News Analysis India

Tag: Indian Institute of Technology

  • IIT Guwahati faculty member found dead at official residence

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: A faculty member of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT, Guwahati) was found dead at his official residence on Friday evening.

    The police suspect it to be a case of suicide. The 47-year-old deceased was an assistant professor of mathematics. He hailed from Delhi.

    In a statement, the institute said, “The body of a man was found in one of the residences at IIT Guwahati this evening. It has been identified as a faculty of the institute. The institute is trying to establish contact with the family of the deceased.”

    Mourning the death, the institute said it would cooperate with the police investigation. It also decided to commission an internal investigation.

    The police said they broke open the door in the presence of a magistrate after the neighbours complained of bad smell emanating from the quarters of the deceased. The body was found hanging. The police said the body had been sent for post-mortem.

    Over the past few years, several incidents of suicides by students were reported from the institute.

    GUWAHATI: A faculty member of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT, Guwahati) was found dead at his official residence on Friday evening.

    The police suspect it to be a case of suicide. The 47-year-old deceased was an assistant professor of mathematics. He hailed from Delhi.

    In a statement, the institute said, “The body of a man was found in one of the residences at IIT Guwahati this evening. It has been identified as a faculty of the institute. The institute is trying to establish contact with the family of the deceased.”

    Mourning the death, the institute said it would cooperate with the police investigation. It also decided to commission an internal investigation.

    The police said they broke open the door in the presence of a magistrate after the neighbours complained of bad smell emanating from the quarters of the deceased. The body was found hanging. The police said the body had been sent for post-mortem.

    Over the past few years, several incidents of suicides by students were reported from the institute.

  • IIT Gandhinagar develops framework to reduce damage to power transmission systems during cyclones

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar, have developed a comprehensive framework that can reduce the damage to power transmission systems in coastal areas under cyclone scenarios.

    The team used damage-cum-wind speed data of Cyclone Fani in Odisha to develop a fragility model for towers, which helps assess the functionality of the network and the influence of strategic interventions on the same.

    According to the team, they found that the most efficient strategy could be to pick a fraction of towers from the highest wind speed zones (according to the Indian standards) that are associated with substations serving a large population.

    Strengthening towers nearest to the coast may somewhat help reduce the number of towers damaged during a cyclone, but its resultant impact on the affected population may not be as significant.

    The study results revealed that a greater number of reinforced towers or a greater level of strengthening in them based on tailor-made and efficient reinforcement prioritisation strategies in a particular region leads to better functionality of power transmission systems.

    The research team also found that strengthening the towers in a transmission line associated with important substations (importance was quantified in terms of population served by the substation) close to the coastline led to maximum enhancement in performance, meaning lesser population is affected, they claimed.

    “This is a first of its kind research work because here we were able to consider a large-scale network, its relationship with the coastline, a suitable context-specific fragility curve for the towers, and realistic cyclone scenarios in a reasonable manner, which led to interesting insights into strengthening strategies for the power transmission network of Odisha. The framework can be useful for cost-effective strengthening of transmission tower networks of other coastal states of India as well, such as West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra,” said, Manish Kumar, Associate Professor at IIT Gandhinagar.

    “The towers can be prioritised differently if a different performance metric is selected. Structural strengthening that would lead to the shift in the fragility curves considered in this study can be based on wind-tunnel tests and/or computational fluid dynamics analyses, which will further optimise the resources. This approach may also be relevant for transmission lines associated with some power plants that may require a shutdown in the event of damage to the lines,” he added.

    The researchers observed that the loss in functionality of transmission towers depends considerably on the location of the landfall of the cyclone.

    The damage was greater if the landfall was close to a region with many substations in the vicinity.

    This observation emphasises the need to consider the orientation of the network with respect to the coastline and the realistic properties of cyclones.

    Researchers also noted that the loss of functionality in power transmission could be affected considerably by the path of a cyclone before making landfall.

    “A simulated cyclone trajectory indicated that it could damage towers even up to 300 km apart from each other, which further underscores the need to perform such studies on a holistic scale. The framework developed by the team helps in prioritising the towers that should be strengthened to minimise the overall losses in functionality in a cost-effective manner,” he said.

    The team considered two broad aspects to identify towers for priority strengthening which were identification of a geographical region and basis for prioritisation within that geographical region.

    Each intervention suggested by the team is unique from each other in terms of selection of a geographical region, the basis for prioritising the towers, the number of towers to strengthen, and the extent of strengthening considered.

    “In post-disaster scenarios, decision-makers always face a constraint on 3Ms, i.e. Manpower, Money (budget), and Materials. Hence, there is a need to supplement the bird-eye view with the component level view to identify the right set of components that should be reinforced and strengthened to minimise damage after natural calamities,” said Udit Bhatia, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at IITGN.

    “Changing climate scenarios and upward trend in frequency and magnitudes of cyclones as a consequence of increasing Sea Surface Temperature put our coastal infrastructure at a greater risk. While our understanding of these hazards has increased significantly in recent years, still a lot needs to be done on the adaptation side. Our framework brings us one step closer to possible solutions that stakeholders and infrastructure managers can invest in,” added Bhatia.

  • Big breakthrough? IIT Mandi researchers elucidate molecular structure of spike protein of COVID virus

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have unravelled the molecular structure of a functional protein region of the COVID-19 virus which can help the scientific community in the exploration of drugs.

    The team has established the structure of one section of an important spike protein responsible for the virus’ infectivity.

    The research was recently published in the journal ‘Virology’.

    According to officials, the SARS coronavirus 2, the cause of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is so-called because of the spikes on its surface that give it the appearance of a crown (or corona).

    The proteins that make up the spikes are responsible for the penetration of these viruses into the host cells of the infected lifeform.

    Given the importance of the spike protein in the virus’ infectivity, considerable research work is being carried out all over the world on characterising their molecular structure, the officials said.

    It is now known that the spike protein comprises a section that is outside the main virus body (the extravirion) known as ectodomain; a section that crosses the viral membrane (transmembrane); and a section that is inside the viral structure (theintravirion), known as endodomain, they said.

    “Our team has deciphered the shape of the endodomain of spike protein, in isolation, as a reductionist approach.

    We found that there is no order or structure, and this is an intrinsically disordered region,” said Rajanish Giri, Associate Professor, School of Basic Sciences, IIT Mandi.

    “The endodomainis an important part of spike protein as it contains transporting signals that help in movement of protein inside host cells and thus play a crucial role in infection,” Giri said.

    “Due to the absence of specific order or structure, this is the part of Dark Proteome of the virus. It also suggests that endodomain can adopt a fully disordered or partially disordered structure under different conditions,” he said.

    “For studying the SARS-CoV-2 spike endodomain, we have used advanced computational algorithms and laboratory techniques. We have also proved, what have only remained speculations so far, the structural flexibilities of the C-terminal region or endodomain,” he added.

    The team claimed that most studies only focus on the extravirion, and there is much less information available on the transmembrane and intravirion parts of the spike protein.

    “We used CD spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the shape or conformation of the spike glycoprotein’s intravirion region, also known as the C-terminal region or endodomain,” said Prateek Kumar, PhD scholar, IIT Mandi.

    “Our findings provide direction to the scientific community for the exploration of drugs that can target this region of the spike protein, keeping in mind, its structural flexibility,” Kumar said.

    The researchers have validated the simulation results with experimental studies and have shown that the structure of the intravirion region of the spike protein is an intrinsically disordered region in isolation.

    Also, solvent dependent studies suggest the conformational or shape-changing capabilities of this endodomain.

  • IIT-Jodhpur launches initiative to conserve, restore Thar desert

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur has launched a unique initiative to conserve and restore the Thar desert, its minerals, medicines, flora and fauna by carrying out ecosystem phenomics through transdisciplinary framework of medical, engineering, environmental and life sciences.

    The initiative called Desert Ecosystem Sciences Guided by Nature and Selection (DESIGNS) was launched under the aegis of the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster.

    According to officials, Thar is a hot desert, unique to the Indian subcontinent and is characterised by high maximum temperature with large diurnal variations, scanty rainfall, extreme aridity, and intense UV radiations.

    This has been one of the largest natural laboratories for evolving innovative ‘designs’ that ensures adaptation and survival of its constituent species, their interdependencies and the conservation of the entire ecosystem.

    “The impact of loss of natural deserts is immense as these habitats are rich in flora and fauna as well as minerals and medicines that nurture and maintain different life forms on earth.

    Often considered as wastelands, deserts are crucial for stabilisation of climate.

    “Any shift in climate change or anthropogenic activity can lead to mal-adaptations for organisms who live at the ebb of physiological extremes, loss of diversity through extirpations and ultimately an ecosystem collapse.

    This threatens the lives and livelihood of the native inhabitants,” said Mitali Mukerji, professor and head, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering.

    Under this initiative, the researchers will use IOT enabled devices and Big Data analytics framework to crowd source observations from the local ecosystem to the regional level keeping the cultural context and traditional medicine knowledge in perspective.

    Researchers would also integrate computer vision and machine learning along with domain knowledge to infer links between environment, phenotype and genotype at geo-spatio temporal scales and identify signatures of Thar DESIGNS for early actionable intervention strategies.

    “This knowledge generation will result in providing a ‘Desert Ecosystem Knowledge Grid’ that could foster the cycle of engineering- research-development-commercialisation.

    “This data grid will be helpful in finding solutions for management of diseases common and endemic to desert regions, novel bioprospecting opportunities and innovative bio-inspired engineering designs.

    It could also help evolve unique strategies for ecological conservation and restoration that ensures sustained livelihood for its inhabitants,” Mukerji said.

  • COVID-19: IIT-Delhi launches rapid antigen test kit priced at Rs 50

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has come up with a rapid antigen test kit for Covid which is priced at Rs 50 and gives results within five minutes.

    The ICMR approved test kit was launched by Union Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre on Friday.

    “I am confident that this technology will revolutionize the Covid test availability in the country. I am glad to know that the kit has been developed entirely using the internal resources at IIT-Delhi,” Dhotre said during the launch.

    The technology behind the test has been patented by IIT-Delhi.

    Professor Harpal Singh and his team from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering at the institute have developed the technology.

    “This kit is used for in vitro qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen meant for the qualitative determination in human nasal swabs, throat swabs and deep sputum samples. It is suitable for general population screening and diagnosis of COVID-19,” Singh said.

    “The identification is based on the monoclonal antibodies specific for the Coronavirus antigen.

    The results obtained are qualitative based and can be inferred visually with naked eye,” he said.

    The professor explained that the test is found to be suitable for early Ct values (Ct values between 14 to 32) with 90 per cent sensitivity, 100 per cent specificity and 98.99 per cent accuracy.

    The IIT has awarded licenses to two companies in the country for its commercial roll out.

  • IIT Mandi researchers reveal structure of key protein in COVID-19 virus

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi (IIT Mandi) in Himachal Pradesh have revealed the part of structure of a key protein in COVID-19 virus, which helps in understanding its mode of action, its role in the spread and severity of the disease and development of antiviral therapeutics.

    The findings have been published in the journal, ‘Current Research in Virological Science’.

    According to the team, current COVID-19 treatments simply manage symptoms while the body fights off the infection with its immune defence system.

    There are, as yet, no confirmed antiviral drugs that can stop the virus from replicating.

    “One route to neutralising any virus is to attack its proteins. Such an approach holds true for the COVID-19 virus as well, and scientists across the globe are involved in studies to elucidate the structure and functions of these proteins to understand the viral disease and develop drugs that are effective against the virus,” said Rajanish Giri, Assistant Professor of Biotechnology, IIT Mandi.

    This virus has 16 non-structural proteins (NSP1-NSP16), of which the NSP1 plays a vital role in the pathogenicity (ability to cause disease) of the virus.

    “The NSP1 disrupts the proteins of the host cell and suppresses its immune functions. Its importance can be understood by the fact that it is also called the ‘host shutoff factor’. Earlier in 2020, we have shown through bioinformatics studies that NSP1 C-terminal region has intrinsic disorder propensity between 0.4 to 0.5 scales — very close to borderline of intrinsic disorder prediction.”

    “However, without experimental studies we were not sure that this 131-180 amino acid region is actually an intrinsically disordered protein region. Generally, these regions are unfolded in solution but are folded into particular conformations when binding with specific molecules or partners inside the host cells,” said Giri, explaining the recent developments to his previous research.

    The IIT Mandi team has experimentally studied the structural conformations of SARS-CoV-2 NSP1 under various conditions — in an organic solvent, membrane mimetic environment and inside liposomes.

    Using analytical techniques such as circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, the researchers have shown the dynamic changes in the conformation of the IDR of the NSP1, in response to its surroundings, due to hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between the protein and the environment.

    “Our finding provides valuable insight into disorder-order conformation of the NSP1 C-terminal region (residues 131-180) of the SARS-COV2 virus under various environments, which will help in understanding the broader aspect of NSP1 and its interactions with binding partners that are currently unknown,” Giri said.

    The other members of the team include IIT Mandi research scholars Amit Kumar, Ankur Kumar and Prateek Kumar, along with Neha Garg from the Banaras Hindu University.

  • Despite COVID challenges, average salary package at IIT-Guwahati campus placements higher than last year

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The average salary package offered to students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Guwahati during campus placement has increased as against the previous year, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to officials.

    In total, 686 students at the IIT were successfully placed for the academic year 2020-2021 with the highest package offered being Rs 70 lakh per annum.

    “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the pay packages offered to IIT-Guwahati students has increased during the 2020-21 academic year. The average salary offered to B.Tech and B.Des students increased to Rs 21.41 lakh per annum (LPA) during 2020-21 academic year compared to Rs 20.62 LPA in the preceding year,” said the head of the IIT’s Centre for Career Development, Abhishek Kumar.

    “Similarly, the compensation offered to M. Tech and M.Des students went up to Rs 17.92 LPA compared to Rs 16.22 LPA in the preceding year. Despite the restrictions arising out of the ongoing pandemic, IIT-Guwahati conducted placements through the virtual mode in the academic year 2020-2021. A total of 140 companies had taken part in the recruitment process. As many as 444 (including PPO) out of 584 students from B.Tech and B.Des got job offers during this placement drive,” he added.

    Kumar elaborated that the maximum offers were made from the information technology and software sector and the highest package offered is Rs 70 lakh per annum.

    “Students from Computer Science and Engineering got the highest number of offers, followed by Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mathematics and Computing, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering,” he said.

    Elaborating on the campus placements, Bithiah Grace Jaganathan, Faculty Coordinator (Placements), IIT-Guwahati, said, “The students have been remarkable in coping with the current situation and the results of the placement drive are testament to the success.”

    “We have seen a trend in our recruitment process this year as a significant number of start-ups displayed interest in our students and made several offers,” the officials said.