Prelims Focus – 29th April 2024

Biohacking

Recent News:

Biohacking is becoming increasingly popular in urban centres such as Delhi and Mumbai in India, and is starting to gain traction in smaller cities as well.

Details on Biohacking:

• Biohacking involves manipulating biological systems using biology and technology to improve health, enhance cognitive function, and conduct personal experiments. 
• It includes activities like self-tracking, DIY biology projects, and using substances like nootropics. 
• Biohackers focus on optimising health through methods like diet changes, supplements, and exercise, relying on personal experimentation and data tracking. 
• This practice also encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and citizen science outside traditional institutions. 
• However, there are ethical, safety, and regulatory concerns, such as the risks of self-experimentation and using unregulated substances. 
• It is important to prioritise informed consent, privacy protection, and access to resources, as well as comply with health, safety, and environmental laws. 
• Despite the potential for personal empowerment and innovation, responsible behaviour, ethical considerations, and regulatory awareness are crucial in navigating the complexities and risks of biohacking.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

Recent News:

A recent study by INCOIS emphasises the importance of accurately predicting certain oceanographic parameters due to the significant economic advantages they can provide.

Details:

• Established in 1999 as part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is responsible for providing ocean information and advisory services. 
• This includes monitoring and warning services for tsunamis and other coastal hazards, daily advisories for fisherfolk, ocean state forecasts, and maintaining ocean observing systems. 
• INCOIS also collects and archives oceanic data, generates global ocean analysis data, and operates seismic and GNSS networks. 
• Internationally, INCOIS is involved in various organisations and programs, including capacity building and international exchange initiatives. 
• It also provides ocean information and forecasts to member countries through the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES).

Marrakesh Agreement

In News: The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Marrakesh Agreement, a significant milestone in global trade cooperation.

• It was signed on April 15, 1994, at some point of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations held in Marrakesh, Morocco. 
• The agreement marked a notable milestone in global trade cooperation and set the framework for global trade relations among participating countries.
• The Marrakesh Agreement formally created the World Trade Organization, changing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as the number one international body governing global trade.
• The WTO officially came into existence on January 1, 1995.

Microbes Found Beneath Atacama Desert

In News: Researchers have recently found microbes thriving 13 feet beneath the scorched surface of Chile’s Atacama Desert.

• • The newly located network inhabits soils between 6.6 feet (2 m) and at least 13 feet deep, it is dominated by Actinobacteria.
  • The bacteria belong to the phylum Firmicutes, which are resilient to high concentrations of salt and do not require oxygen to survive.

• Atacama Desert

• • The Atacama Desert is the driest warm wasteland in the world positioned in Chile, receiving as much sunshine as Venus.
  • Only a handful of animals live in the harsh situations — along with Darwin’s leaf-eared mouse and the South American grey fox — a few bacteria thrive in the wilderness’s salty, mineral-rich soils. 
  • Significance: The Atacama desolate tract is frequently used as an analog for analyzing the cruel situations of Mars, wherein the surface is absolutely lifeless, but might also cover proof of microbial existence underneath.
  • The new studies ought to further the search for life on the Red Planet, as Mars additionally has gypsum deposits, which could potentially function as a water supply for extraterrestrial existence.

Self Bred Coral Reef

In News: The self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project were nestled in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands.

• Corals are invertebrates that belong to a large institution of animals known as Cnidaria.
• Corals are shaped with the aid of a couple of small, smooth organisms called polyps. 
• They secrete a rocky chalk-like (calcium carbonate) exoskeleton round themselves for safety. 
• Coral reefs are consequently created via millions of tiny polyps forming massive carbonate systems.
• Appearance: Corals variety in shade from purple to crimson and even blue, but are most commonly sun shades of brown and green.
  • They get most of their colours from the millions of microscopic algae that grow inside every polyp’s tissues.
  • There are three varieties of coral reefs – fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls.
  • Fringing reefs shape along seashores, barrier reefs shape in open water and atolls are circular reefs which have shaped around sunken volcanoes.
• Significance: They provide meals, refuge, resting and breeding grounds to a quarter of all marine lifestyles, appearing as nurseries and refuges to protect important biodiversity.
  • They also help extra than 1 billion humans living in coastal areas round the arena by way of providing food, livelihoods and exercise.

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