Current Affairs

 

 

Lab-Grown Meat 

• Lab-grown meat, officially known as cellcultivated meat, refers to meat that is grown in a laboratory setting using isolated cells derived from animals. 
• These cells are provided with the necessary resources, such as nutrients and a suitable environment, to replicate and grow into edible meat. 
• The process typically takes place in bioreactors, specialized containers designed to support the cellular cultivation process. 
• The first country to approve the sale of alternative meat was Singapore in 2020.

Cell-Cultivated Chicken: 

• Cell-cultivated chicken refers to chicken meat grown in a laboratory setting using isolated cells that have the resources needed for growth and replication.
• Bioreactors, specialized containers designed to support a specific biological environment, are commonly used to facilitate the cultivation process.
• Once the cells reach a sufficient number, they are processed, often with additives, to enhance texture and appearance, and prepared for consumption.

Cell-Cultivation Technique Significant for Meat Production Climate Mitigation: 

• Lab-grown meat offers a potential solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock production. 
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock production contributes about 14.5% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, mainly in the form of methane and nitrous oxide.

Land Use Efficiency: 

• Cell-cultivated meat requires significantly less land compared to traditional meat production methods. 
• A 2021 report estimated that lab-cultivated meat would use 63% less land in the case of chicken and 72% in the case of pork.

Animal Welfare: 

• The development of cell-cultivated meat aims to minimize the need for animal slaughter. 
• By producing meat directly from cells, cultivated meat offers the possibility of reducing animal suffering and improving animal welfare standards.

Food Security and Nutrition: 

• Lab-grown meat has the potential to address future food security needs. 
• Cell-cultivated meat can be tailored to be healthier and meet specific dietary requirements such as being designed to contain less fat.

Challenges to Cell-Cultivated Meat Consumer Acceptance: 

• Achieving taste, texture, appearance, and cost parity with conventional meat remains a challenge for cell-cultivated alternatives. Perception of cultured meat as "artificial" or "unnatural" may impact consumer willingness to adopt these products.

Cost: 

• The cost of cell-cultivated meat is expected to remain high; primarily attributed to the complex and resource intensive process of cell culturing. Scalability and quality control processes may impose additional costs. 

Scalability: 

• Currently, production is limited to small quantities, and scaling up while maintaining product quality and consistency is a significant challenge. Developing efficient and cost-effective bioreactor systems and finding suitable cell culture media are critical steps in achieving scalability. 

Resources: 

• Researchers require high-quality cells, suitable growth mediums, and other resources to ensure the quality of the final product.

 

Bandipur Tiger Reserve About: 

• Bandipur Tiger Reserve lies in one of the richest biodiversity areas of our country representing “Western Ghats Mountains Biogeography Zone”, surrounded by Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the South, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the Southwest & on the North West Side the Kabini Reservoir separates the Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. 
• The reserve is recognized as one of the Mega Biodiversity Areas in the country and is home to rich floral and faunal diversity.

Establishment: 

• It was established in 1973 under Project Tiger. In 1985, by including adjacent areas from Venugopala Wildlife Park, it was enlarged and named Bandipur National Park.

Location: 

• It is situated in two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and is located at the trijunction area of the States Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Biosphere Reserve: 

• The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is part of the Mysore Elephant Reserve and is an important component of the country’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. 
• The landscape spanning Bandipur, Nagarahole, Mudumalai, and Wayanad complex is home not only to the highest number of tigers in the country – about 724, but also to the largest Asian Elephant population. 

Rivers and the Highest Point: 

• The park is located between the Kabini river in the north and the Moyar river in the south. The Nugu river runs through the park. The highest point in the park is on a hill called Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta. 

Other Tiger Reserves in Karnataka: 

• Bhadra Tiger Reserve 
• Nagarahole Tiger Reserve 
• Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve 
• Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, Besides, Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary has been proposed to be made a tiger reserve.

 

Typhoid About: 

• Typhoid fever is a life-threatening systemic infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (commonly known as Salmonella Typhi) carried only by humans – no other animal carrier has been found. Transmission: 
• Typhoid fever is transmitted by the faecal-oral route, through ingestion of contaminated food or water. 
• Without treatment, about one person in 20 who recovers from typhoid becomes a ‘carrier’. Despite having no symptoms of illness, they have bacteria in their faeces and urine, and can infect others for a period of about three months (sometimes up to one year). 
• Travellers are at high risk of developing typhoid fever in many typhoid endemic countries. This includes parts of Asia (especially India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Middle East. 

Symptoms: 

• Symptoms and signs of typhoid range from mild to severe, can last for about one month without treatment, and may include: fever, fatigue or tiredness, malaise (general feeling of unwellness), sore throat, persistent cough, headache. Prevention:

Vaccine:

• The typhoid vaccine is available as an oral medication or a one-off injection: 
• Capsule: For adults and children over the age of 6 years, this is a live, attenuated vaccine. 
• Shot: For adults and children over the age of 2 years, this is an inactivated vaccine a person needs to get 2 weeks before travel.
• The typhoid vaccine is only 50–80% effective.
• Treatment: 
• Typhoid fever requires prompt treatment with antibiotics.
• Drug Resistance: 
• The effectiveness of antibiotics for typhoid fever is threatened by the emergence of drug resistant strains. 
• The existence of resistant strains of bacteria means antibiotics or drugs designed to kill them no longer work, allowing them to spread rapidly, posing a risk to public health. 
• Since 2000, multi-drug-resistant (MDR) typhoid has declined steadily in Bangladesh and India, remained low in Nepal, and increased slightly in Pakis

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