Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zycubo, a copper histidinate injection, as the first treatment for Menkes disease in children. Menkes disease is a rare genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to process copper. It is caused by mutation of the ATP7A gene located on the X chromosome, affecting copper transport and balance. Copper is essential for metabolism, brain function, blood formation, immunity, wound healing, and iron use. The disease leads to low copper levels in blood, liver, and brain, reducing copper-dependent enzyme activity.

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Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare hereditary brain disorder where specific neurons break down, leading to emotional problems, loss of thinking ability, and uncontrolled movements. Neuron damage occurs mainly in the basal ganglia (controls movement) and the cerebral cortex (controls thinking, memory, and decision‑making). Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a genetic mutation in the HTT (Huntingtin) gene, which produces the huntingtin protein essential for neuron function. Recent research is providing fresh hope by advancing understanding of the disease mechanisms and potential treatments, offering optimism for future therapies.

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Recently, researchers at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bengaluru, developed a deep-learning tool called Disobind. Disobind predicts how intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) bind to their partner proteins. Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) are shapeshifting proteins without fixed structure, crucial for cell signalling, gene regulation, and protein movement. Their flexibility makes them hard to study using traditional structural biology methods. Disobind uses protein language models trained on millions of protein sequences.

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Recently, the Chips to Start-up Programme has shown measurable success in skill building, infrastructure access, and practical chip design support. It is an umbrella capacity-building initiative launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2022. The programme has a total outlay of ₹250 crore for five years. It aims to develop 85,000 industry-ready professionals and incubate 25 start-ups with 10 technology transfers. It provides access to Shared Modular Technology laboratories, advanced Electronic Design Automation tools, and semiconductor foundries.

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A rare blood-red aurora was recorded at the Indian Astronomical Observatory using an all-sky camera in Hanle, Ladakh. Hanle Dark Sky Reserve is located at about 4,500 metres altitude in the Changthang region of Ladakh. It lies within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary and has Bortle-1 category skies, the darkest level. It was notified in December 2022 and is India’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The reserve is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics under the Department of Science and Technology. It aims to reduce light pollution and promote astro-tourism for local livelihoods.

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Researchers discovered a new marine worm species named Paraleocrates indica in the muddy banks of the Champa Estuary in the Bay of Bengal. It is the first record of this rare genus from Indian waters and only the third species worldwide in this genus. The worm belongs to the Hesionidae family, known for colourful bristle worms that often live symbiotically with other marine organisms like starfish. It appears reddish, measures 14–35 millimetres, and has a unique eye structure with front eyes five times larger than the back ones.

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The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) of the European Space Agency has discovered a four-planet system around a nearby star. The observation showed that the outermost planet in this system is small and rocky in nature. The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) is a space mission developed and operated by the European Space Agency to study exoplanets orbiting bright, nearby stars. It is the first mission specifically designed to observe stars that are already known to host exoplanets and to measure their sizes with very high precision as the planets transit across their host stars.

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Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched indigenous Tetanus and Diphtheria vaccine at Central Research Institute, Kasauli in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh. Vaccine supports vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in health sector. India is known as Pharmacy of the World. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is world’s largest immunization programme. Central Research Institute will supply 5.5 million vaccine doses by April 2026 to strengthen immunization coverage.

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Scientists discovered a gene that may protect bananas from Panama disease. Panama disease is also called Fusarium wilt. It is caused by fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense living in soil for many years. It mainly affects Cavendish or G9 banana cultivar, most widely grown variety. Fungus infects through roots and blocks water and nutrient transport. Due to severe impact, it is called banana cancer. Symptoms include yellowing of older leaves, turning brown and dry. Stem becomes dark brown and plant finally dies. Dead leaves hang around lower stem forming skirt-like structure.

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Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Satcom Industry Association of India released cyber security guidelines for India’s space ecosystem. The guidelines were unveiled at the DefSat Conference & Expo 2026 in New Delhi. The framework follows a “defense in depth, breadth and height” approach and integrates public-private perspectives. CERT-In operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, providing 24×7 incident response services. SIA-India represents India’s satellite sector, including operators, manufacturers, startups, academia, and legal firms, to shape policy and promote global collaboration.