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Vol. 3, Issue : 2

Wednesday, February 10,

“Innovate to empower agriculture”

Jatropha cultivation has seen a ray of hope for India

Genetic Engineering Doubles Biomass Production and Protects Plants from
Develop Reading Skill Devastating Insects
among children
In India, the challenges before the viable solution to these challenges to met
Reading is essential for the Jatropha cultivation by the farmers the fuel crisis. At the same time govern-
children as it helps them develop are the following: more than 50% yield ment should enact a bio-fuel friendly pub-
ini tia ti ve , origina lity a nd of Jatropha oil from the lic policy which will further the growth of
character, besides providing seeds hybrid seeds the Jatropha plantation in the country.
entertainment instruction and which
invaluable experiences. Reading is drought In the quest for finding an answer, when
also enables the children to see and flood Dr Kalam visited University of Central
possibilities, alternatives and Florida, College of Medi-
options that they could not see cine, Orlando,
before. A well read child seeks USA recently he
meaning in his or her day to day held discussions with
life and desires to unfold the the researchers and
mysteries of the wonderful world the scholars at the
of nature, science and intricacies UCF. U.S. govern-
of human relations. ment scientists have
estimated that up to
1.3 billion
Thirst for reading books should re- dry tons
be generated by parents and could be
teachers. Parents should not wait pro-
till their children grow up but start duced
familiarizing them with book right sistant,
from them the young age. higher
yield in
less or
Recommending or providing
minimum
right kind of books to children is
water con-
equally important. Thrusting upon
dition in
a child a book which is of little or
waste
no interest to it is a sure way of
lands, pro-
killing his appetite. tection from
devastating
Capability building can be done insects,
through reading camp which will successful
enhance reading skills of a child large scale
like - speed reading, information multipli-
handing and absorbing the cation of
material quickly and effectively. hybrid Jat-
interest in the children. ropha varieties
using tissue cul-
Reading habit generates
ture. Indian R&D
knowledge. Knowledge makes the has to work cease-
children great. - Dr Kalam lessly to find a

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 E-Paper billion beats 2

Jatropha cultivation has seen a ray of hope for India

annually in the US by 2030 for bio-energy production. If 90% of the sugars derived
from the biomass were utilized by a biological process for ethanol production, 130
billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol could be produced. Estimates of energy pro-
duced from biomass worldwide are quite variable. An in depth analysis concluded
that world biofuel production could reach 164 Ej, or approximately 35% of world
primary energy use. Based on a theoretical yield of 113 gallons of ethanol per ton
of dry corn Stover (US DOE), a 5% increase in biomass would deliver an additional
621 million gallons of ethanol annually, which is equal to 10% of 2007 corn ethanol
production (Salas-
Fernandez et al., 2009).
During the green revolu-
tion, the major focus
was on development of
short lodging-tolerant
crops that were well
adapted to mechanical
harvest and high grain
yield proportional to ni-
trogen input. In con-
trast, the main goal for
bioenergy crops would
be maximal yield of
vegetative tissues and
biomass. For food crops,
increased biomass is an
added value.

Sap-sucking insects are among the most devastating insect pests worldwide. These
insects have piercing and sucking mouth-parts and feed upon sap. They include the
aphids, whiteflies and leafhoppers. Many species are serious pests of agricultural
and horticultural crops worldwide. Crop damage is caused not only as a direct re-
sult of feeding, but also the injury caused by insertion of the mouthparts produces
lesions through which a variety of plant pathogens enter. Some of the most serious
damage caused by these pests is due to their role as vectors of plant viruses. It is
well known that trichomes secrete secondary metabolites that are toxic to insects.
Therefore, plants were genetically modified with a single foreign gene
(β-glucosidase) to enhance biomass and confer other valuable agronomic traits.

Expression of β-glucosidase in plant chloroplasts doubled the plant biomass (190%)

than unmodified plants, increased leaf area (160%), internode length (180%), height
(145%) and glandular trichomes in the upper (1033%) and lower leaf surface (765%).
In addition, when plants were confined to an insect-proof nylon mesh bag after
introduction of newly emerged whiteflies or neonatal nymphs for 25 days, there
were 1838% more whiteflies and 1496% more aphids on untransformed plants than
genetically modified plants. β-glucosidase is an important enzyme needed for
biofuel production but it is commercially sold at $125,000/kg by Novozymes,
making cellulosic ethanol industry not commercially feasible. In addition to
doubling the biomass and protecting plants from harmful insects, these genetically
modified plants produce low cost β-glucosidase, a thousand fold less expensive
than currently available technologies.

This project has demonstrated for the first time that it is feasible to double plant
biomass using genetic modification of plants with a single enzyme. In addition, GM
plants are protected from devastating insects and yield a valuable enzyme for bio-
fuel production. These novel concepts make biofuel production from biomass a re-
ality. Certainly this work will be a boon for bio-fuel research and Jatropha cultiva-
tion in India. Indian Agricultural Universities need to further this effort to ensure
that the farmers of Jatropha get the benefits at the earliest.— V. PONRAJ
February 10, 2010

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 E-Paper billion beats 3

SMILE THAT DARK NIGHT!

A happy smile is a
passport of friendship. A That dark night! But her children sourced, and
genuine smile is not just The ‘Mother Nature’ alerted, and resourced most powerful
a natural gift. It shows cautioned the human kind energies of her, and
on the face ,but it to be on truthful path of life.
comes from the heart. It Fired her body furiously
reflects the person's with unclear energy.
view on life and other
people. The value of She was so kind that
smiling face is great. We the movement she gave birth The Mother Nature
know only too well what
a depressing effect it
She had sourced helplessly shaken for a while, and
has upon us, when we plentiful of resources for all. Only the innocent’s were made
meet someone who shelter less, Shapeless, and
looks sad ,miserable and
full of self pity. This That dark night! were thrown in to ashes for many
mood is infectious. but years.
fortunately so is the
The great ‘Mother Nature’, has
spirit of cheerfulness. A sensed the human kind that
popular proverb says: She had sourced resources One dark night!
smile a while, for when
very selectively, and The Mother Nature felt very happy,
you smile another
smiles, and soon there have to be exchanged That her children did built
are miles and miles of quite effectively, only greater economic zones, only
smiles, because you to build human relations to part with the rest
smile! The smile that is
really genuine is some-
across the globe. who are with thirst and hunger.
thing that springs from
the heart, but all the
same there is a value in One dark night But the grater economic zones
going through the mo- ‘The Mother Nature’ was so thrilled became better barter zones, and
tions of smiling because
That her children have started parting with the rest, by
of the connection that squeezing their sweat, and
exists between the learned enough to pull resources,
physical and the mental. from Superficial layers of her body, left the rest only in the dust.
Frank Bettger, an ameri- to satisfy their thirst, and
can salesman and writer to move with pace. That dark night!
found that a "daily morn-
ing smile practice ses-
The Mother Nature swept again, and
sion in front of a mirror"
But her children, started drilling Tears of her eye’s turned in to floods,
was virtually necessary and
to reshape his personal-right through her head, and
ity in a short time. He
started flushing the greater economic
Started reaching zones.
smiled and tried to be
in to the depths of her body, causing
like that as often as pos-
sible. Continuous stress and strain, and
left her with restless nights. I pry ‘The Almighty’ to
The good things are Give my ‘Mother Nature’
not only in your mind. much more patience and strength, to
They are all around in That Dark night!
your home, on your way The Helpless Mother Nature wept, bear with ware and tare, that is
to work, at school, in and her tears turned in to tsunami, causing to her continuously, and
the office or factory. and swept the coasts into the Paining her endlessly.
Practice the art of ob- depths of sea.
servation, and let pleas-
ure bring that smile to
your face again, Notice One Dark Night! Visakhapatnam,
and respond to anything The Mother Nature sensed, and A.R.SREPADA.
and everything that has warned not to touch for want of,
the power of giving you unwanted energies of Dt.07.12.07.
pleasure, however flut- her superficial body.
ing. —- See Next Page.

February 10, 2010

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SMILE
A smile is an expression
from you from your
heart. it's a way of in-
stantly connecting with
others and expressing
joy,warmth and care. It's
a gift you give without
thinking. imagine not
being able to smile at
your parent, friends or
siblings. What would
that be like for you how
important is your smile
to you now? your smile is
only taken away by you.
You have the ability to
smile at will. Yet, how
often do you with hold it
because you are walking
around with a frown on
your face, glaring at
people, or just not see-
ing people, because you
are so frazzled and busy?
How does not smiling
affect your interactions
at work and in life?
Your smile is very
important. when you
recognize that it is more
than a just simple smile,
when you give it away
freely because you can,
It will uplift both you
and the people you are
smiling at. Practice liv-
ing success.....from the
inside out everyday by
appreciating the impor-
tance of the smile. with
every smile you freely
give, may it take up one
step closer to your suc-
cess!!!
Remember: Smile,
and the world smiles
with you. what simpler
or greater gift is there?
RESHMA BHAT
B.E 1ST YEAR STUDENT
D/O A.P.BHAT
"SRI LAXMI KRIPA"
INDRALI TEMPLE
ROAD,INDRALI
KUNJIBETTU POST,
UDUPI-576102
KARNATAKA
February 10, 2010
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E-Paper billion beats 4
A mission to propagate Mathematics
Since many years people have been engaged in propagating
mathematics in many different ways. One of the basic problems that a
student or a teacher faces is, whom to ask for clearing a doubt? Is my
doubt genuine? Here is a forum called IMEN – India Mathematics Edu-
cation Network – a forum for mathematics students, teachers, or any one
who is interested in mathematics and mathematics education. Last year
some of us had participated in the International Congress on Mathemat-
ics Education held at Monterrey, Mexico. We then realized that there is
much to be done in improving the mathematics teaching in schools and
that the teachers often find it difficult to clear their doubts. Please log on
to http://india-men.ning.com. This network has already more than three
hundred members, where they blog, chat events, hold discussion, answer
questions and connect to all those from any part of the world. Interested
students, faculties can make use and contribute towards the growth of
mathematical knowledge.
Prof. Ambat Vijayakumar
Dept. of Mathematics
Reader, Department of Mathematics
Cochin University of Science &Technology
Cochin-682 022, INDIA
Tel:0484-2577518(Work),0484-2862464
(work)-0484-2575288(Home):
cell: 09447608851
Email: ambatvijay@rediffmail.com ;
vambat@gmail.com
HOME PAGE :http://maths.cusat.ac.in/vijay/
A POEM - SMILE
What a peaceful life this would be!
A little more hope, a little less despair;
A little more love, a little less hatred;
A little more good, a little less evil;
A little more truth, a little less falsehood;
A little more joy, a little less sadness;
A little more gentleness, a little less harshness;
are all that is needed to glorify life.
A little more praising, a little less jeering;
A little more trusting. a little less fearing;
A little more courage, when pathways are rough;
A little more patience in trouble and pain;
A little less willing at times to complain;
And oh! what a peaceful life this would be!!!
- RESHMA BHAT, UDUPI
 E-Paper billion beats 5

Science is a life Knowledge Management - a simple approach

time mission - an
Knowledge rules the world. True knowledge leads to wisdom. Right from
Oath for youth the birth of a child, knowledge starts. A child first acquires a fundamental
knowledge from his/her mother. Then starts learning from Father. Then it
1. Science is a life time
proceeds towards brothers/sisters, relatives, friends etc. After that Teach-
mission. I will work,
ers and the Society contribute the person’s knowledge acquirement. So
work and work and
right from the birth of a child, till the end of life learning process never
succeed.
stops.
2. Wherever I am, a
thought will always
come to my mind. Basically we are really confused with skill and knowledge. Driving is a skill
That is what I can whereas how to manufacture a car is a knowledge. Skill can be acquired
innovate, invent or through a constant practice and concentration. But knowledge is a team
discover. work. Skill is an individual effort where as knowledge is a social effort.
3. I will always remem- Knowledge is the path through which we use our driving skills to reach our
ber that “Let not my destination. So we should have clarity about our destination. If we don’t
winged days, be spent know where we are going, then our skills are in vain. After acquiring the
in vain”. knowledge about particular thing, we should use our skill to reach our desti-
4. I realize I have to set a nation.
great scientific goal
that will lead me to
Here is a question before us in which field we must gain our knowledge?
think high, work and
Due to the Technical advancement and IT revolution, there is an ocean of
persevere to realize
the goal.
knowledge waiting in front of us. To apply our knowledge in the particular
5. My greatest friends
field also, we must have a knowledge management skills in us. If we man-
will be great scientific
age our knowledge properly without deviating to unwanted information,
minds, great teachers
our destination will be easier. For eg. School children have technical skills
and great books. to browse the internet. But here question arises what they will browse? If
6. I firmly believe that no they simply navigate the pages, there is a waste of time. Here their manage-
problem can defeat ment skills have to be enhanced on the knowledge oriented topics.
me; I will become the
captain of the prob- Managing the knowledge is also one of the required skills now days. A vast
lem, defeat the prob- source of information is available in the net. They must be guided to man-
lem and succeed. age their knowledge. Here only the role of their Teachers and Parents in-
7. I will work and work
volve more and more. Instead of browsing on raw information, they must
for removing the prob-
be guided to focus their knowledge skills on the specific topics. If there
lems faced by planet
would be a collaborative projects on specific topics, share their ideas
earth in the areas of
through emails, form a topic oriented projects groups etc will definitely
water, energy, habitat,
help them to come out with more valuable results on knowledge manage-
waste management
ment. In this technology era, acquiring knowledge is not limited, but man-
and environment
aging the knowledge is the big task.
through the applica-
tion of science and
technology. So, I conclude this essay by insisting on knowledge management resources
8. My National Flag flies are to be identified and applied properly.
in my heart and I will
bring glory to my na-
K.Sairam
tion. - Dr Kalam
Bangalore. - Contact: 09886991494
February 10, 2010

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 E-Paper billion beats 6

Gene-Gun Low Cost Technology for Cellulosic Ethanol Production from

Waste Biomass - a great business opportunity
Today Energy generation is the challenge in many areas of research be it bio-
energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy or nuclear energy. Everywhere, the chal-
lenge is how to increase the energy efficiency, cost and ultimately helps to bring
substantial moderation in climate change pattern. Today million tonnes of bio
waste are dumped into the garbage across the world without using the full poten-
tial. When Dr Kalam got an email that citrus processing plants in Florida annually
yield about 5 million tons of waste, which could yield 200 million gallons of etha-
nol, he decided to visit the facility at University of Central Florida. Dr John C.
Hitt, President of UCF has received Dr Kalam and his delegation and introduced his
faculty members.

During the discussions it came out that the US Congress ‘Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007’ set the goal for annual production of 16 billion gallons of cel-
lulosic ethanol by 2022 and energy from renewable resources is one among the
highest priorities of the Obama administration. European Union’s requirement that
10% of all transport fuels come from renewable sources makes this a global chal-
lenge. The major biofuel in use today is corn-derived ethanol. In the US, 25-30% of
corn production is currently used for ethanol production, raising prices of corn and
other food/feed sources. Therefore, renewable cellulosic biomass from agricultural
wastes and wood products is a better feedstock for bio-ethanol production. Like-
wise, citrus waste can be hydrolyzed into sugars and fermented into ethanol. Citrus
processing plants in Florida annually yield about 5 million tons of waste, which
could yield 200 million gallons of ethanol.

It seems the cellulosic ethanol is currently not feasible because

of lack of technology and high cost of enzymes. Due to their
complex structure, cellulosic biomass degradation requires dif-
ferent classes of enzymes in large quantities to release ferment-
able sugars. For example, bioethanol process would require 15
kg cellulase per ton of biomass to yield 84 gallons of ethanol
(current cost of cellulase is ~$40,500/kg). Therefore, the first
challenge in cellulosic ethanol technology is to develop an effi-
cient and low cost enzyme production system to yield ferment-
able sugars from waste biomass. Because of the high cost and
limited capacity of producing these enzymes through fermenta-
tion, in planta production of biomass degrading enzymes should
dramatically lower the cost of cellulosic ethanol.

February 10, 2010

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 E-Paper billion beats 7

Gene-Gun
Low Cost Technology for Ethanol production
Dr Kalam visited Dr. Henry Daniell (Pegasus Professor & University Board of Trustee
Chair, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32816-2364.
http://daniell.ucf.edu; daniell@mail.ucf.edu) laboratory, met and interacted with
his research team. It came out that they have recently produced several enzymes
in tobacco using their patented chloroplast engineering technology and genes from
bacteria or fungi. Based on three cuttings of tobacco in one year, 49, 64 and
10,751 million units of three important enzymes can be obtained each year. Based
on USDA Economic Research Service, the cost of production of Burley tobacco in
2004 was $3,981 per acre. Because most enzymes for hydrolysis of plant biomass
are active at higher temperatures, it is feasible to harvest leaves and sun-dry
them, as reported in previous studies. Based on enzyme activity observed in plant
crude extracts in this study, it was planned that there is no need for purification,
making this process very simple. Therefore, excluding processing cost, enzymes
could be produced as low as 0.006-0.008 cents per enzyme unit (as defined in cur-
rent commercial sources). This new technology is 925-1,233 fold less expensive for
three key enzymes, when compared with current commercial cost.

Majority of enzyme hydrolysis studies on natural substrates like pretreated wood,

corn stover or wheat straw have used commercially available enzymes. Equivalent
enzyme units based on CMC hydrolysis was used as a basis for comparative studies.
Novozyme 188 enzyme cocktail did not yield any detectable glucose from proc-
essed wood and 11% more glucose from citrus peel, when compared with our en-
zyme cocktail made in plants (equivalent enzyme units based CMC hydrolysis were
used). It is not surprising that crude extract cocktails performed equal to or better
than purified enzyme cocktails (from Novozymes) because the later are produced
by submerged fermentation from selected fungal strains that secrete several en-
zymes, simultaneously. According to Novozymes publication, a careful design of a
combination of single component enzymes is necessary for rational utilization of
these enzyme cocktails.

This project has demonstrated for the first time that plant-derived enzyme cock-
tails enhanced hydrolysis of waste biomass, releasing fermentable sugars, equal to
or better than commercial cocktails. Several more low-cost enzymes can be made
in plants to enhance this process further. This concept offers an inexpensive novel
technology to produce ethanol from cellulosic biomass.

February 10, 2010

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 E-Paper billion beats 8

Bio Fuel Policy - clear Low Cost Technology for Ethanol production
defined objectives is the
need of the hour It gives immense opportunity to do collaborative research between India and US
institutions in the field of bio-energy. We had a discussion with researchers and
during our interaction, we found
A Recently concluded brain- how the Gene Gun technology
storming session on Biofuel has been implemented to inject
policy organized by the Bharat a particular type of gene into a
Biofuel growers association at plant, a mechanism for trans-
Madurai under the chairman- porting DNA coated onto appro-
ship of Ex-CBI Director Shri D.R priate bullets into living cells.
Karthikeyan has welcomed the It is efficient and simple to use,
Bio-Fuel policy announced by and has proved especially useful
the Government of India. How- in transfecting cell populations
ever, it has brought out certain or tissues that are difficult to
suggestions as the resolution transfect using 'classical' meth-
for its effective implementation ods.
and reposed faith and confi- As it can be used both in vitro
dence that India is capable of and in vivo, it has excellent po-
becoming the first nation to tential for various clinical appli-
capitalize on the bio-energy in cations, although currently these are limited to DNA immunization and gene ther-
the world. Hence the resolution apy. Dr Kalam was taken to a dark room and they have demonstrated a plant in
urged the Govt. to update the which Gelly fish gene has been implanted, when the violet light has been passed on
policy with the following such to it, it glows in the dark room and main-
as: giving more focus on R&D in tains its green color. At the same time,
Bio-fuel, defining subsidies for the other normal plant of same type ex-
bio-fuel development, double hibits red in color when exposed to light.
the MSP for Jatropha seeds, We have been then taken to its tissue
announce MPP for biodiesel to culture plant laboratory, where the
be more than the diesel be- plants and its roots are grown with ge-
cause it carries CDM and at- netically modified character which be-
tract price for Carbon trading, come resistant to pests and exhibit high
allowing the import of Free fatty yielding hybrid varieties. When shall we
launch the collaborative R&D Mission for
acid oils with a rider of biofuel
enhance and make our Jatropha cultiva-
generated should be sold only in
tion viable. - V PONRAJ. Pl. respond to
india, define the target area for
vponraj@gmail.com
biofuel cultivation, formulating a
Biofuel Authority of India and
announcing “Agriculture as an
industry and making farmers as
partners” a singular action
which will bring 4 to 6% growth
rate in agriculture sector.
These are the immediate steps
to encourage energy plantation
and making agriculture attrac-
tive, sustainable and that will
ensure sustained GDP growth
in the nation. The resolution
urged the Govt to give priority
for the above missions. Shri.
D.R Karthikeyan said Global
warming is going to be worse
than terrorism, hence India has
to work for Energy Independ-
ence before 2030 and announce
“Agriculture as Industry”

February 10, 2010

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 9

Can we respect the student prayer?

Billion Beats
When I was reading the book “Spiritual Intelligence, the Ultimate Intelligence”
No: 10, Rajaji Marg
New Delhi - 110016
by Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall, I came across the poem called “the Student
Phone: 011-23015522 Prayer”.
Fax: 011-23793601
For publishing send E-mail with
photos to :
billionbeats@abdulkalam.com Since you are all teachers as well as parents, I want to share with you the
Feedback through website
unique thought of a student in the form of a poem called “The Student’s
THE PULSE OF INDIA
Prayer”. After I read the poem, I would like to seek your views on that.
www.abdulkalam.com
The Student’s Prayer
Chief Editor:
apj@abdulkalam.com
Editorial board: Don’t impose on me what you know;
editor@abdulkalam.com I want to explore the unknown
ysrajan@abdulkalam.com
rswaminathan@abdulkalam.com And be the source of my own discoveries.
dnmoorthi@abdulkalam.com Let the known be my liberation, not my slavery.
billionbeats@abdulkalam.com
vponraj@abdulkalam.com

The world of your truth can be my limitation;

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Your wisdom my negation.
Small Aim is a crime
Don’t instruct me; let’s walk together.
APJ Abdul Kalam Let my richness begin where yours ends.

To publish into billion beats:

Show me so that I can stand
Send your articles, success stories,
On your shoulders.
innovations, cartoons, poetry into
billionbeats@abdulkalam.com Reveal yourself so that I can be
Along with photographs and evidence
Something different.
documents if any

You believe that every human being

Can love and create.
I understand, then, your fear
When I ask you to live according to your wisdom

You will not know who I am

By listening to yourself.
Don’t instruct me; let me be.
Your failure is that I be identical to you.

Dear friends, I respect the thoughts of a student. I want every one of

you parents and teachers to think about it and to respond to me with your
thoughts by email. My email id is: apj@abdulkalam.com

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