Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy gets rolling: ‘first’ patient is cancer-free Subject: Science and tech Section: Health Chimeric antigen receptor T cells are T cells that have been genetically engineered to produce an artificial T-cell receptor for use in immunotherapy. Chimeric antigen receptors are receptor proteins that have been engineered to give T cells the […]
The unusual cabbage mutation that could boost crop yield Subject: Science and tech Section: Biotech Context: The males of plants as diverse as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomato, and rice can be made sterile by deleting a very small part of their genome’s DNA. This deletion holds the promise of significantly boosting crop yields through a phenomenon known as heterosis. Understanding Genetics The cabbage plant (Brassica […]
Vyommitra: ISRO to launch India’s female robot astronaut into space ahead of Gaganyaan mission Subject: Science and tech Section: Space tech Context: India’s female robot astronaut Vyommitra will fly into space ahead of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious Gaganyaan mission – the country’s manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space – […]
The importance of keeping personally identifiable information safe Subject: Science and tech Section: Awareness in IT & Computers Context: Recently, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs fixed a critical vulnerability in its online portal months after a cybersecurity researcher reported it to the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERTIn). The vulnerability reportedly exposed personal details like Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity, passport, date of birth, contact number and address of more than 98 lakh directors of Indian companies. About Personally Identifiable Information Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data or information maintained by an organisation or agency that can potentially be used to identify a specific individual. This could include information such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity, passport, date of birth, contact number, communication address, and biometric information. Difference between sensitive and non-sensitive PII Sensitive PII, when exposed, can be used to identify individuals and […]
India-made typhoid vaccine efficacy lasts for four years: study Subject: Science and tech Section: Health Context: A phase-3 trial conducted in Malawi on children aged between nine months and 12 years has demonstrated that the “Typbar” typhoid vaccine, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, maintains its efficacy for at least four years. Details: The […]
Big leap in Space Defence Technology: Green Propulsion System, developed under DRDO’s Technology Development Fund, successfully demonstrates in-orbit functionality Subject: Science and tech Sec: Defence Context: A Green Propulsion System developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme of DRDO has been successfully demonstrated in-orbit functionality on a payload launched by PSLV C-58 […]
Biden administration notifies U.S. Congress of 31 MQ9B UAV sale to India Subject: Science and tech Sec: Defence Context: The U.S. Congress formally notified of the possible sale of 31 MQ9B high altitude long endurance armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV) to India at an estimated $3.99 billion. MQ-9B Predator Drone The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 “Reaper”, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight […]