In Bt cotton cultivation in India, the Cry1Ac toxin primarily targets which insect order?
Answer: A
Cry1Ac toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis specifically targets lepidopteran pests like cotton bollworms. It binds to specific receptors in their midgut.
Q.62Medium
Which technique is used to identify whether a gene sequence contains introns and exons in eukaryotic organisms?
Answer: B
Heteroduplex analysis uses electron microscopy to visualize DNA-RNA hybrids. Introns form loops that are clearly visible, confirming their presence.
Q.63Medium
According to India's National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2024, which sector receives the highest allocation for gene therapy research?
Answer: B
India's 2024 strategy prioritizes gene therapy for rare genetic disorders to address unmet medical needs and reduce disease burden in economically disadvantaged populations.
Q.64Medium
In homologous recombination-based gene editing, what is the primary advantage of using long homology arms (>1 kb) flanking the insert?
Answer: B
Longer homology arms (typically 1-2 kb) provide greater sequence identity for recombination machinery recognition, increasing efficiency and reducing off-target integration.
Q.65Medium
Which of the following genetically modified crops has been approved for commercial cultivation in India as per GEAC regulations (2024)?
Answer: D
As of 2024, Bt Cotton remains approved, and Bt Chickpea received commercial approval in 2023-24. Golden Rice and herbicide-resistant crops have not been approved in India.
Advertisement
Q.66Hard
In zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology, how many zinc finger domains are typically required to recognize and bind to a specific DNA sequence?
Answer: A
Each zinc finger domain recognizes approximately 3 bp. Three domains recognize 9 bp, which provides adequate specificity for most genomic targets.
Q.67Hard
Which of the following would be the BEST strategy to minimize off-target effects in CRISPR-Cas9 editing of human embryonic stem cells?
Answer: B
High-fidelity Cas9 variants (eSpCas9, SpCas9-HF1) with stringent guide RNA design using prediction tools significantly reduce off-target cleavage in therapeutic applications.
Q.68Hard
In the context of gene therapy vectors, which characteristic makes adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) preferable to lentiviruses for CNS diseases?
Answer: C
AAVs are 25 nm particles with limited packaging (~4.7 kb) but excellent CNS tropism, low immunogenicity, and non-integrating nature, making them safer for neurological applications.
Q.69Easy
Which regulatory body in India is responsible for approving genetically modified organisms under the Environment Protection Act, 1986?
Answer: B
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change evaluates and approves GMOs for environmental and food safety.
Q.70Easy
In polymerase chain reaction (PCR), what is the primary function of the annealing temperature optimization?
Answer: B
Annealing temperature determines primer specificity. Optimal temperature prevents non-specific binding while allowing target amplification, crucial for PCR accuracy.
Q.71Hard
Which technique combines microfluidics with next-generation sequencing to analyze single-cell genetic modifications in heterogeneous populations?
Answer: C
scCRISPR-seq enables simultaneous analysis of CRISPR perturbations and transcriptome responses at single-cell level, revealing cellular heterogeneity in gene-edited populations.
Q.72Medium
In insulin production using genetically engineered E. coli, why is the use of proinsulin preferred over direct insulin gene expression?
Answer: C
E. coli lacks proteases and post-translational modification machinery. Proinsulin can fold properly in bacteria; it's then enzymatically cleaved to produce mature, bioactive insulin.
Q.73Medium
Which of the following represents an application of TALEN technology that has shown clinical promise in 2024?
Answer: A
TALENs have been explored for editing CCR5 in HIV therapy, mimicking natural CCR5-Δ32 deletion. This approach shows potential for functional HIV resistance without integration risks.
Q.74Hard
In base editing technology, what is the critical difference between cytidine and adenosine deaminases in terms of target DNA modification?
Answer: B
Cytidine deaminase (APOBEC) converts cytosine to uracil (paired with G) leading to C-G→T-A transition. TadA adenosine deaminase converts adenosine to inosine (read as G), causing A-T→G-C.
Q.75Medium
According to India's DBT 2024 guidelines, what is the mandatory holding period for biosafety assessment of genetically modified crops before large-scale field trials?
Answer: C
India's current biosafety framework mandates 2-3 years of phased trials (contained use, limited field trials, then large-scale) before product approval, ensuring thorough risk assessment.
Q.76Hard
Which epigenetic modification is commonly exploited in epigenome editing to achieve stable gene silencing without altering DNA sequence?
Answer: B
dCas9-KRAB recruits repressor complexes causing DNA methylation and histone deacetylation, establishing stable heterochromatin without genetic changes, useful for therapeutic gene silencing.
Q.77Medium
In synthetic biology, what is the primary advantage of using BioBricks standardized parts over conventional genetic engineering?
Answer: B
BioBricks provide standardized interfaces (RFC10 standards) for combining biological parts into systems, enabling composable genetic design, rapid iteration, and community resource sharing.
Q.78Easy
What is the role of DNA ligase in genetic engineering?
Answer: B
DNA ligase catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides, sealing nicks in the DNA backbone after recombination.
Q.79Medium
Which vector is most commonly used for large DNA inserts (up to 45 kb) in genetic engineering?
Answer: C
BACs can accommodate inserts of 100-300 kb, while cosmids can hold up to 45 kb. For large inserts, BACs are superior to plasmids (typically 15-20 kb) and phagemids.
Q.80Medium
In CRISPR-Cas9 technology, what is the function of the guide RNA (gRNA)?
Answer: B
The guide RNA is complementary to the target DNA sequence and directs the Cas9 nuclease to the correct location for DNA cleavage.
