Who is planning to send a probe to study the sun early next year?

The Center for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists have discovered a new enzyme called "Murein EndopeptidiaseK" while studying the cell growth in bacteria. This new discovery has paved the way for a new drug treatment that prevents anti-bacterial resistance by existing antibiotics.It would act on the protein of cell wall in Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.Pavan Kumar Chodisetti, research student and his mentor Dr. Manjula Reddy were the backbone of this discovery. The finding has been published in the latest issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA.

The year 2021 will be a busy year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as it has set itself the target to send astronauts to space. The Gaganyaan project by the space agency will make India the fourth nation to independently send humans into space announced ISRO chief Dr. K Sivan. The Gaganyaan project was announced by PM Modi on Independence Day last year and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last month had said that three Indian astronauts will be sent to space for up to seven days by 2022 as part of the Gaganyaan.

Scientists have discovered evidence of abundant water-bearing minerals on the surface of the near-earth asteroid Bennu. Data from NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that is currently orbiting the asteroid confirm the presence of aqueously altered, hydrated minerals on its surface. Scientists say similar objects may have seeded the earth with water and organic materials.

Israel's first moon lander, the 585 kg "Beresheet" ("Genesis" in Hebrew), was launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX in Florida, United States. At a cost of USD 100 million, it is the lowest-budget spacecraft to ever undertake such a mission. It is part of renewed global interest in the Moon, sometimes called the "Eighth Continent" of the Earth. The project is funded almost entirely by donations making it the first privately backed lunar lander mission.It was notably financed by businessman and philanthropist Morris Kahn. Other partners include Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's space agency and Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology. Beresheet carries a "time capsule" loaded with digital files containing a Bible, children's drawings, Israeli songs, memories of a Holocaust survivor and the blue-and-white Israeli flag. Landing is the main mission, but the spacecraft also carries a scientific instrument to measure the lunar magnetic field, which will help understanding of the Moon's formation.

Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar have developed world's Thinnest Material by making usage of Magnesium Diboride. It has its utility in next-generation materials and UV absorbing films.

Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have developed a system that can produce electricity and hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide. The Hybrid Na-CO2 system can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen through efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion with stable operation for over 1,000 hours. The key to this technology is the easy conversion of chemically stable CO2 molecules to other materials. Much of human CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and turned into acidity. The researchers focused on this phenomenon and came up with the idea of melting CO2 into water to induce an electrochemical reaction.If acidity increases, the number of protons increases, which in turn increases the power to attract electrons. If a battery system is created based on this phenomenon, electricity can be produced by removing CO2. In particular, this system has shown stability to the point of operating for more than 1,000 hours without damage to electrodes. The system can be applied to remove CO2 by inducing voluntary chemical reactions.

NASA's Anne McClain and Nick Hague took a spacewalk on 22nd March to replace ageing batteries on the International Space Station. Two American astronauts worked for several hours to swap three nickel-hydrogen batteries with more powerful lithium-ion ones. The duo overcame minor struggles in their first task, which involved attaching a tool bag on one of the station's trusses for possible future use. The space station uses solar panels to generate power but the batteries are used when it is in the dark and not getting power from the sun.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft broke a record after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu - the smallest cosmic object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, 110 million kilometers away, carried out a single, eight-second burn of its thrusters. The manoeuvre placed the spacecraft into orbit around the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft will circle Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States has approved first vaccine named Dengvaxia for the prevention of dengue disease but with certain conditions that use dengue vaccine only in people who have a previous history of the disease. The vaccine is also known as CYD-TDV and made by company Sanofi Pasteur. The vaccine is a live, attenuated dengue virus. Under the vaccination, 3 doses will be provided to the patient and after 1st dose there will be a difference of 6 months between 1st dose and 2nd dose and also a difference of 6 months between 2nd dose and 3rd dose.

China lifted its broadband communication system by launching a Long March - 3B carrier rocket with 'ChinaSat 6C' into a geostationary orbit in Sichuan province. The'ChinaSat 6C' was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. It is a 19 story tall rocket which is expected to provide high quality radio and television transmission services. It marked 300th launch of the Long March carrier rocket series which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and will be operated by China Satellite Communications Co. Ltd. The satellite will cover China, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Island Countries. Nearly 97% of China's total launch missions was on Long March rocket series.