Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: IE Context: Researchers in India have made significant advancements in the breeding of mustard plants to create varieties with lower levels of glucosinolates, compounds that contribute to the pungency of mustard oil and meal. The low-glucosinolate mustard lines were developed using gene editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9. By editing …
Source: TH Context: The pandemic led to the development of rapid and unbiased genome sequencing techniques for pathogen surveillance. The metagenomic approach, used to directly sequence patient samples without prior knowledge of the infectious agent, quickly identified SARS-CoV-2 as the cause of COVID-19. This genomic approach, termed metagenomics, has revolutionized pathogen identification and surveillance. …
Source: TH Context: Research on the early stages of human embryonic development and the role of specific cells known as the inner cell mass has gained importance recently. The inner cell mass contains pluripotent cells, meaning they have the potential to differentiate into all the different cell types that make up the human body. …
Continue reading “A mechanism that quietly removes unfit cells before you’re born”
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Science and Technology – Biotechnology Source: Economic Times Context: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has amended a notification of 2018 – “to the extent that export of biofuel from special economic zones/export-oriented units are allowed for fuel as well as non-fuel purpose without any restriction when produced using …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Science and Technology: Biotechnology Source: Indian Express, Nature Context: The man referred to as the “Dusseldorf patient” became the third person to have been “cured of HIV” after a bone marrow transplant carrying a specific HIV-resistant – CCR5 delta 32 genetic mutation. What is CCR5 mutation and how …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Biotechnology Source: Indian Express Direction: Biotechnology is one of the favourites for UPSC mains as well as prelims. CRISPR has reached a decade of development this year. Those giving mains this time, plz don’t ignore this topic. Context: Over the last 3 years, gene-editing technology with nearly unlimited potential has …
GSPaper-3 Syllabus: Science and Technology Source: WHO Context: WHO’s Science Council launches report calling for an equitable expansion of genomics. (This article is in continuation of the previous one on CRISPR Gene editing) Genomics is the study of the complete set of DNA (including all of its genes) in a person or other organism. A …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Science and Technology- Biotech Source: Time Context: 10 years back in 2012, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier published their finding that CRISPR-Cas9 could be programmed with RNA to edit genomic DNA, now considered one of the most significant discoveries in the history of biology. CRISPR-Cas9: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Associated protein 9 CRISPR …
GS Paper 3: Syllabus: Biotechnology. Context: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has issued guidelines easing norms for research into genetically modified (GM) crops and circumventing challenges of using foreign genes to change crops profile. These guidelines are applicable to all public/private organisations involved in research, development and handling of Gene Edited Plants Overview …
Continue reading “Norms eased for genetically modified crop research:”
GS Paper 3: Topics Covered: Developments in Science and Technology. Context: A California based pharmaceutical company has developed ARCT-154, a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 infection. Benefits: It offered 95% protection against severe Covid-19 and 55% against Covid infection. What are mRNA vaccines? An mRNA vaccine use messenger RNA that encodes the …
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. 5. What is gene therapy? Examine the scope and concerns associated with this novel technology. (250 words) Difficulty level: Easy Reference: Insights on India Why the question: The question is part of the static syllabus of …
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. 6. Biotechnology can be a means to fight hunger and disease, reduce environmental contaminants, and minimize the ecological footprint. Elaborate. (250 words) Difficulty level: Easy Reference: Insights on India Why the question: The question is part …
GS Paper 3: Topics Covered: Biotechnology related issues. Context: Vaccine maker Biological E. has been selected to receive mRNA technology from the World Health Organization technology transfer hub. WHO’s technology transfer hub: Primarily set up to address the Covid-19 emergency, WHO’s technology transfer hub has the potential to expand manufacturing capacity for other products …
GS Paper 3: Topics Covered: Biotechnology related issues. Context: Data from human trials of India’s first homegrown mRNA COVID-19 vaccine are likely to be presented to authorities for evaluation by the end of the month, and company officials are aiming to roll out the product before April. The mRNA vaccine being developed by Pune-based …
GS Paper 2: Topics Covered: Issues related to Health. Context: The new variant B 1.1. 529, which was designated as a ‘Variant of Concern’ by World Health Organisation has been assigned the name Omicron. Reported by public health officials of South Africa, the new variant has triggered a lot of concern worldwide over a probable …
GS Paper 3 Topics Covered: Biotechnology related issues. Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG): Context: INSACOG led team has traced a total of 108 mutations of the SARS-Cov-2, which include four novel mutations in India, in the wastewater samples collected from Pune city between December 2020 and April 2021. How important is it for countries …
Continue reading “Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG):”
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. 6. Compare Gene editing with that of Genetic modification. Discuss the potential benefits and risks associated with Genetic modification in crops. (250 words) Difficulty level: Easy Reference: The Hindu Why the question: Scientists at the Indian …
GS Paper 3 Topics Covered: Biotechnology related issues. Context: Scientists attempt to turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories under the edible vaccine project. The edible vaccine project: The project, backed by a US $500,000 grant from the US National Science Foundation, has three goals: Showing that DNA containing the mRNA vaccines …
General Studies-3 Topics Covered: Issues related to biotechnology. Context: World Health Organization (WHO) has classified another SARS-CoV-2 variant — B.1.621 — as a variant of interest (VOI) and has called it Mu variant. The four other variants of interest are Eta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda. Mu variant was first found in Colombia in January …
GS Paper 3 Topics Covered: Issues related to biotechnology. Context: Novel Coronavirus Sequencing and analysis has declined sharply in India. The number of coronavirus samples sequenced and analysed in India has dropped. India formed the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), a consortium of genome sequencing labs, in December 2020. While announcing INSACOG, the …
Continue reading “India’s coronavirus genome sequencing system”
