India, Taiwan team up on solar tech to turn carbon emissions into green energy
In a promising development in the fight against climate change, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), Chennai, has created a photocatalytic system that uses sunlight to convert harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable renewable fuels. The research, done in collaboration with National Taiwan University, is published in the respected journal Nano Energy and marks a significant step forward in green chemistry.advertisementProfessor Indrajit Shown and his team, along with Dr Li-Chyong Chen's group, engineered a novel material called ZnS/ZnInS (ZIS) heterostructure photocatalyst.This material uses solar energy to efficiently transform CO into hydrocarbons, specifically acetaldehyde -- a useful chemical for producing sustainable fuels.
HITS Professor in collaboration
200x EFFICIENCY BOOST IN CO2 CONVERSION
The researchers developed this ZnS/ZIS composite through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method, introducing a new mechanism called the strain-induced direct Z-scheme.This major development has boosted the efficiency of CO2 conversion by 200 times compared to older ZnS-based systems.'Our work aims to go beyond scientific curiosity,' said Professor Shown. 'It focuses on practical solutions to reduce CO2, a major greenhouse gas, and turn it into something valuable. This research highlights the strength of international teamwork between HITS and National Taiwan University in addressing global environmental challenges.'advertisementOne of the key achievements is that the system uses visible light to produce acetaldehyde selectively, a critical feature for developing green fuel technologies.Careful testing using isotope-labeled CO2 confirmed that the hydrocarbons generated come directly from CO2, ruling out contamination.This innovation supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Industry Innovation, and Responsible Consumption.The team now plans to further develop this technology for real-world applications, potentially transforming how we tackle carbon emissions and energy production.Must Watch
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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Sperm donor with cancer-linked mutation fathered 67 children across Europe; 10 diagnosed with cancer
A sperm donor carrying a rare genetic mutation associated with a high risk of cancer has fathered at least 67 children across Europe, with 10 of them now diagnosed with cancers including brain tumours and Hodgkin lymphoma, according to researchers speaking at a genetics conference in Milan. The donor, who remains healthy, carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which can cause Li-Fraumeni syndrome—a hereditary condition that significantly raises the risk of developing cancer early in life. The mutation was undetected at the time of donation. 'This is heavy and stressful for carriers,' said Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, who presented the findings at the European Society of Human Genetics annual conference. 'But we have seen [surveillance] enable early detection of tumours and thus improved patients' chances of survival.' According to Kasper, children conceived using the donor's sperm were born between 2008 and 2015 to 46 families in eight European countries: France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Thirteen of the donor-conceived children carry the mutation but have not developed cancer so far. They now require lifelong monitoring, including regular MRI scans and clinical evaluations due to their elevated risk and a 50% chance of passing the mutation to their own offspring. The donor had contributed exclusively to European Sperm Bank, a private facility based in Denmark. 'At the heart of the problem seems to lie the regulation, or maybe the lack of regulation, of the number of births by a single donor,' Kasper said. The European Sperm Bank responded in a statement to CNN, acknowledging the situation as troubling. 'The donor has been thoroughly tested even above the required standards,' said Julie Paulli Budtz, the bank's vice president of corporate communications. 'But preventative genetic screening is reaching its limits here. It's scientifically not possible to detect disease-causing mutations in every gene unless you know what you're looking for.' Unlike France, where sperm donors are limited to 10 births, Denmark allows up to 12 and Germany permits up to 15. The lack of uniformity across Europe is a key issue, as per experts. To prevent future cases, the European Sperm Bank said it has voluntarily implemented a self-imposed international limit of 75 families per donor, although this is above the legal limit in several individual countries. (With inputs from CNN)
India Today
5 days ago
- India Today
Sperm donor with cancer gene fathers 67 children, 10 of them have cancer now
A shocking case from Europe has ignited concerns over sperm donation regulations.A donor, who unknowingly carried a rare cancer-linked genetic mutation, has fathered at least 67 children, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with donor's sperm, used between 2008 and 2015, led to children being born in eight European countries, which has raised urgent questions about the limits placed on donor use and genetic screening The issue came to light during a presentation by Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, at the annual European Society of Human Genetics conference in researcher explained that the donor carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which is linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic disorder known to increase a person's lifetime risk of developing the time of the donations, the mutation was not known or detectable through standard genetic donor appeared healthy, and his sperm was distributed only through a private sperm bank in Denmark, the European Sperm Bank. However, years later, a pattern emerged as doctors across Europe began to notice a worrying trend among children conceived with his sperm. A donor, who unknowingly carried a rare cancer-linked genetic mutation, has fathered at least 67 children, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with cancer. () advertisementSo far, 10 children have developed serious cancers such as brain tumors, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. An additional 13 children carry the mutation and are at high risk of developing cancer in the future."This mutation acts like a ticking time bomb. Children who inherited it need lifelong monitoring with frequent and intensive screenings," Kasper said in a press have recommended regular whole-body MRIs, brain scans, and abdominal ultrasounds for affected the process is stressful and heavy, early detection has already helped catch some cancers early, giving affected children a better chance at makes this case more alarming is that there is currently no international limit on how many children can be born from a single sperm donor, according to a report by The the European Sperm Bank has since implemented its own limit of 75 families per donor, the damage may have already been done."This case is deeply troubling. We followed and even exceeded genetic screening protocols, but no test can screen for all 20,000 human genes unless you know exactly what to look for," said Julie Paulli Budtz, Vice President of Corporate Communications at the European Sperm Bank told complexity of sperm donations across borders also poses a significant donor sperm is distributed internationally, it becomes increasingly difficult to track outcomes and ensure the donor is reportedly still healthy and unaware of the mutation at the time of donation, the fact remains that his genetic variant has now impacted dozens of children and their families, many of whom now face lifelong medical team has called for genetic counselling for all affected children and for a serious review of sperm donation Watch
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Sperm donor unknowingly carried rare cancer gene—10 of his children now diagnosed
A sperm donor whose genetic material was used to conceive at least 67 children across Europe unknowingly carried a rare cancer-causing gene mutation, and now 10 of those children have developed cancer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now How the case was discovered? The troubling discovery centers around a mutation in the TP53 gene, commonly associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, one of the most severe inherited cancer predisposition syndromes. The donor's sperm, distributed by the European Sperm Bank, was used between 2008 and 2015. At the time of donation, the mutation was not known to be linked to cancer and would not have been detectable using standard screening. The issue came to light after two families, unaware of each other, contacted their fertility clinics following cancer diagnoses in their children. Subsequent analysis confirmed the TP53 variant in the donor's sperm, prompting further investigation. Geneticists and pediatric departments across eight European countries began testing other families who had used the same donor, eventually identifying 67 children from 46 families. Of these, 23 carried the variant, 10 of whom have been diagnosed with cancer, including cases of leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A hidden mutation and a trail of diagnoses Dr. Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, presented the case at the European Society of Human Genetics conference in Milan. 'We need to have a European limit on the number of births or families for a single donor,' she said. 'We can't do whole-genome sequencing for all sperm donors – I'm not arguing for that. But this is the abnormal dissemination of genetic disease. Not every man has 75 children across Europe. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' Kasper said her team analyzed the mutation using population and patient databases, computer prediction tools, and functional trial data. 'I analysed the variant using population and patient databases, computer prediction tools and the results of functional trials and came to the conclusion that the variant was probably cancer-causing and that children born from this donor should receive genetic counselling,' she explained. Children with the TP53 mutation are now advised to undergo regular whole-body MRIs, brain scans, and abdominal ultrasounds. As they grow older, breast MRIs are also recommended. Case sparks concerns in the fertility industry The European Sperm Bank confirmed that over 67 children were conceived using the donor's sperm but declined to give an exact number. Its spokesperson, Julie Paulli Budtz said: 'We are deeply affected by this case.' She added: 'We welcome continued dialogue on setting an internationally mandated family limit and have advocated for this on several occasions. This is also why we have proactively implemented our own international limit of 75 families per donor. ' Budtz also emphasized the difficulty in catching such rare mutations in advance. 'It is scientifically simply not possible to detect disease-causing mutations in a person's gene pool if you don't know what you are looking for,' she said. Still, Kasper expressed concern about the lack of transparency. 'Is 67 the total? It's a really good question that I've asked the sperm bank. They didn't want to tell me the denominator of the births for this donor,' she said. As more donor-conceived children continue to be diagnosed, the case underscores the urgent need for cross-border cooperation and reform in the fertility industry, before another family unknowingly inherits more than they bargained for.
