Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Diphtheria is re-emerging in parts of Australia despite being largely controlled earlier, raising public health concerns. It is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which produces a harmful toxin. The disease mainly affects the upper respiratory tract, especially the throat, nose, and tonsils, and sometimes the skin. It spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds, and even asymptomatic individuals can transmit it.

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Scientists have warned that rising temperatures due to climate change may increase the spread of the Brain-Eating Amoeba, scientifically known as Naegleria fowleri. The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, ponds, hot springs, and moist soil. It enters the human body through the nose and attacks brain tissues. Infection by Naegleria fowleri causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but highly fatal disease of the central nervous system. Higher temperatures create favourable conditions for the amoeba’s growth and survival. The warning highlights the possible health impacts of climate change on infectious diseases.

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International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials under the Department of Science and Technology developed a cost-effective thermal energy storage material. The innovation can improve the efficiency of thermal batteries used in concentrated solar power plants and industrial waste heat recovery systems. Scientists developed a scalable process to produce spinel nano-composite Phase Change Material with enhanced thermal storage capacity.

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Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru achieved a major chemistry breakthrough by creating a new carbon-free molecule with a “sandwich” structure similar to ferrocene. Ferrocene, discovered in the 1950s, consists of an iron atom sandwiched between two carbon-based rings and is widely used in medicines, batteries, electronics, and advanced materials. Scientists had tried for over 70 years to create a similar stable structure without carbon but had failed. The Indian researchers successfully synthesized a molecule using osmium at the centre and boron-based rings instead of carbon rings.

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Researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, developed a novel imaging platform called Cleavable Light-Erased Antibody Reporter. The technology enables visualization and mapping of a large number of proteins within the same biological sample using a single fluorescent marker. CLEAR overcomes major challenges in spatial protein mapping and allows repeated cycles of protein labelling and imaging within the same spectral window. The technology could improve research and diagnosis related to cancer, neurological disorders, immunology, and precision medicine.

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Microsoft has unveiled the Fairwater AI Data Centre in Mount Pleasant. The facility is a $7.3 billion, 315-acre AI data centre designed to showcase sustainable AI infrastructure. The centre uses a two-storey vertical design with dense GPU deployment to improve efficiency, reduce land use, and lower communication latency.

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Recently, ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad developed a biopolymer-based Smart Seed Coating Technology to improve seed quality, crop establishment, and climate resilience. The patented technology uses biodegradable biopolymers to create a protective coating around seeds. The coating delivers beneficial microorganisms, nutrients, micronutrients, crop protection agents, and plant growth-promoting substances directly at the seed-soil interface. It promotes faster germination, stronger seedlings, better root growth, and enhanced tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

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Recently, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced that the Hayabusa2 probe successfully performed a close flyby (within 800 metres) of the near-Earth asteroid Torifune. Torifune is a primitive near-Earth asteroid (NEA) with an estimated diameter of about 450 metres and is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO). It has an elongated shape and completes one rotation in about five hours. Hayabusa2 is Japan’s robotic deep-space probe, currently on its extended mission after returning asteroid samples from Ryugu in 2020.

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Skyroot Aerospace announced that Vikram-1 will carry six payloads during Mission Aagaman. Vikram-1 is a four-stage orbital launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace. It is India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket. The first three stages use solid fuel, while the fourth stage uses a hypergolic liquid engine for precise orbital insertion. It can carry 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 260 kg to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

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Former Afghanistan cricketer Shapoor Zadran recently passed away after battling Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare but life-threatening immune system disorder. In Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), the immune system becomes overactive and attacks the body’s own healthy tissues and organs. The condition causes severe inflammation, affecting organs such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and brain. If left untreated, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can become fatal.