India's new Covid vax candidate can withstand 100 degrees C

by Argus News

New Delhi, April 17: A new heat-tolerant Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and biotech start-up Mynvax has shown strong antibody response against Covid variants including Delta and Omicron, according to a study on mice.

The heat-tolerant Covid-19 vaccine candidate can be stored at 37 degrees Celsius for four weeks and at 100 degrees Celsius for up to 90 minutes.

The vaccine candidate uses a part of the viral spike protein called the receptor-binding domain that allows the virus to connect with the host cell to infect it.

The latest study published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Viruses, assessed vaccinated mice sera for efficacy against key coronavirus variants, including Delta and Omicron.

The study found that mice immunised with different formulations of the vaccine elicit high titres of antibodies that neutralise SARS-CoV-2 variants VIC31 (reference strain), Delta and Omicron variants of coronavirus.

As per the study, there was an average 14.4-fold reduction in neutralisation against the Omicron variant for one formulation of the Mynvax vaccine and a 16.5-fold reduction for another formulation, comparing to VIC31.
(IANS)

Four Minors Drown In Pond In Bihar's Nawada

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Patna, Sep 28: Four minors drowned to death in Bihar’s Nawada district on Thursday as they sought to have a bath in a newly-built pond in their village, police said.

The victims were identified as Aayush Kumar, 10, Samir Kumar, 10, Sarwan Kumar, 9, and Ritik Kumar, 8.

The accident took place in Gambhirpur village under Warisaliganj police station in the district.

Read More National News

The victims jumped in a newly built pond to take bath without realizing its depth. When they started drowning, some local villagers tried to rescue them but failed. The pond was built with government funds to provide facilities to the devotees on Chatth Puja.

(IANS)

BJP Team Meets Agitating Potter-Artisans, Expresses Solidarity With Them

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Bhubaneswar, Sep 28: A team of senior BJP leaders on Thursday met agitating potter artisans and expressed the party's solidarity with them for their legitimate demands.

The artisans have been sitting along the Mahatma Gandhi Marg in front of the State Assembly to press for their various demands, which include incentives from the government, marketing of their products and use of government land for running 'Kumbhar Sala' (Place for clay pot making).

Even though there has been a Matikala Board meant for the potters, the State Government has not taken any step to support them through this board in the last 24 years, alleged the agitating clay artisans.

"We all depend on potters for clay-made pots during festivals and religious rituals. Their demands are genuine. However, they have been neglected by the Government," said BJP leaders.

They said the Narendra Modi Government has introduced Vishwakarma Yojana to support village artisans. Under this scheme, potters will benefit a lot. The BJP provides support to them in placing their demands. The State government should fulfill their all demands at the earliest, urged the leaders.

Among others, BJP MLAs Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and Mukesh Mahalinga, OBC Morcha State president Surath Biswal, State spokesperson Rajendra Panda, Social Media State coordinator Rashmiranjan Kanungo, Durga Prasanna Nayak, Bibekananda Jena, Santosh Mohapatra and Lingaraj Barik met the agitating artisans.

Read More Odisha News

Kumar Sanu Praises ‘Unbound Creativity’ Of Contestant Anuska In New Episode Of IGT

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Mumbai, Sep 28: The popular Indian talent based reality show, ‘India’s Got Talent’ is gearing up for its new weekend with ‘Party Special’. This time, contestant Anuska Chatterjee stands out the most as she captivates Kumar Sanu with her acrobatic moves. The senior singer commends her ‘unbound creativity’.

The ‘Party Special’ saw Neha Kakkar alongside the judging panel of ‘Indian Idol 14’, Kumar Sanu and Vishal Dadlani paying close attention to the variety of new talent coming in.

Many contestants make their mark, though the young contortionist, Anuska Chatterjee from Kolkata, leaves everyone awed by giving an eerily creative twist to the 1990s classic ‘Ek Din Aap’, sung by Kumar Sanu himself, as she adds in an extra flexible acrobatic performance with it.

Amazed by Anuska’s act, Kumar Sanu sings praises her, saying: “In just three minutes, you unfolded a blockbuster movie, mounted on a scale of Rs 100 crore. Your performance left me questioning if you have any bones in your body. It was simply mind-blowing! To be honest, I’ve never witnessed a concept like this before. Hats off to your brilliant choreographers who conceived this ‘Haddi-Tod romance’. Your creativity truly knows no bounds.”

Fellow judge Vishal Dadlani lauds Anuska and her choreographers Pratik and Paul, and said: “You managed to infuse a dark and unexpected twist into a classic romantic song, something no one could have imagined. What made this performance absolutely remarkable was the conflicting emotions it evoked."

“It’s a romantic song, yet you added spine-tingling elements to it. Anuska, your flexible movements, coupled with the concept and song selection, collectively made it an unforgettable performance", he added.

India's new Covid vax candidate can withstand 100 degrees C

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