Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A recent international multicentre clinical study found that Semaglutide, a medicine for type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lower the risk of major heart-related events by 14%. Semaglutide is a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) that acts like a natural hormone to control blood sugar and appetite. It helps treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) by boosting insulin and lowering blood sugar levels. It also supports weight loss when combined with proper diet and exercise. Semaglutide is available as injections and oral tablets.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) developed an energy-efficient graphene-based technology for oil-water separation to manage oil spills safely and effectively. Graphene is a single atomic layer of graphite, an allotrope of carbon with tightly bonded atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is about 200 times stronger than steel, lightweight, transparent, and highly elastic with excellent thermal conductivity and flexibility. The new technology uses graphene’s unique properties to clean oil spills efficiently with less energy and no toxic residue. Graphene is also used in making microchips, batteries, and biomedical devices due to its versatile nature.

Notes:
Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI) have created a low-cost electro-fluidic micropore device to screen for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). The device measures red blood cell (RBC) stiffness with high resolution and speed, helping detect blood disorders early. This portable tool could support mass screening for SCD and may also help detect tumors or improve drug-delivery hydrogels.

Notes:
Nature Genetics published results from the GenomeIndia Project, which sequenced whole genomes of about 10,000 people from 85 different population groups, including 32 tribal and 53 non-tribal communities across India. The study found 180 million genetic variants, with 130 million on autosomes, which are non-sex chromosomes, and 50 million on sex chromosomes, X and Y. Some of these variants are linked to diseases, some are rare, and many are unique to India or certain communities. The GenomeIndia Project was launched in 2020 by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to map India’s genetic diversity.

Notes:
China has unveiled the world’s first 16-barrel Anti-Drone Barrage Weapon System to counter drone swarms and missile threats. It uses a “wall of fire” approach instead of traditional point-to-point targeting, increasing chances of hitting fast and unpredictable aerial threats. The system fires dense barrages of projectiles to intercept drones, missiles, rockets, helicopters, and artillery shells. It addresses current air defence gaps against low-cost drone saturation attacks. China plans both domestic deployment and international exports amid rising drone threats near Taiwan.

Notes:
India sent military aircraft to Myanmar with earthquake relief under Operation Brahma. During the mission, some Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft faced Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofing attacks. GPS spoofing is a cyberattack where false GPS signals are sent to confuse the location of GPS-enabled devices. It uses a nearby radio transmitter to overpower real satellite signals and send fake coordinates. These false signals can mislead aircraft, goods, or people by showing wrong locations. There are two main types: rebroadcasting past signals, known as meaconing, and generating fake satellite signals. This attack poses serious risks to navigation and safety.

Notes:
Scientists have found strong signs of possible extraterrestrial life on the exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light years from Earth in the Leo constellation. This is the second and more promising detection of life-related chemicals in the planet’s atmosphere. The findings were made using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched in December 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most powerful space observatory, built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA). A team from Cambridge University, led by Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, studied the planet’s atmosphere. They found chemical traces of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these gases are produced only by marine phytoplankton and some bacteria. This raises the possibility of biological activity on K2-18b.

Notes:
The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is a major initiative launched in 2015 by the Government of India to boost High-Performance Computing (HPC) power in the country. It focuses on building supercomputers in India to support research, science, industry, and education using local technology. NSM is jointly led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It is implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The mission aims to reduce dependence on foreign technology and place India among the world’s top supercomputing nations

Notes:
A new mosquito species called the “Pwani molecular form” has been found in coastal areas of Tanzania and Kenya, drawing global attention to malaria control. It belongs to the Anopheles gambiae complex, which includes some of the world’s most dangerous malaria-spreading mosquitoes. This mosquito shows strong genetic differences from other species in the same group, suggesting unique behaviour or environmental adaptation. Genetic studies confirm it is only found along the coastal regions of East Africa, mainly in Tanzania and Kenya. It does not carry the usual genes for insecticide resistance found in other malaria vectors. This may mean it has a different resistance method or is more sensitive to current insecticides.

Notes:
A recent study in Nature Geoscience found that soil microbes, particularly fungi and bacteria, play a central role in regulating phosphorus availability and cycling over a span of 700,000 years in the Cooloola coastal dune system. These microbes manage the release and transformation of phosphorus in nutrient-poor soils, acting as crucial “gatekeepers” in ecosystem nutrient dynamics. These microbes adapt by replacing phospholipids with non-phosphorus lipids and storing fats to reduce phosphorus demand. They also improve phosphorus use efficiency in their metabolism to survive in low-phosphorus soils. Microbes both compete with plants for phosphorus and help them by recycling it and improving access.