'Junior Heritage Mistri' programme
- The scheme comes under the Centre's Heritage Mason programme. Rajasthan was chosen as a pilot State for the scheme in view of its rich architectural heritage.
- Rajasthan government is raising a new class of masons to help conserve the State's rich architectural heritage.
- Under the programme, the government has started training youths on indigenous building practices, arts and crafts, traditional structures and knowledge systems, with an emphasis on preservation of heritage architecture.
- The institution promotes construction practices based on adaptive reuse of traditional technology blended with modern techniques.
Stereolithography
- Scientists have developed a novel way to 3D-print objects using glass.
- Researchers mixed nanoparticles of high-purity quartz glass and a small quantity of liquid polymer and allowed the mixture to be cured by light at specific points — by means of stereolithography.
- Stereolithography is a form of 3D-printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photopolymerisation.
- Photopolymerisation is a process by which light causes chains of molecules to link, forming polymers.
- A variety of 3D-printing techniques available so far have been used on polymers or metals, but rarely on glass.
- Scientists have developed a new method to 3D-print objects using glass, an advance that could be used to make very small optical components for complex computers.
- The 3D-printed glass can be used for many applications, including data technology.
Vitamin C
- During times of stress or hostile conditions, such as increased temperature and presence of antibiotics, bacteria tend to come together and form a biofilm to protect themselves.
- The stress response pathway is crucial for bacteria to survive during hostile conditions. So blocking this pathway is a sure way of killing the bacteria.
- New study at IISc has found the molecular mechanism by which vitamin C impedes the formation of biofilm and even kills Mycobacterium smegmatis, a non-pathogenic bacterium t hat belongs to the same genus as the TB-causing mycobacteria.
- Other uses of Vitamin C: Boosts and strengthens immunity. It speeds-up recovery from tuberculosis and impedes the TB causing bacteria from causing disease, and even kill the bacteria in culture at high concentration.
Biological sensors
- Migratory birds have biological sensors that can sense the earth’s magnetic field, and guide them in their long journeys spanning continents.
- One might, mistakenly assume that these sensors would be located in the brain. Contrarily, they are located in the eyes, more specifically, in the right eye.
- Birds’ biological compass is due to the interplay of chemical reactions, electron spins and the magnetic fields present.
- Thus, understanding the avian compass is a lesson in quantum biology. This may be of use, one day, in engineering quantum computers.
