NIH Kickstarts Testing COVID-19 Cocktail Vaccine

National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Federal health officials have stated that a new study has started to explore whether mixing different Covid-19 vaccines can prolong immunity and protect people from concerning variants of the coronavirus. The new study will enroll adult volunteers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and the booster doses of different vaccines will be administered to them.

NIH is leading and funding this novel study through a network of researchers who predominantly specialize in vaccines and infectious diseases. It stated that the vaccines currently sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offer strong protection against Covid-19, but it is obligatory to prepare for the possibility of needing booster shots to keep pace with an evolving virus.

The study will mainly focus on examining immune responses and the safety of mixing different vaccine variants. Scientists will also measure the shots' efficiency and efficacy in staving off the emerging variants. This new study could help the researchers and scientists to determine the best combination of various vaccines available if there is an immediate need for a booster shot.

 

US and France healthcare startups to team up to drive growth in the sector

As pandemic continues to hamper international interactions, the US and France startups are collaborating with BE Health in Taiwan. They have closed the venture capital funding rounds recently with more than US$14 million in total successfully. BE Health delivers the unique strengths of its thriving ecosystem and is supporting both local and international startups.

Applaud Medical, a clinical-stage company based in San Francisco which addresses the painful condition of kidney stones, with an innovative, non-invasive treatment, completed US$11 million fundraisings; the recent investment will enable it to expand the company, as well as broaden and accelerate product development.  RDS, a developer of a wearable health tracking device which continuously measures vital sign parameters, announced that it had closed their Seeding Round of EUR3 million (US$3.67 million) in the first quarter of 2021.

Both these companies are now aiming at the healthcare sector by forming a partnership with BE Health. Being the only two shareholders from the east, BE and Taipei Medical University are thrilled to be their partners. This partnership will enable them to validate the high-quality prototype-making. BE Health will consistently work with these companies for future expansion, conduct clinical trials, and increase product market traction.

 

G7 nations invest big to reinvent fossil fuel than green energy

The G7 nations have invested billions of dollars into fossil fuels than they have into clean energy since the Covid-19 pandemic to reinvent the fossil fuel sector. New analysis has revealed that the countries attending the summit are committed $189bn to support oil, coal, and gas. It is reported that the G7 conference will be held in the UK.

Countries like UK, US, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, and Japan are taking part in the summit and have already spent $147bn on clean forms of energy. The support for fossil fuels from seven of the world's richest nations included primary measures to remove or reduce environmental regulations and direct funding of oil, gas, and coal. In most cases, the money offered for fossil fuel industries was given with no strings attached.

Recent analysis has found that eight in every 10 dollars spent on non-renewable energy came without conditions. This included lifelines thrown to the aviation and car industries, which received $115bn from the G7 countries. Of that money, 80 percent of the amount was given with no attempt to force the sectors to cut their emissions in return for support.

 

US to introduce new security directives for pipelines after hack

The US Department of Homeland Security has announced that it has issued a new security directive for operators and the pipeline owners after a hack of the Colonial Pipeline that resulted in disruption of fuel supplies in the southeastern United States for days, forced the company to shut down much of its network, leaving many gas stations in the eastern United States without fuel. It demonstrated the immediate need for cybersecurity of pipeline systems is critical to homeland security.

The US Homeland Security Department has stated that all the operators and critical pipeline owners should have a safe cybersecurity network. Therefore, the department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have designated cybersecurity coordinators 24/7 to help the owners and operators to overcome any security-based issues.

The department further added that the directive would require the pipeline owners and the operators to review the current cybersecurity status and practices. This will help them identify if gaps exist, and immediate remediation measures for risks will be taken. The operators must report these results to the Transportation Security Administration, which is a unit of DHS, and CISA within 30 days.

 

Tesla all set to make it's enter into the energy storage business

In a recent announcement, Tesla, one of the most renowned electric-vehicle companies, has stated that it is getting into the energy business.  Elon Musk is getting into the Texas power market and has stated that the company is starting to take off. On its Q4 2020 earnings call, the company said its battery deployments increased 83 percent in 2020, credits to the popularity of the Megapack, which stores energy for utilities.

As there is an increased demand for renewable energy sources and the world set goals to transition to renewables, demand for these large-scale storage systems is on the rise. Especially the Grid-scale battery storage is expected to become a $15 billion market by 2027. Thereby, Tesla could be everywhere in the future of renewable power.

Musk and his team are continuing to highlight energy as a key part of their growth. It is reported that Tesla Energy could represent up to 30 percent of its total revenue by the 2030s, up from roughly 6 percent today. The company's primary focus is on the U.S. energy hub with natural gas, oil, solar, and wind resources. Tesla aims to is transforming the energy sector by surging growth of renewables.