Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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United States (US) researchers have developed a novel monoclonal antibody named MAM01 that showed strong protection against malaria in an early clinical trial. MAM01 targets a highly conserved region of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein, blocking infection before the parasite enters the bloodstream. The trial demonstrated dose-dependent full protection with minimal side effects. It is administered as a single long-acting injection, providing immediate and months-long protection. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are lab-made proteins mimicking the body’s natural immune defenses.

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Google announced that its quantum processor Willow has achieved the first “verifiable” quantum advantage. Quantum advantage means a quantum computer can outperform a classical computer in practice. The announcement was accompanied by an open-access paper in Nature by the Google Quantum AI and Collaborators team. Willow ran a new algorithm, Quantum Echoes, 13,000 times faster than the best classical algorithm on a supercomputer. The experiment used a technique called out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) to track how information scrambles in quantum systems. OTOC measures how quantum information spreads, is scrambled, and can be “unscrambled” using time-reversal. Willow’s processor precisely controlled quantum bits (qubits) in a chaotic quantum system for the experiment.

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A Gulf Keralite’s quick return home for fever treatment proved life-saving after he was diagnosed with scrub typhus. Scrub Typhus is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi. It spreads through bites of infected chiggers (young mites) and not from person to person. Its prevalence depends on factors like climate, vector abundance, farming, domestic animals, and sanitation. The disease is more common during cooler months.

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In a historic milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled NexCAR19, India’s first indigenous CAR-T Cell Therapy, at the Emerging Science, Technology & Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025 in Delhi. It is developed by ImmunoACT, an IIT Bombay spin-off. It is supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). NexCAR19 is the world’s first humanised CAR-T therapy, truly “Made in India, for the world.” CAR-T Cell Therapy is an immunotherapy that reprograms a patient’s immune cells to fight blood cancers like Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).

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Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, inaugurated India’s first and largest Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system. The VRFB has a capacity of 3 Megawatt-hour (MWh) at NTPC’s NETRA Research & Development Centre in Greater Noida. This milestone advances India’s long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions and strengthens renewable energy integration and national grid resilience. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is a modern technology offering an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, expanding the pool of usable elements for battery systems.

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Scientists in Thailand have discovered a new spider species named Damarchus inazuma that is half male and half female. It was found by researchers from Chulalongkorn University in a forest near Nong Rong, Thailand. The spider’s body is perfectly split — left side female with larger fangs and orange colour, and right side male with smaller size and greyish tone. This condition is called gynandromorphism, where an organism has both male and female tissues and traits.

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The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology announced the development of four Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) across India. Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) aim to demonstrate the full green hydrogen value chain, from production, storage, transport to utilization. The project has a total investment of ₹485 crore. HVICs aim to build a local hydrogen ecosystem, connecting supply and demand across transport, industry, and energy, while fostering research, innovation, and skills. The four clusters are being developed in Pune, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, and Kerala.

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The Assam Government recently banned inter-district movement of live pigs to stop the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a rising concern in the region. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar, with mortality up to 90–100%. It is not zoonotic, meaning it does not infect humans or other livestock. First found in sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now present across Europe, Asia and Africa, with India reporting its first cases in 2020 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Russia successfully launched a new set of undisclosed military satellites. The launch vehicle used was the Angara-1.2 light rocket. It was conducted from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Plesetsk is the world’s northernmost spaceport. The exact number and purpose of the satellites were not disclosed. The mission was carried out for the Russian Defence Ministry. It was executed by a combat crew of the Aerospace Forces.

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Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras developed India’s first Indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) for ports. The system was built by the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) as per guidelines of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoSPW), Government of India. It gives India full control over source code, data, and vessel movement information, ensuring high maritime security. The VTMS is cost-effective, secure, scalable, and easy to maintain.