Current Affairs - Science

Pompe Disease, also known as Glycogen Storage Disease Type II, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes of cells due to a deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). Nidhi Shirol, India’s first Pompe disease patient, passed away last month at the age of 24 years after battling the disease.

India and the United States are set to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in the first quarter of the next year, marking a significant collaboration in the field of Earth observation.

A new species of mushroom, named Candolleomyces albosquamosus, was discovered in the Western Ghats on the JNTBGRI campus in Kerala, India. This discovery is significant because it highlights the region's remarkable biodiversity and encourages further exploration of fungal diversity in the area. Fungi play an important role in ecosystems, and understanding their diversity is essential for conservation efforts.

The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a multi-scalar drought index that compares precipitation at a given time and location to the long-term precipitation record at the same location. The SPI can be used to track the onset, duration, and intensity of drought.

The Tropical Deep-sea Neutrino Telescope (Trident) is a proposed neutrino observatory in the South China Sea. It will be the largest and most advanced neutrino telescope in the world when completed in 2030. The Trident is planned to be at a depth of 3,500 meters below the ocean's surface.