Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Researchers at Kyoto University conducted a Phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and side effects of stem cell therapy using dopaminergic progenitors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder causing the loss of dopamine-producing neurons, which are vital for motor functions. Conventional treatment involves dopaminergic medications, but these do not restore lost neurons and may cause long-term side effects. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived from adult somatic cells and reprogrammed to develop into any human cell type. iPSCs are used in treating diseases like diabetes, leukemia, and neurological disorders, and are important in drug testing and disease modeling.

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In a big step towards clean nuclear energy, China has launched the world’s first Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) in Wuyi City, Gansu Province, located in the Gobi Desert. This thorium-based reactor started in October 2023 and generates 2 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The project received a $444 million investment since 2011 and is a major shift in global nuclear innovation during China’s trade tensions with the United States (US). China plans to build a 10 MW version by 2030, showing long-term goals in clean energy. Thorium is safer than uranium, creates less radioactive waste, and cannot be easily used for weapons. It must be turned into Uranium-233 (U-233) to be used in reactors, making it complex but promising for safe and sustainable energy.

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Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC-inStem), Bengaluru has successfully conducted India’s first-in-human gene therapy trial for Haemophilia in collaboration with CMC Vellore. Gene therapy is a biomedical technique that modifies or replaces faulty genes to treat or prevent diseases. The aim is to introduce a functional gene to replace a mutated or disease-causing gene. Haemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder due to mutations in genes on the X chromosome, affecting 1 in 10,000 people, especially males. BRIC-inStem is part of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC). It integrates 14 autonomous research institutions across India under one national umbrella.

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Scientists in the USA have discovered a bacteria named Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis that can conduct electricity. It is named after the Yaqona people, indigenous to the Yaquina Bay region in the USA. This bacterium is notable for its ability to conduct electricity, a rare trait among bacteria. The conductivity helps optimize metabolic functions in sediment environments. Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis holds potential for developing bioelectronic devices in medicine, industry, and food safety. These bacteria can transfer electrons to clean up pollutants, making them useful for removing harmful substances from sediments.

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Recently, the government selected Bengaluru-based start-up Sarvam to build India’s first indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) under the ₹10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission. This project aims to create a strong AI infrastructure fully built, deployed, and optimized within India to strengthen strategic autonomy. Sarvam AI was chosen after a tough selection process among 67 applicants and will get access to 4,000 high-end Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for six months to develop the model. This move is significant as it boosts India’s leadership in AI and promotes innovation through homegrown technologies. It comes amid rising competition from China’s low-cost DeepSeek model.

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The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission was launched by NASA. Specifically, the mission was a NASA Heliophysics mission designed to study Earth’s auroral electrojets. Auroral electrojets are strong electric currents that flow 60 to 90 miles above the Earth’s polar regions. These currents are caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, and they can carry up to 1 million amps of charge per second. EZIE uses three CubeSats, which are small satellites, to investigate how these currents connect Earth’s auroras to its magnetosphere. The mission helps scientists understand how solar activity affects Earth, which is important for predicting space weather events.

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A recent study by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) showed that many multidrug-resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries, including India, are not being treated properly due to lack of access. GARDP is a not-for-profit organization that creates new antibiotic treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections and ensures they reach people in need. It focuses on public health by developing antibiotics to fight the current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis and protect future generations. GARDP was founded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) under the Global Action Plan on AMR in 2015.

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) have developed a 3D computational model to study thermoregulation in space. It shows that microgravity consistently increases human core body temperature, which is important for long-duration space missions. Microgravity is a condition of near-weightlessness experienced when objects are in free fall around Earth, not the absence of gravity. In microgravity, normal body functions like heat regulation are altered due to changes in blood flow and metabolism. The IIST model includes sweating, shivering, clothing, and organ heat to simulate real human conditions in space.

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A new non-contact wearable device developed by researchers from the United States and South Korea can monitor health by measuring skin flux without touching the skin. The device is about the size of a smartphone and tracks molecular movements like vapour leaving the body and chemicals entering through the skin. It was developed under the leadership of Professor John A. Rogers at Northwestern University, USA. It creates a small sealed microclimate next to the skin and uses wireless electronics and tiny sensors to detect water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A remote-controlled valve adjusts the chamber’s openness for accurate comparisons.

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Scientists recently found signs of ancient wildfires, called palaeofires, from the Permian Period about 250 million years ago in the Godavari Basin. Palaeofires are wildfire events recorded in ancient rocks, helping us understand Earth’s past vegetation, climate changes, and coal formation. The study covered a long geological timescale, from the Late Silurian to the present Quaternary Period. Researchers used methods like Palynofacies analysis, Raman Spectroscopy, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy to study tiny fossils and charcoal. They clearly identified charcoal formed on-site (in situ) and transported charcoal (ex situ), solving a major geological debate. They also found that sea-level changes affected how fire residues were preserved—more intact during sea-level drops (regressive) and more scattered during sea-level rise (transgressive).