Page 27 - COVID_19_June_4_2020

Scientists and healthcare professionals over the world are trying for a cure for the pandemic, which afflicts the world today.At present, available treatments are focused only on symptomatic relief to help the patient overcome the infection. Repurposing of pre-existing drugs could help circumvent both the time and money required to find an effective cure.
The research group of Prof.Vikash Kumar Dubey is working on developing new drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 by exploring DrugBank (DrugBank is a database of FDA-approved drug compounds. This database will be used for searching drug against SARS-CoV-2) database compounds as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease, a key enzyme required for SARS- CoV-2 assembly and multiplication. They will be carrying out extensive computational and experimental studies to identify an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease.
Website link:
https://dst.gov.in/iit-bhu-re-purpose-approved-drugs-drugbank-database-treating-covid-19-targeting-sars-cov-2- main
We need to examine knowledge chain to see how S&T will lead to Atmanirbhar Bharat: DST Secretary at Rajasthan STRIDE Virtual Summit
Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST, Government of India, stressed on the need to examine and strengthen the knowledge chain end to end to see how Science & Technology will lead to Atmanirbhar Bharat while speaking at the Rajasthan STRIDE Virtual Conclave, an initiative by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of Rajasthan organized on 30th May, 2020.
“Since there is a call for Atmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliance, it has to be responded with global quality.To become self-reliant, we have to build up on the strengths of India, which are its R&D, Design, workforce, huge markets, demographic dividend, its diversity, and data,” he said.
Focusing on Science, Society and Self-reliance, Professor Sharma touched upon the learnings from the COVID-19 crisis. “In the last two months, great things have happened in terms of bringing solutions for COVID-19, be it designing world-class ventilators or new diagnostic methods. All this has happened because of a clear and present understanding of our needs and priorities and a problem-centric approach which involved both academia and industry as partners.We can build on our strengths and the lessons of COVID-19 with speed and scale by strongly connecting our knowledge generation systems with knowledge consumption for the benefit of both,” he said.
Website link:
https://dst.gov.in/we-need-examine-knowledge-chain-see-how-st-will-lead-atmanirbhar-bharat-dst-secretary-ra- jasthan
Innovative disinfection & sanitization solutions by common people selected in NIF’s Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3)
National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF), an autonomous body of the DST, has recently supported two innovative disinfection solutions by common people which were received as a response to its Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3).
A Vehicle Disinfectant Bay and a Foot-operated Height Adjustable Hands-Free Sanitizer Dispenser Stand are the two recently supported innovations under the campaign.
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