Latest news with #IISERBhopal
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Drilling for innovations, IISER-Bhopal pioneers India's first CO2 storage well
Bhopal: IISER Bhopal and CSIR-NGRI launched a well-drilling initiative in India as part of the DeCarbFaroe programme, exploring CO₂ mineralisation in basalt for carbon storage purposes. The collaboration encompasses nine countries across Europe and Asia, facilitating the exchange of scientific expertise and advancing sustainable energy transitions. India serves as a key participant in broadening these endeavours. The department of science and technology, govt of India provides financial support for both PERBAS and DeCarbFaroe initiatives. "Our lab was at the forefront of understanding the science of CCS in basalt formations," said Dr. Jyotirmoy Mallik, the lead researcher of this project. "Our recent studies reveal that factors like temperature, porosity, and local mineralogy are pivotal for rapid and secure CO₂ mineralisation, and our models help optimise site selection for future storage projects," added Dr. Mallik. The world faces pressing concerns regarding rising greenhouse gas concentrations, with temperatures nearing the crucial 2°C threshold. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover the AI-powered language app that's changing how everyone learns Talkpal AI Undo The Energy Information Administration (2009) projects that developing nations will account for 59% of global energy growth and 94% of coal usage increases by 2030, leading to 91% of worldwide greenhouse gas emission growth. CO₂ emissions, primarily from fossil fuel use, remain the main driver of climate change, impacting weather systems and biodiversity. As India becomes the third-largest carbon emitter globally, with significant coal reliance, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) offers a vital solution, allowing continued coal usage until 2060. The Geodynamics and Petroleum Geology Lab, led by Dr. Jyotirmoy Mallik at IISER Bhopal's department of earth and environmental sciences, is establishing India's first CO₂ injection well in the Deccan Traps basalt. "CCS technology extracts CO₂ from industrial emissions before release into the atmosphere. The captured CO₂, mixed with water, is injected deep underground for permanent storage in geological structures, specifically saline aquifers or Deccan trap basalt rocks," said Dr Malik. The Deccan Basalt, covering 500,000 sq. km with considerable depth, presents distinctive CCS opportunities in India. Compared to traditional storage in porous sandstones, basalt enables swift CO₂ mineralisation when combined with water, creating stable carbonate minerals within years. This mineralisation ensures minimal escape risk, securing carbon storage for millennia. The Deccan Trap's mineral composition, abundant in plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene, supports effective CO₂ transformation, although regional basalt properties require detailed assessment. This project extends PERBAS, an international programme evaluating carbon storage safety in flood basalts. PERBAS incorporates lessons from successful trials in Iceland and the United States, where CO₂ mineralisation occurred within two years, applying this knowledge to improve storage approaches in the Deccan Trap. IISER Bhopal and CSIR-NGRI are commencing well drilling under DeCarbFaroe, concentrating on basalt CO₂ mineralisation for scalable carbon sequestration. "This multinational partnership promotes knowledge exchange and supports clean energy adoption, positioning India as a crucial partner," said Dr Mallik.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delayed action on climate change can pose dire threat to MP, warns IISER-MANIT study
Bhopal: A ground-breaking study by researchers of IISER & MANIT has stressed that the state faces a crisis due to climate change, as signalled by extreme weather conditions in MP, and delayed action could pose existential risks to water availability, farming and rural well-being in several parts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The study was published in Theoretical and Applied Climatology Journal and it warns of rising Compound Dry and Hot Events (CDHEs) in Madhya Pradesh (MP) due to climate change. The research was conducted by Dr Somil Swarnkar from IISER Bhopal's department of earth and environmental sciences and Dr Vikas Poonia from MANIT Bhopal's centre of excellence in water management. The simultaneous occurrence of heatwaves and droughts, known as CDHEs, poses significant risks to water availability, agricultural production, and community welfare. "Analysis of weather data spanning 1958 to 2022 reveals a notable increase in extreme weather incidents, particularly since 1990," said Dr Swarnakar. Northern regions including Bhind, Morena, and Gwalior, alongside eastern districts such as Sidhi, Shahdol, and Satna, face the greatest impact. "These areas recorded reduced monsoon precipitation and elevated temperatures throughout the year," said Dr Poonia. Post-1990 data indicates heightened CDHE occurrence in these zones, with Sidhi experiencing the most severe effects, followed by Shahdol and Satna. The agricultural economy of MP faces particular vulnerability to these combined weather pressures. Researchers employed traditional climate measurements including the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Temperature Index (STI), alongside the novel LMFDH metric, revealing increased correlation between temperature extremes and rainfall deficits. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The researchers advocate implementing Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), encompassing rainwater collection, groundwater replenishment, and efficient irrigation techniques. Agricultural adaptations should include drought-resistant crops and agroforestry practices. Additional recommendations include early warning systems and income diversification through alternative activities. The findings emphasise the necessity for immediate policy intervention, particularly in vulnerable districts. Essential support measures include agricultural insurance, financial assistance, and community education programmes. The study suggests that delayed action could seriously impact farming sustainability and rural prosperity.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
IISER Admit Card 2025 now out: Check steps to download and other details
The IISER Admit Card 2025 is now available for download on the official website starting today, May 15, 2025, from 3 PM onwards. Candidates who have successfully registered can log into their accounts on the official portal to download the IAT 2025 hall ticket and check their exam centre details and timings. The IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025 will be conducted on May 25, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at exam centres across the country. Qualifying this exam is mandatory for admission to the BS degree programme (offered exclusively at IISER Bhopal) and the BS-MS dual degree programmes. Participating institutes include IISERs in Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tirupati, along with IISc Bangalore and IIT Madras. How to Download IISER Admit Card 2025 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Joguei meu saca-rolhas no lixo depois que descobri isso Vinovation Undo 1. Visit the official IISER Admissions website at [ 2. On the homepage, find and click on the 'IISER Admit Card' link. 3. You will be redirected to the login page. Live Events 4. Enter your registered login ID and password. 5. Once logged in, your IISER Admit Card 2025 will appear on the screen. 6. Carefully review all the details mentioned on the admit card. 7. Download and print at least two copies of the admit card for future use. The IISER Entrance Exam Admit Card 2025 will contain all the essential details required for the examination. These include the candidate's name, application number, roll number, and the complete exam schedule. It will also mention the allotted exam centre along with its full address. Additionally, the admit card will display the candidate's photograph, signature, father's name, and contact details. Candidates must verify all the information carefully and ensure that the details are accurate, as any discrepancy could lead to issues on the exam day.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
IISER-Bhopal team develops web-based solution to predict bacterial enzymes for pollutant breakdown
Bhopal: The widespread industrial growth and urbanisation have led to greater use of synthetic chemicals, including pesticides, fertilisers, and various plastics (PE, PET, PU, PVC). Poor waste management practices resulted in these chemicals and heavy metals building up in soil and water bioremediation methods require extensive laboratory work and costly analytical techniques. While natural microbial enzymes can break down complex pollutants, their identification using current methods is time-consuming and requires significant resources. A team in Bhopal plans to simplify and streamline the bioremediation process. XenoBug , a web-based solution developed by a team at IISER Bhopal , uses machine learning, neural networks, and chemo-informatics to predict bacterial metabolic enzymes capable of biodegrading specific contaminants. The system houses a comprehensive database containing approximately 3.3 million enzyme sequences from environmental metagenomes and 16 million enzymes from 38,000 bacterial genomes. The study was recently published in Nucleic Acids Research Genomics and Bioinformatics (2025). A team led by Dr Vineet Sharma, professor department of biological sciences in IISER has done the research work and the team also includes Dr Aditya S Malwe and Usha Longwani. The platform uses 6,814 enzyme substrates to train Random Forest and Artificial Neural Network classifiers. XenoBug operates through three distinct modules: Module-1 employs two multilabel classifiers for reaction class prediction, Module-2 uses six multilabel models for reaction subclass prediction, and Module-3 utilises structural similarity searches for complete reaction prediction. This tool helps identify bacterial enzymes for pollutant breakdown , determine bacterial groups and pathways linked to specific pollutant degradation, helping in developing effective bioremediation approaches. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Remarkable Oscar Outfits Ever Interesticle Undo It enhances knowledge of pollutant-bacterial interactions and their biodegradation research stands out for its extensive enzyme substrate database, coverage of environmental bacterial genomes and metagenomes, and proven effectiveness across various pollutant types, including pesticides, environmental contaminants, pharmaceutical products, and hydrocarbons. The predictive algorithms analyse chemical structures and connect them with possible degradative pathways, simplifying the discovery of new bioremediation system's database includes numerous environmental samples, providing reliable predictions for various pollutant types. It handles queries related to persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceutical compounds, industrial chemicals, and agricultural pesticides. The machine learning models, trained using verified enzyme-substrate interactions, deliver reliable predictions. XenoBug's modular design enables systematic analysis of degradation pathways. "The practical benefits include faster identification of suitable bacterial strains for bioremediation projects, reduced laboratory testing costs, and more targeted experimental designs," said Prof Sharma. Environmental scientists can use these predictions to develop more effective clean-up strategies for contaminated areas, he added. This computational approach provides insights that are typically challenging to obtain through conventional laboratory methods.
