹3 billion as compared to last year. The government introduced a fellowship program Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) to attract people towards science and research. It also encourages female innovators by accelerating <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-wants-to-dramatically-speed-up-the-processing-time-of-patent-applications-filed-by-women/articleshow/67123051.cms">patent filing process</a>, to boost women in science. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/iit-students-choose-ai-over-computer-science/articleshow/70024844.cms">IIT students are choosing AI over computer science as job prospects change</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/automation-will-create-2-million-jobs-in-indian-farms/articleshow/70126264.cms">Drone operators and satellite map experts are some of the 2 million jobs in Indian farms that automation will open up</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/looking-for-a-job-heres-why-data-analytics-should-be-on-the-top-of-your-list/articleshow/67649196.cms">Here’s why it might be the best time to opt for a career in data analytics</a>

DRDO and MoST are looking to hire as many as 2,900 scientists

Scientists at NASA's <keyword id="12756716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Perseverance-Mars-rover-mission" source="Orion">Perseverance Mars rover mission</keyword> have discovered that rocks in the <keyword id="4183780" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jezero" source="Orion">Jezero</keyword> Crater on the Red Planet have interacted with water multiple times over the eons and that some contain organic molecules. The team discovered the organic compounds on the 45 kilometres Jezero, which hosted a big lake and a river delta in the ancient past, using the <keyword id="10842370" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SHERLOC" source="Orion">SHERLOC</keyword> (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument. They found carbon-containing molecules not only in the interiors of abraded rocks that SHERLOC analysed, but also in the dust on non-abraded rock. However, in a statement the scientist said finding of organics "is not a confirmation that life once existed in Jezero and left telltale signs (biosignatures). There are both biological and non-biological mechanisms that create organics". Curiosity rover has also discovered organics at its landing site within Gale Crater. At the same time, the preservation of organics inside ancient rocks -- regardless of origin -- at both Gale and Jezero Craters does hint that potential biosignatures (signs of life, whether past or present) could be preserved, too, the scientists said. "This is a question that may not be solved until the samples are returned to Earth, but the preservation of organics is very exciting," said Luther Beegle, SHERLOC principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in the statement. "When these samples are returned to Earth, they will be a source of scientific inquiry and discovery for many years," Beegle added. The findings were presented at the recently-held American Geophysical Union fall science meeting in New Orleans. <keyword id="30862" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="perseverance" source="Orion">Perseverance</keyword> has been collecting Martian rock samples in search of ancient microscopic life. Of Perseverance's 43 sample tubes, six have been sealed to date -- four with rock cores, one with Martian atmosphere, and one that contained "witness" material to observe any contamination the rover might have brought from Earth. Mars Sample Return seeks to bring select tubes back to Earth, where generations of scientists will be able to study them with powerful lab equipment far too large to send to Mars. Meanwhile, the scientists also discovered that the Jezero Crater on the Red Planet where the six-wheeled explorer has been driving on since landing in February has organic is likely formed from red-hot magma. Using PIXL instrument, short for <keyword id="12756717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="planetary-instrument-for-x-ray-lithochemistry" source="Orion">Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry</keyword>, scientists had a "good look at the abraded patch of a rock from the area nicknamed 'South Seitah'". The "texture indicates the rock formed when crystals grew and settled in a slowly cooling magma -- for example a thick lava flow, lava lake, or magma chamber", said Ken Farley, Perseverance Project Scientist from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, in the statement. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/constant-fii-selling-since-october-bleeds-indian-markets/articleshow/88339477.cms">Constant FII selling since October bleeds Indian markets; IndusInd Bank, Tata Motors, ONGC top losers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/netflix-vs-disney-plus-hotstar-plans-compared/articleshow/88339217.cms">Netflix vs Disney+ Hotstar: Subscription plans compared</a>

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers organic chemicals on Mars

<ul><li>The Times Higher Education (THE) released its latest rankings of institutions in emerging economies. </li><li>China dominates the rankings this year with <keyword id="167708" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tsinghua-University">Tsinghua University</keyword>, Peking University and Zhejiang University in the top three, but Saudi Arabia and South Africa have the highest average scores. </li><li>Of the total 56 participating universities, the rankings feature 11 Indian universities in the top 100 — marking the highest representation since 2015. </li></ul>Times Higher Education (THE) has released its latest rankings of institutions in emerging economies. While China dominates the rankings this year with Tsinghua University, Peking University and Zhejiang University in the top three, Saudi Arabia and South Africa appears to be improving at a good pace with the highest average scores. <div type="twitter" handle="THEworldunirank" handlename="World Uni Rankings" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/603886703087120385/fe3KmFBW_normal.jpg" favoritecount="8" retweetcount="10" status="We've published our Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020, which are led by @Tsinghua_Uni for the second co… https://t.co/RSKP7TP1os" createdat="1582041600000" id="1229797722661801989"></div>

 Of the total 56 participating universities, the rankings feature 11 Indian universities in the top 100 — marking its highest representation since 2015. This includes the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT). However, the surprise entrant was Coimbatore’s <keyword id="784119" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amrita-Vishwa-Vidyapeetham">Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham</keyword>, which also featured in the Eminence scheme of the Human Resource &amp; Development ministry. It entered the top 100 for the very first time — crawling up 51 spots from last year. “There has long been a debate on the success of Indian universities in world rankings, and for too long they have been seen as underperforming on the global stage. <keyword id="8798947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-emerging-economies-university-rankings-2020">The Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020</keyword> suggests that real progress is being made by a number of institutions in a number of metrics across our robust methodology, and could mark an exciting turning point for Indian higher education, enabled in part by the Institutes of Eminence scheme,” said Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer, THE. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Indian Universities </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">THE Rankings 2020 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IISc Bengaluru </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Kharagpur </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">32 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Bombay </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">34 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">38 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Roorkee </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">58 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Indore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">61 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Madras </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">63 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Ropar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">63 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Institute of Chemical Technology </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">73 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIT Kanpur </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">77 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">90 </td></tr></tbody></table> IISc ranks 16th among the global universities, dropping two places from last year. This is followed by IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bombay at the 32nd and 34th positions respectively. The Indian institutions in the list are IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, IIT Indore, IIT Madras, IIT Ropar and IIT Kanpur. Saudi Arabia’s growth came despite it being a new entrant in the rankings after it gained the status of ‘secondary emerging’ last year. India also falls in the category of secondary emerging economies. The Emerging Economies University Rankings features institutions from countries categorised as ‘advanced emerging,’ ‘secondary emerging’ or ‘frontier’ by the London Stock Exchange’s FTSE group, which manages the indices of shares. The rankings are based on 13 performance indicators including faculty, research and citations, industry income and international outlook. As many as 533 universities across 47 countries featured on the list. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/only-six-indian-institutes-featured-in-top-500-on-the-world-university-rankings/articleshow/71095268.cms">Only six Indian institutes featured in top 500 global university rankings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/none-of-the-indias-top-iits-feature-in-the-list-of-top-30-asian-universities/articleshow/72272888.cms">None of the India’s top IITs feature in the list of top 30 Asian universities</a>

IITs, IISc and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham among the 11 universities in THE Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers at the <keyword id="50375" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Massachusetts-Institute-of-Technology">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</keyword> aren't only looking at the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>, SARS-CoV-2, through a microscope, they are hearing it in musical form.</li><li>Markus Buehler, material scientist and professor of engineering at MIT, described to Business Insider how he and his lab translated the structure of the coronavirus protein into a musical composition.</li><li>Not only is it a new perspective into observing the virus, but Buehler said future applications of this data could help design antibodies that could counteract human infection with the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</li></ul>Amid an unprecedented pandemic, researchers have been rushing to understand the novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness known as COVID-19.While some are taking the traditional route of visually looking at the virus, dubbed SARS-CoV-2, under a microscope, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using another sense to study the coronavirus: hearing.Markus Buehler, a material scientist and professor of engineering at MIT, told Business Insider that his lab, which specializes in the study of biological materials, had taken the approach of sonification — the process of conveying data in audio format — to protein materials, namely SARS-CoV-2."When we go to the nano scale, we're actually looking at, basically, the atoms at the scale of individual molecules," Buehler said. "We realized that matter is always moving and vibrating because every atom is continuously shaking, so because of that, we can make any chemical structure into a sound."<h2>His lab had previously applied sonification to materials like spiderweb silk and organ cells and soon became interested in creating a musical representation of the coronavirus protein.</h2>Using machine learning and AI technology, Buehler said he and his team were able to "calculate the vibrational spectrum and make that audible," thus creating overlapping "melodies" that would ultimately create a composition or audible representation of the protein."When we translate the protein into sound and music, we basically follow the sequence by which these proteins are constructed — you can imagine this being a piano with 20 keys," Buehler said. "Each key has a unique sound, but this sound isn't a sound that comes from a string or a drum membrane or a trumpet."<div type="image" title="coronavirus" height="868" width="1157" msid="75910881" hostid="261"></div>"It's a sound that actually comes from the real vibrations off of chemical building blocks," he continued.Apart from being a new approach to observing the virus, Buehler told Business Insider that he believes there is a scientific application that could bring us closer to a solution to the pandemic."It has a real scientific application because once we have a description of matter and sound, ... these can be set into an artificial neural network," he said. "We can listen to it as humans, and begin to understand how proteins sound like and how mutations sound like."Buehler added that it is easier to hear abnormalities in the structure of a protein rather than scrutinizing data and looking at it under a microscope at the nano-level."It's ... incredible to hear the kind of structures in there that you don't really see," he said. "If you just look at the letters, you don't see it. But if you listen to it, you can hear incredible detail in there."<h2>Looking to the future, Buehler said the sonification research could potentially be used to design a protein that can counteract the coronavirus. </h2>"In the case of coronavirus, we were interested in developing antibiotic candidates," Buehler said. "So we're feeding the information about how the spike protein is built, and we're trying to ask the artificial neural network to design a protein that fits like a lock-and-key into the spike protein, so the spike protein can no longer meet or match the human cell during the infection, but we'd rather bind into the antibody."Hannah Davis, a programmer who works with data sonification as well and was not part of Beuhler's research, worked on an algorithm transposing literature into music. She told Business Insider that she thought Buehler and his lab were able to decide on pleasant notes to map different parts of data, but what is interesting to her is the functional purpose of their study.<div type="image" title="coronavirus testing lab" height="2814" width="5628" msid="75910884" hostid="261"></div>"What's particularly interesting about this use case, to me, is less the music and more the functional sonification component — that they're using it to find a particular deviation in the pattern," she wrote in an email to Business Insider. "To do that they'll have to train their ears to learn the 'legend' of the sonification — to know what 'sounds normal' versus what might be worth paying better attention to.""It's a way to almost subconsciously pick up on deviations from the data after listening to enough of it, she continued. "I'm not sure it's necessarily a path to a cure, but it's a very interesting reason to use sonification, and I'll be curious to see what comes of it!"Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/listen-mit-researchers-translate-structure-of-coronavirus-protein-into-music-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

MIT researchers translated the coronavirus into music offering a new perspective for studying the virus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers tested 231 <keyword id="29496" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Makeup">makeup</keyword> products for indicators of potentially toxic <keyword id="25943" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="chemicals">chemicals</keyword> called <keyword id="3555706" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfas">PFAS</keyword>.</li><li>PFAS exposure has been linked to an increased risk of <keyword id="6355291" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cancer">cancer</keyword> and other <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> problems.</li><li>Most waterproof mascara, liquid lipsticks, and foundation tested had indicators of the chemicals.</li></ul>A study of popular makeup products found most waterproof mascara, liquid lipsticks, and foundations tested had indicators of cancer-linked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-avoid-pfas-in-water-and-food-2019-8">"forever chemicals"</a> - and most were not labeled as such.Researchers tested 231 cosmetic products from stores and brands across the US and Canada. About half of them had high fluorine levels, which is how scientists spot the presence of potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS.Thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exist, but only a small portion of them have been tested for toxicity. All PFAS are human-made and slow to break down in the environment and the body."Because they don't break down, they can build up in water and food, they can stay in our bodies, and they can cause health effects," Thomas Bruton, an author of the study and senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute, told Insider. The study was published today in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00240">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>.Exposure to the two most <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remove-pfas-forever-chemicals-from-contaminated-water-2020-1">well-studied PFAS</a>, called PFOA and PFOS, has been linked to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas">increased risk of some cancers</a>, low birth weight, and problems with the thyroid and immune system.<h2>Waterproof and long-lasting makeup were most likely to contain PFAS</h2>The researchers set out to screen for PFAS in makeup to get a better understanding of how the chemicals get into our bodies, as well as our wastewater.They found that more than three-quarters of waterproof mascara, nearly two-thirds of foundations and liquid lipsticks, and more than half of eye and lip products had high fluorine levels, suggesting the <a href="https://www.insider.com/some-sparkling-water-brands-contain-risky-pfas-chemicals-report-2020-9">presence of PFAS</a>."That makes sense to us because some of those products tend to be marketed as waterproof or long-lasting," Bruton told Insider. "These are the type of properties that it makes sense PFAS might be used for."The team selected 29 products with high fluorine levels to be analyzed further, and they were all found to contain at least four PFAS of concern.<h2>Most products did not list PFAS on the label</h2>Although lipstick-wearers may eat several pounds of lipstick in their lifetimes, makeup products are relatively unregulated compared to the food and drug industries, Graham Peaslee, senior author of the study, said in a press release. Nearly 90% of the products with high fluorine levels - including the 29 confirmed to contain PFAS - did not list PFAS on the ingredients label.Since there's not much people can do to avoid <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfas-bottled-water-whole-foods-cvs-2019-7">unlabeled PFAS</a>, the study authors are calling for the government to step up.Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and others introduced the No PFAS in <keyword id="16218" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cosmetics">Cosmetics</keyword> Act today to ban PFAS in makeup and personal care products. Rep. Debbie Dingell plans to introduce the same bill in the House."The fact that about half of the products that we tested didn't have high levels of fluorine and don't seem to have PFAS indicates to us that it's possible to make cosmetics without these chemicals, so it shouldn't be too hard to stop using them," Bruton said.

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