New Delhi: A potent combination of sweltering summer and acute coal shortages have triggered blackouts across many parts of the country as states struggle to manage the record demand for electricity and low feedstock at power plants.From Jammu and Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh, consumers are facing power cuts ranging from two hours to eight hours.Factories are the worst hit as the industrial sector is the first port of call for regulating electricity supplies.After the hottest March on record, a large part of the country continue to experience extreme heat in April, sending power demand to an all-time high.The total electricity shortage in the country has hit 623 million units, surpassing the total shortage in March. At the heart of the crisis are low inventories of coal -- the fossil fuel that produces 70 per cent of India's electricity. While the government insists that there is enough coal available to meet the demand, the reduced availability of railway rakes to transport coal has led to coal inventories being at the lowest pre-summer levels in at least nine years. Also, with international energy prices shooting up following the war in Ukraine, coal imports have dipped.Besides measures to increase coal supplies to power plants, the Union government has asked states to step up coal imports for the next three years to build up inventories.Thermal plants across the country are grappling with coal shortages, indicating a looming power crisis in the country, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said.Peak power demand met or the highest supply in a day was 200.65 GW on April 27 while peak power shortage was 10.29 GW. (Contd On Page 2)

A potent combination of sweltering summer and acute coal shortages have triggered blackouts across many parts of the country as states struggle to manage the record demand for electricity and low feedstock at power plants.  From Jammu and Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh, consumers are facing power cuts ranging from two hours to eight hours.

Acute Coal Shortage Triggers Blackouts In Many States

A potent combination of sweltering summer and acute coal shortages have triggered blackouts across many parts of the country as states struggle to manage the record demand for electricity and low feedstock at power plants.
From Jammu and Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh, consumers are facing power cuts ranging from two hours to eight hours.




New Delhi (The Hawk): Shri. R.K. Singh, Union Minister of Power &amp; NRE reviewed the status of import of coal for blending in the thermal power plants with the States today.&nbsp;Secretary (Power) Shri Alok Kumar, Senior officials of the State Governments, and Gencos were present in the meeting held virtually.&nbsp;The Minister highlighted the importance of importing coal for blending in the thermal power plants, in view of the constraints in domestic coal supply to meet the increased demand. The states were advised to place orders for importing of coal for blending purpose so that the additional coal reaches power plants from the month of May 2022 itself. Hon'ble Minister stated that the domestic coal would be supplied to all GENCOS in proportion to the coal received from coal companies.&nbsp;He further advised the States to increase the output from the captive mines to meet their coal requirements which will help in reducing the burden on the linkage coal.&nbsp;He emphasized that States need to take actions to ensure coal supply to their power plants by ensuring off-take in the Rail-cum-Road (RCR) mode to meet the shortfall in coal requirement at their power plants and stated that in the event of States not lifting the RCR coal it would be de-allocated and offered to other States and the concerned States would be responsible for any shortages and consequent power-shortages in their States.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As per the data presented by CEA in the meeting, it was noted that the States of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have placed orders for the import of coal, while Punjab and Gujarat are in the advanced stage of finalisation of the tenders ; and the other States need to put extra efforts to import the coal for blending at their power plants in time.&nbsp;The States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh are in the process of issuing the tenders; and Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have not yet issued tender or taken any significant actions for the import of coal and were advised to take necessary actions to ensure coal supply to their power plants.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Status of RCR was also deliberated upon and it was seen that the progress of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on lifting the allotted coal was not satisfactory. These states were advised to expedite lifting this coal, failing which this RCR coal would be allocated to other GENCOS which need it.

 Shri. R.K. Singh, Union Minister of Power & NRE reviewed the status of import of coal for blending in the thermal power plants with the States today. Secretary (Power) Shri Alok Kumar, Senior officials of the State Governments, and Gencos were present in the meeting held virtually.

 R K Singh Reviews Status of Import of Coal for Blending In Thermal Power Plants With The States

New Delhi (The Hawk): As a step towards Government of India’s efforts to promote renewable energy thereby moving towards a carbon neutral economy, under the guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated a proposal to install Solar Energy Panels in the campuses of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and National Security Guard (NSG). Accordingly, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on May 6th, between Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) in New Delhi, in the presence of Union Home Secretary and Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. This Umbrella MoU envisages collaboration between the two parties for jointly undertaking installation of Solar Rooftop PV Power Plants.&nbsp;On the basis of available data, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has estimated the total solar power potential of 71.68 Megawatts in the campuses of CAPFs &amp; NSG. SECI having expertise in the field of solar power projects, will either directly or through an agency or agencies selected through a competitive bidding process, support the MHA in implementing rooftop solar PV power plants.

As a step towards Government of India’s efforts to promote renewable energy thereby moving towards a carbon neutral economy, under the guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated a proposal to install Solar Energy Panels in the campuses of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and National Security Guard (NSG).

MHA and SECI sign MoU to realize India’s green energy initiative

New Delhi: The top brass of the Election Commission on Sunday planted saplings to mark Environment Day.Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey along with Secretary General Umesh Sinha, Director General Dharmendra Sharma and other officers of the EC planted saplings at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) premises.IIIDEM is the training arm of EC.A booklet was unveiled and an exhibition inaugurated on various eco-friendly initiatives taken by the poll panel and chief electoral officers in the states during elections.Addressing the occasion, Election Commissioner Pandey said 'reduce, reuse and recycle' is an integral motto of the EC's approach for environmentally sound election management practices, an EC statement said.The EC had recently directed all its state CEOs to ensure compliance to plastic and solid waste management rules as notified by the government.The teams have also been asked to take due care to ensure that publicity material like flex, pamphlets and bags should be in accordance with the government's guidelines and avoid single use plastic.—PTI

The top brass of the Election Commission on Sunday planted saplings to mark Environment Day.

EC top brass plants saplings to mark Environment Day

New Delhi: Union Power Minister, RK Singh on Tuesday, said that the nation is now power surplus in comparison to what it was in 2014, adding that the country can transfer 1.12 lakh Megawatt (MW) of power from one corner of the country to another. Addressing a press conference, the union minister highlighted that the ministry overcame a deficit of 13 to 15 per cent. "We constructed 2,900 new substations, upgraded 3,800 substations and added 7.5 lakh new transformers. We achieved the target of having 40 per cent of our established power generation capacity from non-fossil fuels in November 2021," said Mr Singh.In order to further accelerate the ambitious renewable energy programmes, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and green energy for all, Green Open Access Rules, 2022 were notified on June 6. As per the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, "These rules are notified for promoting generation, purchase and consumption of green energy including the energy from Waste-to-Energy plants. The notified Rules enable simplified procedure for the open access to green power. It will enable faster approval of Green OA, Uniform Banking, Voluntary purchase of RE power by commercial and industrial consumers, the applicability of OA charges etc." Ministry said The Ministry further said Commercial and Industrial consumers are allowed to purchase green power on a voluntary basis. Captive Consumers can take power under Green Open Access with no minimum limit. Discom Consumers can demand-supply of Green power to them.—ANI

Union Power Minister, RK Singh on Tuesday, said that the nation is now power surplus in comparison to what it was in 2014, adding that the country can transfer 1.12 lakh Megawatt (MW) of power from one corner of the country to another.

India now power surplus in comparison to 2014: Union Minister

New Delhi:&nbsp;The Ministry of Power has asked states to formulate time-bound plans to ensure the utilisation of biomass for co-firing in thermal power plants ahead of the Kharif harvest season to reduce stubble burning and air pollution.To address the issue of air pollution and to reduce the carbon footprint of thermal power generation, the Ministry of Power issued a revised policy in October last year for the use of agro residue-based biomass and mandated the use of five to seven per cent of biomass co-fired along with the coal for all thermal power plants.Farm stubble burning plays a major role in air pollution across the country.A senior official told PTI that the power ministry had written a letter to all states and union territories to draft time-bound implementation plans to ensure the utilization of biomass to co-fire it with coal in their thermal power plants and in IPPs (independent power plants) from where power is being procured by states.In the letter, the ministry further urged all states/UTs to take up the matter with their SERCs (state electricity regulatory commissions) for inclusion of biomass utilization in respective Tariff Regulations.This assumes significance because the air pollution level rises after the Kharif harvest season in autumn and winters. The stubble burning by farmers contributes to pollution to a great extent.In the letter, the ministry has highlighted that in the current context of the supply of coal to power plants, the significance of co-firing of biomass has increased considerably.It has underlined the economic perspective added to biomass (available at a lower price) owing to the rising prices of imported coal.It has emphasized that co-firing of biomass pellets is not only environment-friendly but also an economical option for power utilities as compared to the blending of imported coal.The ministry has said that full policy and regulatory support needs to be provided to this initiative.Ministry of Power (MOP) set up a National Mission on the use of Biomass in thermal power plants in July last year named as SAMARTH Mission.Biomass co-firing along with coal presents a viable solution to the stubble burning problem while affording multiple benefits like additional income for farmers, power generation, and reduction of dependence on coal.The ministry has reiterated that this initiative and the efforts of the Mission Directorate (SAMARTH) have made encouraging progress, which needs to be accelerated.The CERC (Central Electricity Regulatory Commission) has provided specific provisions in its Tariff Regulations 2019 for co- firing of biomass in coal-based plants. These provisions which have encouraged central sector Gencos in co-firing biomass in their thermal power plants provide for capital expenditure on account of biomass handling equipment and facilities for co- firing in new projects.These are provided that in the case of blending biomass with coal, the landed cost of biomass fuel shall be worked out based on the delivered cost of biomass at the unloading point of the generating station, inclusive of taxes and duties as applicable.The energy charge rate of the blended fuel shall be worked out considering consumption of biomass based on blending ratio as specified by Authority or actual consumption of biomass, whichever is lower, it provided.In September 2019, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had clarified that power generated from co-firing of biomass in thermal power plants is renewable energy and is eligible for meeting non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO).—IANS

The Ministry of Power has asked states to formulate time-bound plans to ensure the utilisation of biomass for co-firing in thermal power plants ahead of the Kharif harvest season to reduce stubble burning and air pollution.

Power Min asks states to formulate plans for biomass co-firing in power plants

Washington: Despite the decrease in the population of bugs, researchers at the University of Wyoming discovered that insects are nevertheless causing tremendous damage to plants.
The first-of-its-kind study compares insect herbivore damage of modern-era plants with that of fossilized leaves from as far back as the late Cretaceous period, nearly 67 million years ago. The research and the findings at the University were published in the journal: 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'.
"Our work bridges the gap between those who use fossils to study plant-insect interactions over deep time and those who study such interactions in a modern context with fresh leaf material," says lead researcher, UW PhD graduate Lauren Azevedo-Schmidt, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maine. "The difference in insect damage between the modern era and the fossilized record is striking," -Schmidt added. Azevedo-Schmidt conducted the research along with UW Department of Botany and Department of Geology and Geophysics Professor Ellen Currano, and Assistant Professor Emily Meineke of the University of California-Davis.
The study examined fossilized leaves with insect feeding damage from the Late Cretaceous through the Pleistocene era, a little over 2 million years ago, and compared them with leaves collected by Azevedo-Schmidt from three modern forests. The detailed research looked at different types of damage caused by insects, finding marked increases in all recent damage compared to the fossil record. "Our results demonstrate that plants in the modern era are experiencing unprecedented levels of insect damage, despite widespread insect declines," wrote the scientists, who suggest that the disparity can be explained by human activity.
More research is necessary to determine the precise causes of increased insect damage to plants, but the scientists say a warming climate, urbanization and the introduction of invasive species likely have had a major impact. "We hypothesize that humans have influenced (insect) damage frequencies and diversities within modern forests, with the most human impact occurring after the Industrial Revolution," the researchers wrote. "Consistent with this hypothesis, herbarium specimens from the early 2000s were 23 per cent more likely to have insect damage than specimens collected in the early 1900s, a pattern that has been linked to climate warming." But climate change doesn't fully explain the increase in insect damage, they say.
"This research suggests that the strength of human influence on plant-insect interactions is not controlled by climate change alone but, rather, the way in which humans interact with the terrestrial landscape," the researchers concluded. —ANI

 Despite the decrease in the population of bugs, researchers at the University of Wyoming discovered that insects are nevertheless causing tremendous damage to plants.

Study Reveals How An Unusually Large Number Of Insects Are Destroying Plants

Kiev (The Hawk): The national energy company of Ukraine, Ukrenergo, has advised citizens to "charge everything" by Thursday morning because to anticipated power outages caused by Russian missile strikes on power plants.
According to a statement the company released on Wednesday night, there have been more strikes on electrical facilities in the last 10 days than there have been in the entire time before that since Russia began its war on February 24, according to the BBC.
The statement said, "We will implement controlled, calculated usage restrictions tomorrow (Thursday), which we must do to guarantee the system operates in a balanced manner.
On Thursday, the entire nation will experience outages lasting up to four hours at a period, according to the grid operator, who also advised that phones, power banks, flashlights, and batteries be charged.
Additionally, the business urged Ukrainians to stock up on water and to make sure they had "warm socks, blankets, and hugs for family and friends."
Ukrenergo also warned that limits "may be enforced throughout Ukraine from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m." and recommended people to consult the websites of the local network providers to find out exactly where and when they will be in effect.
The warning comes after Russian missiles earlier in the day attacked power stations all throughout the nation as part of a wave of assaults that started on October 10.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also made an appeal to the populace on Wednesday night: "Please don't turn on any electrical devices that are not necessary. Please utilise such appliances that use a lot of energy and reduce your electricity usage.
"Tomorrow, it will be crucial to consume as responsibly as possible, thus the stabilisation blackout periods will be condensed.
"We will take every step necessary to get our nation back to its normal energy capability. However, it takes time. And to achieve this, we must work together."
The President said that the recent Russian airstrikes had damaged 30% of the Ukrainian power plants.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The national energy company of Ukraine, Ukrenergo, has advised citizens to "charge everything" by Thursday morning because to anticipated power outages caused by Russian missile strikes on power plants.

Ukrainians told to "charge everything" as missiles target power plants

New Delhi (The Hawk): The CRISPR gene-editing technology that received the Nobel Prize in 2020 has witnessed a new height. Indian scientists have demonstrated for the first time that the associated Cas9 enzyme, which acts as molecular scissors to cut DNA at a location specified by a guide RNA, can bind to and cut the target DNA at very low temperatures.
This work has shown the highly efficient functioning of this platform at temperatures as low as 4oC, making it possible to edit genes in temperature sensitive organisms, plants, or crop varieties.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) are short DNA sequences found in the genome of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria, which are reminders of previous bacteriophage (viruses) attacks that the bacteria successfully defended against. Cas9 enzyme (part of bacteria’s defence mechanism) uses these flags to precisely target and cut any foreign DNA, thus protecting the bacteria from future attacks by similar bacteriophages. The unprecedented precision of targeting the DNA sequences and then efficiently cutting them is the basis for CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which has been recently demonstrated in editing genes in cells and organisms.
CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been successfully used for many purposes, including basic studies of gene function, agriculture, and medicine to increase our knowledge of disease processes and their potential future therapies. So far, most binding trials were typically performed at 37 °C.
As a further step to advance this platform into the forefront of biomedical and analytical biotechnology, scientists of Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have explored temperature-dependent binding and release of cleaved products by the Cas9 enzyme. Serene Rose David, Sumanth Kumar Maheshwaram, Divya Shet &amp; Mahesh B. Lakshminarayana, under the guidance of Dr. Gautam V. Soni, have demonstrated that the Cas9 enzymes strongly bind to the target at very low temperatures and remains bound to the cleaved DNA products even after the enzyme has done its job. Subsequently, the bound products were released in a controlled fashion using high temperature or chemical denaturant (that make proteins and DNA lose their 3-dimensional structure and become non-functional).&nbsp;
The research published in the Scientific Reports journal of the Nature Portfolio expands possible application of the Cas9-based genetic toolbox to a previously unexplored temperature range that would be compatible with long-term storage of biological samples.
Their observations on high efficiency of Cas9 binding to target at very low temperatures also provide opportunities to edit genomes of the less explored organisms called cryophiles with an optimal growth temperature of 15°C. The results on Cas9-DNA binding and release mechanics will provide valuable insights for developing temperature-dependent applications of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. It also builds a quantitative understanding of product release mechanism of this enzyme system.

he CRISPR gene-editing technology that received the Nobel Prize in 2020 has witnessed a new height. Indian scientists have demonstrated for the first time that the associated Cas9 enzyme, which acts as molecular scissors to cut DNA at a location specified by a guide RNA, can bind to and cut the target DNA at very low temperatures.

CRISPR Gene-Editing Possible In Temperature Sensitive Organisms, Plants & Crop Varieties

Washington: While it is well known that animals can quickly adapt to adverse environmental conditions, mounting evidence suggests that plants can as well.
A paper published in the journal Trends in Plant Science describes how plants are rapidly adapting to the negative effects of climate change and how these adaptations are being passed down to their offsprings.
"One day I thought how the living style and experience of a person can affect his or her gametes transmitting molecular marks of their life into their children," says Federico Martinelli, a plant geneticist at the University of Florence.
"Immediately I thought that even more epigenetic marks must be transmitted in plants, being that plants are sessile organisms that are subjected to many more environmental stresses than animals during their life," he said.
Plants are facing more environmental stressors than ever. For example, climate change is making winters shorter and less severe in many locations, and plants are responding. "Many plants require a minimum period of cold in order to set up their environmental clock to define their flowering time," says Martinelli.
"As cold seasons shorten, plants have adapted to require less period of cold to delay flowering. These mechanisms allow plants to avoid flowering in periods where they have fewer chances to reproduce," he added. Because plants don't have neural networks, their memory is based entirely on cellular, molecular and biochemical networks. These networks make up what the researchers term somatic memory. "These mechanisms allow plants to recognize the occurrence of a previous environmental condition and to react more promptly in presence of the same consequential condition," says Martinelli.
These somatic memories can then be passed to the plants' progeny via epigenetics.
"We have highlighted key genes, proteins, and small oligonucleotides, which previous studies have shown play a key role in the memory of abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, cold, heat, and heavy metals and pathogen attacks," says Martinelli.
"In this peer-reviewed opinion piece, we provide several examples demonstrating the existence of molecular mechanisms modulating plant memory to environmental stresses and affecting the adaptation of offspring to these stresses," he added.
Going forward, Martinelli and his colleagues hope to understand even more about the genes that are being passed down. "We are particularly interested in decoding the epigenetic alphabet underlying all the modifications of the genetic material caused by the environment, without changes in DNA sequence," he said.
"This is especially important when we consider the rapid climate change we observe today that every living organism, including plants, needs to adapt to in order to survive quickly," he added. —ANI

While it is well known that animals can quickly adapt to adverse environmental conditions, mounting evidence suggests that plants can as well.

Plants Adapt To Climate Change By Using Epigenetic Memory: Research

Washington: A new study shows how plants "encode" specific chemistries of their lignin to grow tall and sustain climate changes: each plant cell uses different combinations of the enzymes LACCASEs to create specific lignin chemistries. These results can be used both in agriculture and in forestry for selecting plants with the best chemistry to resist climate challenges.
Lignin is an important carbon sink for the environment as it stores about 30 percent of the total carbon on the planet. It allows plants to hydrate and reach tremendous heights up to 100 metres; without lignin, plants could not grow nor survive climate changes. At the cell level, specific lignin chemistries adjust the mechanical strength and waterproofing to support plant growth and survival.
Scientists at Stockholm University recently demonstrated that lignin has a chemical "code" that is adapted at the cell level to fulfill different roles in plants. How each cell "encodes" specific lignin chemistry however remained unknown. Researchers at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Botany (DEEP) at Stockholm University led by Edouard Pesquet, Associate-Professor in molecular plant physiology and senior author of the study, just showed that different enzymes called LACCASEs are used by each cell to adjust their lignin "chemical code" in order to resist stresses such as drought or wind. The study finally shows how lignin is spatially controlled at the nanometer level in each plant cell. The findings could be used in both agriculture and forestry to select plants with a lignin chemistry that better resist future climate challenges.
"The control of lignin chemistry at the cell level is ultimately the mechanism enabling plants to grow, hydrate and resist climate change stresses. These results finally demonstrate how lignin chemistry is controlled and open great possibilities to select plants upon their lignin code to improve crops and trees resistance to water availability problems," says Edouard Pesquet. —ANI

A new study shows how plants "encode" specific chemistries of their lignin to grow tall and sustain climate changes: each plant cell uses different combinations of the enzymes LACCASEs to create specific lignin chemistries.

Plants Can Adapt Their Lignin Using 'Chemically Encoding' Enzymes To Face Climate Change: Study

Washington: Once upon a time, photosynthesis and green leaves were thought to be fundamental aspects of plants. Some plants, however, no longer use photosynthesis and now obtain their nourishment from other living things.
One such mycoheterotrophic plant is the ubiquitous Monotropastrum humile, which has a ghostly appearance and is distributed throughout East and Southeast Asia. It frequently flourishes in shaded woodlands where it feeds on the hyphae of fungi to get the nutrients it requires. It was once thought that there was just one species of this plant in the world, despite its widespread distribution. However, a variation found in Japan has been revealed by Professor SUETSUGU Kenji and colleagues to be a brand-new species, upending our knowledge of this peculiar-appearing genus of plants. It has rosy pink petals and stems resembling milk glass, giving it a beautiful, otherworldly appearance. As it was first found around Kirishima in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, the new species has been named Monotropastrum kirishimense.
Originally, this new species was tentatively treated as a color variant of M. humile, known as M. humile f. roseum. Thus began an extensive and multifaceted 20-year study to determine how exactly these plants differed. Specimens were collected from Japan and Taiwan, as well as Vietnam. Results of various analyses revealed morphological differences (Figures 1-3), including the following; M. kirishimense flowers and ovaries are more rounded than those of M. humile, and its rootball is more obscured by the surrounding soil (in contrast to M. humile's protruding root tips). M. kirishimense individuals are shorter above ground (under 5cm) and longer below ground (over 10cm).
The flowering season is different too; M. humile flowers bloom approximately 40 days earlier than M. kirishimense. As the two plant species have the same primary pollinator (the bumblebee Bombus diversus), this difference in flowering times can reduce heterospecific pollen deposition, helping to ensure conspecific mating, and thereby preventing them from producing hybrids.
There are several other possible reasons why M. kirishimense and M. humile may have evolved into separate species. One possibility is that they have become specialized in feeding on different fungi, which has led to reproductive isolation, or the inability to produce offspring together. This process is known as resource partitioning and is one of the major ways that species can evolve from a common ancestor. Genetic analysis of mycobionts revealed that M. kirishimense has a consistent, specialized association with a particular lineage of fungi, whereas M. humile is associated with different lineages (Figure 4). This study suggests that M. kirishimense may have evolved into a new species by relying on a specific type of fungus. In fact, the phylogenetic tree (a 'family tree' of the evolutionary history of a group of organisms) of the plants themselves shows that the genetic characteristics of M kirishimense and M humile can be separated into two clades (Figure 5).
Based on the researchers' analysis of various characteristics, it has been revealed that M. kirishimense is distinct from M. humile in terms of its appearance, flowering patterns, evolutionary history, and ecological relationships. The researchers concluded that it should be recognised as an independent species. —ANI

Once upon a time, photosynthesis and green leaves were thought to be fundamental aspects of plants. Some plants, however, no longer use photosynthesis and now obtain their nourishment from other living things.

Researchers Reveal How New Species Treated As Colour Variant In Plants

Atlanta (US): An Emory University study discovered that extracts from two common wild plants decrease the capacity of the virus that causes Covid-19 to infect live cells. The findings were published in Scientific Reports as the first large screening of botanical extracts for effectiveness against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In laboratory dish tests, extracts from the flowers of tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) and the rhizomes of the eagle fern (Pteridium aquilinum) each blocked SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells.
The active compounds are only present in miniscule quantities in the plants. It would be ineffective, and potentially dangerous, for people to attempt to treat themselves with them, the researchers stress. In fact, the eagle fern is known to be toxic, they warn.
"It's very early in the process, but we're working to identify, isolate and scale up the molecules from the extracts that showed activity against the virus," said Cassandra Quave, senior author of the study and associate professor in Emory School of Medicine's Department of Dermatology and the Center for the Study of Human Health, adding, "Once we have isolated the active ingredients, we plan to further test for their safety and for their long-range potential as medicines against Covid-19."
Quave is an ethnobotanist, studying how traditional people have used plants for medicine to identify promising new candidates for modern-day drugs. Her lab curates the Quave Natural Product Library, which contains thousands of botanical and fungal natural products extracted from plants collected at sites around the world.
Caitlin Risener, a PhD candidate in Emory's Molecular and Systems Pharmacology graduate program and the Center for the Study of Human Health, is first author of the current paper.
In previous research to identify potential molecules for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections, the Quave lab focused on plants that traditional people had used to treat skin inflammation.
Given that Covid-19 is a newly emerged disease, the researchers took a broader approach. They devised a method to rapidly test more than 1,800 extracts and 18 compounds from the Quave Natural Product Library for activity against SARS-CoV-2.
"We've shown that our natural products library is a powerful tool to help search for potential therapeutics for an emerging disease," Risener said, adding, "Other researchers can adapt our screening method to search for other novel compounds within plants and fungi that may lead to new drugs to treat a range of pathogens."
SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus with a spike protein that can bind to a protein called ACE2 on host cells. "The viral spike protein uses the ACE2 protein almost like a key going into a lock, enabling the virus to break into a cell and infect it," Quave explains.
The researchers devised experiments with virus-like particles, or VLPs, of SARS-CoV-2, and cells programmed to overexpress ACE2 on their surface. The VLPs were stripped of the genetic information needed to cause a Covid-19 infection. Instead, if a VLP managed to bind to an ACE2 protein and enter a cell, it was programmed to hijack the cell's machinery to activate a fluorescent green protein.
A plant extract was added to the cells in a petri dish before introducing the viral particles. By shining a fluorescent light on the dish, they could quickly determine whether the viral particles had managed to enter the cells and activate the green protein.
The researchers identified a handful of hits for extracts that protected against viral entry and then homed in on the ones showing the strongest activity: Tall goldenrod and eagle fern. Both plant species are native to North America and are known for traditional medicinal uses by Native Americans.
Additional experiments showed that the protective power of the plant extracts worked across four variants of SARS-CoV-2: Alpha, theta, delta and gamma.
To further test these results, the Quave lab collaborated with co-author Raymond Schinazi, Emory professor of pediatrics, director of Emory's Division of Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology and co-director of the HIV Cure Scientific Working Group within the NIH-sponsored Emory University Center for AIDS Research. A world leader in antiviral development, Schinazi is best known for his pioneering work on breakthrough HIV drugs. The higher biosecurity rating of the Schinazi lab enabled the researchers to test the two plant extracts in experiments using infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus instead of VLPs. The results confirmed the ability of the tall goldenrod and eagle fern extracts to inhibit the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to bind to a living cell and infect it.
"Our results set the stage for the future use of natural product libraries to find new tools or therapies against infectious diseases," Quave said.
As a next step, the researchers are working to determine the exact mechanism that enables the two plant extracts to block binding to ACE2 proteins.
For Risener, one of the best parts about the project is that she collected samples of tall goldenrod and eagle fern herself. In addition to gathering medicinal plants from around the globe, the Quave lab also makes field trips to the forests of the Joseph W. Jones Research Center in South Georgia. The Woodruff Foundation established the center to help conserve one of the last remnants of the unique longleaf pine ecosystem that once dominated the southeastern United States.
"It's awesome to go into nature to identify and dig up plants," Risener said, adding, "That's something that few graduate students in pharmacology get to do. I'll be covered in dirt from head to toe, kneeling on the ground and beaming with excitement and happiness." She also assists in preparing the plant extracts and mounting the specimens for the Emory Herbarium.
"When you collect a specimen yourself, and dry and preserve the samples, you get a personal connection," she said, adding, "It's different from someone just handing you a vial of plant material in a lab and saying, 'Analyze this.'"
After graduating, Risener hopes for a career in outreach and education for science policy surrounding research into natural compounds. A few of the more famous medicines derived from botanicals include aspirin (from the willow tree), penicillin (from fungi) and the cancer therapy Taxol (from the yew tree). "Plants have such chemical complexity that humans probably couldn't dream up all the botanical compounds that are waiting to be discovered," Risener said, adding, "The vast medicinal potential of plants highlights the importance of preserving ecosystems." —ANI

An Emory University study discovered that extracts from two common wild plants decrease the capacity of the virus that causes Covid-19 to infect live cells. The findings were published in Scientific Reports as the first large screening of botanical extracts for effectiveness against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Extracts From Two Wild Plants Restrain Covid-19 Virus: Study

New Delhi: The Indian Army said on Tuesday that it had started the process for installing a green hydrogen-based micro grid power plant project in the forward areas along the northern borders. This comes at a time when India and China are having a dispute over the eastern Ladakh border.
The project is being carried out in frontier areas that are not linked to the main electricity networks of either the country or the state.
The Army announced on Tuesday that it has signed a contract for the project with the National Thermal Power Corporation Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL).—Inputs from Agencies

The Indian Army said on Tuesday that it had started the process for installing a green hydrogen-based micro grid power plant project in the forward areas along the northern borders. This comes at a time when India and China are having a dispute over the eastern Ladakh border

Army plans to instal green hydrogen-based power plants along border with China

Jodhpur: Realising the significance of cooling power sources in nuclear power plants safety based on the historical nuke disasters, an international team led by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have proposed offshore wind farms as seismically resilient alternate power sources.  By utilising sustainable wind power, the researchers demonstrated the feasibility of strengthening the reliability of cooling power at Madras Atomic Power Station in Chennai.  The proposed methodology, published in an article in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, involves a series of stages.  It commences with the estimation of coolant power needs in nuclear reactors, followed by the design of an offshore wind turbine and its corresponding infrastructure.  Finally, a seismic safety evaluation was conducted on the selected offshore wind turbine site, considering different scenario levels.  The researchers, including from universities of Surrey in UK, Tsinghua, as well as Institute of Engineering Mechanics in China, stated that the proposed 15 MW offshore wind farm with three NREL 5 MW turbines supported by monopile foundations at the Kalpakkam area could potentially act as the additional emergency backup power source for meeting the cooling power requirements of existing nuclear power plants.  The offshore wind turbines monopile foundation was analysed under anticipated dynamic loading conditions considering the soil nonlinearity and seismic liquefaction employing the state-of-the-art numerical models.  The nonlinear integrated seismic analyses conducted on the proposed offshore wind turbines depicted acceptable seismic performance on comparing the monopile mudline displacements and bending moments.  "Given India's pursuit of nuclear energy development and the inevitable presence of seismic and tsunami threats in close proximity, it becomes imperative to enhance the safety of nuclear structures to the highest degree possible," said Dr Pradeep Kumar Dammala, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, IIT Jodhpur, in a statement.  "This suggested approach serves as an excellent framework for evaluating the seismic resilience of nuclear power plants and the integration of wind energy sources during interconnected events like earthquakes and tsunamis," he added.  Among India's seven Nuclear Power Plants, five are located in seismically active zones III and IV, with three in coastal areas prone to hazards like tsunamis and cyclones. The Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam, housing two 220 MW FBRs, serves as an example. —IANS

Realising the significance of cooling power sources in nuclear power plants safety based on the historical nuke disasters

Wind energy may enhance coolant power needs in nuclear plants: IIT Jodhpur

Sydney: Plants can efficiently remove toxic gasoline fumes, including cancer causing compounds such as benzene, from indoor air, according to a study.
Previous studies on indoor plants have shown they can remove a broad range of indoor air contaminants, however this is the first study into the ability of plants to clean up gasoline vapours, which are one of the largest sources of toxic compounds in buildings worldwide. The study led by University of Technology Sydney (UTS) showed that a mix of indoor plants was highly effective at removing harmful, cancer-causing pollutants, with 97 per cent of the most toxic compounds removed from the surrounding air in just eight hours.
Poor indoor air quality is responsible for 6.7 million premature deaths globally, according to the World Health Organisation. Most people spend 90 per cent of their time indoors at home, school or the workplace, so adopting new strategies to improve air quality is critical. Bioremediation researcher Associate Professor Fraser Torpy from UTS said the study results, based on measurements from a sealed chamber, had far exceeded their expectations when it came to removing gasoline pollutants from the air.
"This is the first time plants have been tested for their ability to remove gasoline-related compounds, and the results are astounding. "Not only can plants remove the majority of pollutants from the air in a matter of hours, they remove the most harmful gasoline-related pollutants from the air most efficiently, for example, known carcinogen benzene is digested at a faster rate than less harmful substances, like alcohols. "We also found that the more concentrated the toxins in the air, the faster and more effective the plants became at removing the toxins, showing that plants adapt to the conditions they're growing in," Torpy said. Offices and residential apartment buildings often connect directly to parking garages, either by doors or elevator shafts, making it difficult to avoid harmful gasoline-related compounds seeping into work and residential areas. Many buildings are also exposed to gasoline fumes from nearby roads and highways. Breathing gasoline fumes can lead to lung irritation, headaches and nausea, and has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, asthma and other chronic diseases from longer term exposure, contributing to decreased life expectancy. —IANS

Plants can efficiently remove toxic gasoline fumes, including cancer causing compounds such as benzene

House Plants Can Help Remove Cancer Causing Toxins From Indoor Air

Washington: A groundbreaking study has demonstrated that plants can efficiently remove hazardous petrol fumes from indoor air, including cancer-causing chemicals like benzene. The study was led by University of Technology Sydney (UTS) bioremediation researcher Associate Professor Fraser Torpy, in partnership with leading Australian plantscaping solutions company Ambius. The researchers found that the Ambius small green wall, containing a mix of indoor plants, was highly effective at removing harmful, cancer-causing pollutants, with 97 per cent of the most toxic compounds removed from the surrounding air in just eight hours. Poor indoor air quality is responsible for 6.7 million premature deaths globally, according to the World Health Organisation. Most people spend 90% of their time indoors at home, school or the workplace, so adopting new strategies to improve air quality is critical. Ambius General Manager Johan Hodgson said the research presented new evidence into the critical role played by indoor plants and green walls in cleaning the air we breathe quickly and sustainably. "We know that indoor air quality is often significantly more polluted than outdoor air, which in turn impacts mental and physical health. But the great news is this study has shown that something as simple as having plants indoors can make a huge difference," Mr Hodgson said. Previous studies on indoor plants have shown they can remove a broad range of indoor air contaminants, however this is the first study into the ability of plants to clean up gasoline vapors, which are one of the largest sources of toxic compounds in buildings worldwide.  Offices and residential apartment buildings often connect directly to parking garages, either by doors or elevator shafts, making it difficult to avoid harmful gasoline-related compounds seeping into work and residential areas. Many buildings are also exposed to gasoline fumes from nearby roads and highways. Breathing gasoline fumes can lead to lung irritation, headaches and nausea, and has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, asthma and other chronic diseases from longer term exposure, contributing to decreased life expectancy. Associate Professor Torpy said the study results, based on measurements from a sealed chamber, had far exceeded their expectations when it came to removing gasoline pollutants from the air. "This is the first time plants have been tested for their ability to remove gasoline-related compounds, and the results are astounding. "Not only can plants remove the majority of pollutants from the air in a matter of hours, they remove the most harmful gasoline-related pollutants from the air most efficiently, for example, known carcinogen benzene is digested at a faster rate than less harmful substances, like alcohols. "We also found that the more concentrated the toxins in the air, the faster and more effective the plants became at removing the toxins, showing that plants adapt to the conditions they're growing in," Associate Professor Torpy said. Mr Hodgson said the findings confirmed feedback they'd received after installing plants in hundreds of office buildings across the nation. "At Ambius, we see over and over again the effects plants have in improving health, wellbeing, productivity and office attendance for the thousands of businesses we work with. This new research proves that plants should not just be seen as 'nice to have', but rather a crucial part of every workplace wellness plan. "The bottom line is that the best, most cost-effective and most sustainable way to combat harmful indoor air contaminants in your workplace and home is to introduce plants," Mr Hodgson said. (ANI)

A groundbreaking study has demonstrated that plants can efficiently remove hazardous petrol fumes from indoor air

Study shows plants remove cancer causing toxins from air

Washington: Plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go even without nerves, according to a study led by Washington State University. In a set of experiments, individual plant cells responded to the touch of a very fine glass rod by sending slow waves of calcium signals to other plant cells, and when that pressure was released, they sent much more rapid waves. While scientists have known that plants can respond to touch, this study shows that plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended. "It is quite surprising how finely sensitive plants cells are--that they can discriminate when something is touching them. They sense the pressure, and when it is released, they sense the drop in pressure," said Michael Knoblauch, WSU biological sciences professor and senior author of the study in the journal Nature Plants. "It's surprising that plants can do this in a very different way than animals, without nerve cells and at a really fine level." Knoblauch and his colleagues conducted a set of 84 experiments on 12 plants using thale cress and tobacco plants that had been specially bred to include calcium sensors, a relatively new technology. After placing pieces of these plants under a microscope, they applied a slight touch to individual plant cells with a micro-cantilever, essentially a tiny glass rod about the size of a human hair. They saw many complex responses depending on the force and duration of the touch, but the difference between the touch and its removal was clear. Within 30 seconds of the applied touch to a cell, the researchers saw slow waves of calcium ions, called cytosolic calcium, travelling from that cell through the adjacent plant cells, lasting about three to five minutes. Removal of the touch showed an almost instant set of more rapid waves that dissipated within a minute. The authors believe these waves are likely due to the change in pressure inside the cell. Unlike animal cells with permeable membranes, plant cells also have strong cellular walls that cannot be easily breached, so just a light touch will temporarily increase pressure in a plant cell. The researchers tested the pressure theory mechanically by inserting a tiny glass capillary pressure probe into a plant cell. Increasing and decreasing pressure inside the cell resulted in similar calcium waves elicited by the start and stop of a touch. "Humans and animals sense touch through sensory cells. The mechanism in plants appears to be via this increase or decrease of the internal cell pressure," said Knoblauch. "And it doesn't matter which cell it is. We humans may need nerve cells, but in plants, any cell on the surface can do this." Previous research has shown that when a pest like a caterpillar bites a plant leaf, it can initiate the plant's defensive responses such as the release of chemicals that make leaves less tasty or even toxic to the pest. An earlier study also revealed that brushing a plant triggers calcium waves that activate different genes. The current study was able to differentiate the calcium waves between touch and letting go, but how exactly the plant's genes respond to those signals remains to be seen. With new technologies like the calcium sensors used in this study, scientists can start to untangle that mystery, Knoblauch said. "In future studies, we have to trigger the signal in a different way than has been done before to know what signal, if touch or letting go, triggers downstream events," he said. This study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. The international team included researchers from the Technical University of Denmark; Ludwig Maximilian Universitaet Muenchen and Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster in Germany; and University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as WSU. —ANI

 Plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go even without nerves

Study Finds That Plants Can Detect Touch

New Delhi: Analysis shows that only 5% of India's coal-fired power stations have implemented flue gas de-sulfurisation (FGD) systems, despite repeated extensions. These technologies reduce sulphur dioxide emissions. Based on the latest FGD status issued in April by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the technical arm of the Ministry of Power, the environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) conducted a study.
In December 2015, emission standards for coal-based power plants were outlined by the Union environment ministry. For a number of factors, however, these have been watered down, and deadlines have been pushed back multiple times.
There are currently 9,280 MW of plants that have been reported to have commissioned FGDs and another 1,430 MW that claim to be SO2 compliant, making up the 5% of plants that have installed FGDs for reducing SO2 emissions.—Inputs from Agencies

Analysis shows that only 5% of India's coal-fired power stations have implemented flue gas de-sulfurisation (FGD) systems, despite repeated extensions. These technologies reduce sulphur dioxide emissions

5% of India's coal power plants fulfil sulphur dioxide emission standards: CSE.

New Delhi (The Hawk): Ministry of Power (MoP) has decided to benchmark the prices of biomass pellets used for co-firing in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs). The decision comes in view of evolving market conditions for biomass pellets and requests received from stakeholders including thermal power plants, pellet manufactures, farmers, bankers etc. The benchmarked price shall take into account the business viability, impact on electricity tariff and efficient &amp; faster pellet procurement by power utilities. Price Benchmarking of pellets will enable the TPPs as well as Pellet Vendors to establish a sustainable supply mechanism for co-firing of pellets. The benchmarked price, as finalised by the committee under CEA, will be effective from 1st January, 2024. Till the time the recommendations of the committee are implemented, the power utilities shall go for short term tenders for meeting the immediate requirement of biomass pellets for their TPPs. Shri R.K. Singh, Union Power Minister said that co-firing of biomass in coal based power plants is a key policy of the Government towards energy security, reduced use of fossil fuels and at the same time to increase income of farmers. Revised policy shall help in achieving these goals faster. Explaining the decision, Shri Alok Kumar, Secretary, Power said that the decision would encourage farmers, entrepreneurs as well as thermal power utilities to strive to establish a sustainable biomass ecosystem, achieve the targets for co-firing, reduce stubble burning and help to ensure a cleaner and greener future for the citizens of India. In another modification of the policy, it has been directed that since availability of torrefied biomass pellets is presently limited in the country, the torrefied pellets shall only be procured by utilities for which it is technically unavoidable and utilities which can use non-torrefied pellets should utilise the same only. In line with the Biomass policy, which mandates cofiring of Biomass with coal in Thermal Power Plants , so far around 1.80 Lac MT of biomass fuel has been co-fired in 47 thermal power plants in the country totalling a capacity of 64,350 MW. Out of this, more than 50000 MT has been cofired during first two months of FY ’23-24, which has also surpassed the previous highest ever annual quantity. Further, about 114 Million MT of biomass pellets are at various stages of the tendering . Purchase order has been placed for approx. 69 Lakh MT of biomass pellets by thermal power plants. With the enabling policies in place and thrust from MoP through SAMARTH mission, substantial growth of Biomass cofiring in TPPs across the country is envisaged.

Ministry of Power (MoP) has decided to benchmark the prices of biomass pellets used for co-firing in Thermal Power Plants

The Hawk

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