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My top 10 science stories in 2009Bergin.G,MDO,SSA, Kanyakumari Distriict.

Click to continue 15BT Brinjal controversyBt Brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created out of inserting a gene [Cry 1Ac] from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into Brinjal. The insertion of the gene into the Brinjal cell in young cotyledons has been done through an Agrobacterium-mediated vector, along with other genes like promoters, markers etc. This is said to give the Brinjal plant resistance against lepidopteran insects like the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) and Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera). It is reported that upon ingestion of the Bt toxin by the insect, there would be disruption of digestive processes, ultimately resulting in the death of the insect. Rats fed Bt brinjal had diarrhoea, increased water consumption; decrease in liver weight, and liver to body weight. Health and Environmental impacts makes Bt Brinjal an environmental and health controversy in India.

Click to continue 77The H1N1 - swine fluSwine influenza(also calledpig influenza,swine flu,hog fluandpig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenzavirus. Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead tohuman influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodiesin the blood. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food.

Click to continue 59AIDS Vaccine

In September 2009, for thefirst time a vaccine againstAIDShas shown effectiveness amounghumans in Thailand .

Although modest, it is very encouraging for the scientific community.

Although the degree of protection they have observed is truly modest, the study is a major scientificbreakthrough.

Click to continue 34Water on the moon

On November 13, 2009, scientists from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite said unequivocally there is water on the moon and plenty of it.Chandrayaan 1 carried a NASA radar on board which has detected deposits of water ice at both poles of the moon.

Click to continue 83Retinal implantMIT researchers seem to be developing a retinal implant that could Aid in restoring some amount of vision that may be necessary to certain group of blind people. The chip may not restore normal vision but it could assist Blind in navigating the room mare easily or to help Walk down a side walk.The Retinal Implant Research Group has developed a microelectronic retinal implant to restore vision to patients with age-related macular degeneration and blindness. A microchip will be implanted into the patient's eyeball. A pair of glasses equipped with a tiny camera will transmit information to that microchip that will pass along recognizable visual information to the human brain, enough information to allow a blind person to navigate the room or recognize objects. Dr. Joseph Rizzo and Professor John Wyatt co-founded the Boston Retinal Implant Project (BRIP). The collaboration was initiated between the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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