Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Scientists have identified the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (BbLDH) as essential for the survival and infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by Bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and can affect the skin, heart, brain, and joints. It is transmitted exclusively through the bite of infected deer ticks (black-legged ticks) and cannot spread via human contact, pets, air, food, water, or insect vectors such as mosquitoes and fleas. The disease is prevalent in wooded and grassy regions, particularly in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, with higher incidence during warmer months.

Notes:
India has developed its first indigenous MRI machine to reduce import dependence and treatment costs. It will be installed at AIIMS Delhi by October for trials. Currently, 80-85% of medical equipment in India is imported. The indigenous MRI machine aims to boost India’s self-reliance in medical technology. An MoU was signed between AIIMS Delhi and SAMEER, an autonomous R&D lab under the Department of Electronics. The installation will be for a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner.

Notes:
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a bacteria-based technique to repair bricks for lunar habitats. Future lunar missions, like NASA’s Artemis programme, aim to establish permanent settlements on the Moon. Instead of transporting materials from Earth, astronauts will use lunar soil, or regolith, to build structures. IISc developed a method using the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii to create bricks from lunar and Martian soil simulants. The bacterium converts urea and calcium into calcium carbonate crystals, binding soil particles with guar gum. This method is eco-friendly and cost-effective compared to cement.

Notes:
Vibe coding became a trending term in Silicon Valley after being coined by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy. It refers to using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) not just for coding assistance but to generate entire applications. Users communicate with Large Language Model (LLM)-based systems like ChatGPT in natural language to create apps. Andrej Karpathy, a founding engineer at OpenAI and former head of AI at Tesla, introduced the term. Vibe coding allows people to build tools, apps, and services without deep programming knowledge. However, it raises security concerns as AI-generated code may lack efficiency, scalability, and proper security frameworks. AI code generators might produce functional code but may not consider optimization, cost, or security risks.

Notes:
Chandrayaan-3’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) became the first instrument to measure in situ temperatures near the Moon’s south pole. It successfully penetrated lunar soil and deployed a thermal probe, achieving what two previous missions—European Space Agency’s (ESA) Philae (2014) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) InSight Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) (2018)—could not. This experiment provided crucial data on lunar surface temperatures, strengthening evidence of water ice deposits. ChaSTE’s thermal probe was integrated into the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3, which landed on August 23, 2023.

Notes:
An international team of astronomers has used the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to discover a new warm Jupiter-type exoplanet over 1,000 light years away. TESS is a NASA mission launched in March 2018 to detect exoplanets orbiting bright dwarf stars by observing small dips in star brightness caused by planet transits. It followed the Kepler space telescope and used the transit method to study planet size and orbit. In its two-year prime mission, which ended in July 2020, TESS imaged 75% of the sky and discovered 66 new exoplanets. TESS continues its work under an extended mission.

Notes:
Sunbird is a nuclear fusion-powered rocket developed by Pulsar Fusion, a British startup, to transform interplanetary travel with much faster speeds. It could reach up to 805,000 km/h, surpassing the current fastest object, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which travels at 692,000 km/h. With this speed, Sunbird could reduce travel time to Mars by almost half and reach Pluto in just 4 years. A major orbital test is planned in 2027, showing progress in next-generation space propulsion. Nuclear fusion, which powers Sunbird, fuses atoms like stars do, giving high energy with minimal radioactive waste, unlike nuclear fission.

Notes:
Indian scientists have developed new ways to study and treat Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC), a rare and aggressive form of Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma (SRCC) starts in the colon or rectum and gets its name from its ring-shaped cells, where mucus pushes the nucleus to one side. It spreads quickly, resists treatment, and is often detected late, making it deadly. Researchers created Patient-Derived Organoids (PDOs), which are 3D tumour models, and Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDXs), where tumour cells are grown in mice. These models mimic real tumours and help test treatments. Though SRCC is rare globally, in India, cases are almost 10 times higher, often affecting younger people.

Notes:
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has recently acknowledged Type 5 diabetes as a distinct form of the disease. This recognition came at the 75th Diabetes World Congress in Bangkok. Type 5 diabetes is a form of malnutrition-related diabetes that affects lean, undernourished teenagers and young adults, mostly in low- and middle-income regions. Around 20 to 25 million people globally are estimated to suffer from this type, mainly in Asia and Africa. It is caused by a severe defect in insulin secretion due to chronic undernutrition, not by insulin resistance like in Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It was first identified in Jamaica in 1955 as J-type diabetes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognised it in 1985 but later withdrew support in 1999 because of limited research.

Notes:
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has become the first coal Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in India to adopt Paste Fill Technology in underground mining. Paste Fill Technology is a modern method used in underground mining to fill the empty spaces left after coal extraction. The paste used is made by mixing crushed overburden from opencast mines, fly ash, cement, water, and binding chemicals. This technique eliminates the need for acquiring additional surface land. It also helps prevent land subsidence, making mining operations more environmentally friendly and safe.