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Scientists develop mechanism to inactivate Covid by blocking entry to cells

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 Scientists have developed a design of a new class of synthetic peptides that can not only block the entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus entry into cells but also clump the virions (virus particles) together, reducing their ability to infect.

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in collaboration with researchers from the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, have made use of this approach to design peptides that can bind to and block the spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 virus, said the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday.

This binding was further characterised extensively by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and other biophysical methods. This novel approach provides an alternative mechanism to render viruses like SARS-CoV-2 inactive, promising a new class of peptides as antivirals.

The research was supported under the Covid-19 IRPHA call of SERB Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of Department of Science and Technology (DST).

The designed peptides are helical, hairpin-shaped, each capable of pairing up with another of its kind, forming what is known as a dimer. Each dimeric ‘bundle’ presents two ‘faces’ to interact with two target molecules.

In the study published in Nature Chemical Biology, the researchers hypothesised that the two faces would bind to two separate target proteins locking all four in a complex and blocking the targets’ action. The team decided to test their hypothesis by using a peptide called SIH-5 to target the interaction between the Spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 protein, the SARS-CoV-2 receptor in human cells.

The S protein is a trimer – a complex of three identical polypeptides. Each polypeptide contains a Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) that binds to the ACE2 receptor on the host cell surface. This interaction facilitates viral entry into the cell.

The SIH-5 peptide was designed to block the binding of the RBD to human ACE2. When a SIH-5 dimer encountered an S protein, one of its faces bound tightly to one of the three RBDs on the S protein trimer, and the other face bound to an RBD from a different S protein.

This ‘cross-linking’ allowed the SIH-5 to block both S proteins at the same time. Under cryo-EM, the S proteins targeted by SIH-5 appeared to be attached head-to-head, and the spike proteins were being forced to form dimers.

Subsequently, the researchers showed that SIH-5 inactivated the viruses efficiently by cross-linking the spike proteins from different virus particles.

The team consisting of B Khatri, I Pramanick, SK Malladi, RS Rajmani, P Ghosh, N Sengupta, R Varadarajan, S Dutta and J Chatterjee from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), R Rahisuddin, S Kumar, N Kumar, S Kumaran and RP Ringe from CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, tested the peptide for toxicity in mammalian cells in the lab and found it to be safe.

When hamsters were dosed with the peptide and subsequently exposed to a high dose of SARS-CoV-2, they showed decreased viral load as well as much less cell damage in the lungs compared to hamsters exposed only to the virus, demonstrating the promise of this class of peptides as antivirals.

The researchers believe that with minor modifications and peptide engineering, this lab-made miniprotein could inhibit other protein-protein interactions as well.

General

Fire breaks out at car showroom in Delhi, several vehicles gutted

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New Delhi : A massive fire broke out at a car showroom in the Saidulajab area of south Delhi’s Saket on Friday, officials said.

According to officials, several vehicles worth crores of rupees were gutted in the fire.

Multiple teams of Delhi Police and the Fire Department are present at the spot.

Cooling operation is currently underway and more details are awaited.

Earlier on Friday, a massive fire broke out at a mobile accessories shop in Delhi’s Gaffar Market, spreading to all floors of a four-storey commercial building.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, who visited the spot, said the blaze may have affected around 20-25 shops.

No casualties or injuries have been reported so far, while property damage has been reported.

In another statement, BJP MP Khandelwal said the fire reportedly broke out around midnight in one of the shops and spread rapidly to other parts of the complex.

“…A fire broke out in one of the shops here, and that fire spread rapidly. There have been no casualties. There hasn’t been any such damage. Some of the traders have even managed to retrieve their goods,” Khandelwal said.

BJP MP Yogendra Chandolia also described the incident as extremely unfortunate and expressed relief that no lives were lost.

According to the Delhi Police, a PCR call regarding a fire in a building in Chain Wali Gali was received at 1.28 a.m. at the Karol Bagh Police Station.

The night staff of the police station, along with the Station House Officer (SHO), immediately reached the spot and found a fire at Shop No. 13/21, Puri Plaza, Gaffar Market.

The building is a four-storey commercial establishment dealing in mobile accessories.

As per the preliminary information, the fire originated in a ground-floor shop where mobile batteries were stored and subsequently spread to all floors of the building.

Around 20-25 fire tenders, three CAT ambulances and two PCR vehicles were deployed at the spot as emergency teams launched firefighting and relief operations.

Police said that no loss of life or injuries had been reported so far, and the damage was limited to property.

Prima facie, overheating or overcharging of batteries appears to be a possible cause of the fire, though the exact reason is yet to be established.

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Maharashtra

Objection Even to the Birth of Muslim Children? Political Controversy Over Somaiya’s Remarks, Demand for a Population Control Committee.

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Mumbai : BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has raised objections regarding the birth rate of Muslim children in Mumbai. Expressing concern over these figures, he claimed that by 2051, the Muslim population could surpass that of the majority community—the Hindus. On the platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Somaiya stated that for every three Hindu children born, two Muslim children are born. He noted that over the past five years, 336,525 Hindu children and 220,754 Muslim children were born in Mumbai. Somaiya further stated that he has requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to establish a ‘Demographic Balance Committee’ to prevent Mumbai from becoming a “Muslim Mumbai.” In his tweet, he also alleged a conspiracy to transform Mumbai into a “Muslim Mumbai” and, citing deep concern over the birth rate of Muslim children, urged the Chief Minister to form a committee to implement population control measures.

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Maharashtra

Major Gadchiroli Police Operation Against Maoists, Hidden Explosives Recovered

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The Maoist ideology has now been eradicated from the Gadchiroli district, and its residents are finally free from the terror that once loomed over them. In the past, Maoists would use various weapons and explosive materials to threaten security forces and carry out subversive activities. Taking advantage of remote, forest-covered areas situated along state borders, they would prepare these materials and bury them underground in secret locations. Their objective was to use these stockpiles to launch attacks on security forces during specific periods—such as ‘Naxal weeks’—or throughout the electoral process. Taking decisive action against this threat, the Gadchiroli Police successfully recovered these hidden materials on November 4, 2026.

According to details, the Gadchiroli Police received intelligence that Maoists had concealed explosives in the forest area of ​​’Tavve,’ which falls under the jurisdiction of the Garapatti Police Station. Acting on this information, and under the guidance of Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Ramesh, a search operation was launched on November 4, 2026. The operation involved four units from the ‘Special Operation Squad’ (covering Gadchiroli and Pranhita) and two teams from the ‘Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad’ (BDDS). During a search operation conducted by the ‘Special Operation Squad’ (SOS) and the ‘Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad’ (BDDS) in a forested area, the following items were recovered from the site: 1) 11 pressure cookers (intended for use as improvised explosive devices), 2) 3 bundles (100 feet) of Cordtex wire, 3) 3 kilograms of gunpowder, 4) 4 detonators, 5) a 12-volt battery, 6) 250 grams of pyrotechnic powder (used in fireworks), 7) 4 steel containers, 8) 8 bundles of wire, 9) a solar panel, along with other materials linked to Maoist activities.

The operation was successfully executed under the guidance and instructions of Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Ramesh. It was carried out under the supervision of Additional SP (Operations) Kartik Madhera, Additional SP Shri Gokul Raj G., Additional SP Aheri (Pranhita) Harshvardhan B.J., and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations) Sunil Oike. Personnel from the ‘Special Operation Squad’ (Gadchiroli and Pranhita), the Intelligence Cell, and the ‘Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad’ (BDDS) participated in the operation. Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police M. Ramesh has commended the personnel who took part in the operation.

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