Name of the Genetically Modified (GM) indoor plant to remove pollutants inside the house.

NASA's first flight to the moon Apollo 8 is marking its 50th anniversary. On Dec. 21st, 1968, three men flew to the moon for the first time in human history. Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders orbited the moon on Christmas Eve, reading from the Book of Genesis. To this day, the mission is considered NASA's boldest and perhaps most dangerous undertaking ever. NASA whipped it together in four months, in order to beat the Soviets to the moon.

For the first time ever, a team of Indian astronomers has discovered some sources in the universe that emit radio waves in a totally new mechanism, by using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) which is located at Khodad in Junnar, 80 kms away from Pune. The team is headed by TIFR-National Centre for Radio Astronomy (NCRA) who is responsible for operating GMRT. They have discovered a rare source called 'Extremely Inverted Spectrum Extragalactic Radio Sources'. GMRT is highly sensitive and has a low range feature. Emissions were captured at frequencies around 150 MHz (megahertz).

NASA's the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered an Earth-sized planet, HD 21749b and a "sub-Neptune" world, revolving around the star, HD 21749. The star lies 53 light-years from Earth. The research study has been published on 15th April, 2019 in 'The Astrophysical Journal Letters'. TESS was launched to Earth orbit in April 2018 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. One tool termed as 'Planet Finder Spectrograph' (PFS) on the 'Magellan II telescope' in Chile helped to confirm the planetary nature of the TESS signal and measure the mass of HD 21749b. HD 21749b is about 23 times heavier and 2.7 times wider than Earth. It is gaseous, has a substantial atmosphere but not as puffy as Uranus and Neptune. HD 21749b has an orbital period of 36 Earth days.

Japanese unmanned spacecraft, Hayabusa2 reached Asteriod Ryugu on June,2018. Since then, the spacecraft landed multiple robotic probes on its rocky terrain of the Asteroid Ryugu.The spacecraft had surveyed 69,000 locations covering almost 90 percent of Asteroid Ryugu by using a near-infrared spectrometer capable of detecting hydrated minerals.According to its study published in U.S. Journal Science,the spacecraft probed and found the small amounts of minerals containing water on the surface of the asteroid.A part of the water might be from asteroids and comets.

US researchers have used HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) to develop a gene therapy that cured 8 infants who were treated at St. Jude and at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco of a rare combined immunodeficiency disease termed as "bubble boy" disorder. Results of the research were developed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee hospital and were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, have developed an ultrasensitive quantum thermometer by using graphene quantum dots. It can precisely measure a wide range of temperature from 27 degree C to -196 degree C. It has high sensitivity in different temperatures and can measure every little (micro Kelvin) changes in temperature and has an extremely quick response time of just about 300 milliseconds. The team led by Saikh S. Islam, Director of the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology developed the thermometer. The results of the study were published in the journal Nanoscale Advances.

Scientists have developed a device named WAND which stands for "Wireless artifact-free neuromodulation device" that works like a "Pacemaker for the brain" to monitor the brain's electrical activity and potentially deliver fine-tuned treatments to patients suffering from diseases like epilepsy and Parkinson's. The most important feature of the device is that it is both wireless and autonomous, which means when it learns to recognize the signs of tremor or seizures then it can adjust the stimulation parameters on its own to prevent the unwanted movements. The device has custom integrated circuits to record the full signal from both the subtle brain wave and the strong electrical pulses.

Bengaluru Raptors have won their first ever Premier Badminton League, PBL title. In the title clash played at Bengaluru, Bengaluru edged out Mumbai Rockets, with a 4-3 win. Star player Kidambi Srikanth, Vu Ji Trang and the Men's Doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Satiawan won their matches for Bengaluru guiding them to victory.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 29 satellites including the primary payload EMISAT, on the first of April. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C45 will take off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota tentatively at 9:30 AM carrying the satellites onboard. EMISAT has been developed for monitoring radar network by India. EMISAT, weighing 436 kg, is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement. It will be placed in an orbit of about 753 km altitude. The customer payloads are from Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and the US. They will be hurled into space at an altitude of about 505 km.

Karnataka's Kaiga Atomic power station created a world record for the longest uninterrupted operation for 962 days on December 10. It had earlier set a record of 941 days. The earlier record of 940 days by Heysham-2 unit 2 was set by the United Kingdom. Generating Station-1 (KGS-1) at Kaiga in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka has now been shut down for maintenance after 962 days of operation. It will be commissioned again after the maintenance activities. Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) said that during its continuous operation of 962 days KGS-1 had produced 5 billion units of electricity at a plant load factor of 99.3%. Kaiga has four indigenously developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors of 220 MW each fuelled by domestic fuel. Of them, KGS-2 has been operating since the last 661 days.