Current Affairs 5th August 2018

Current Affairs 5th August 2018 - Important Points

• World’s first single-chromosome yeast created by - Chinese researchers
• MoU signed between NHAI and SBI on - 3rd August 2018

Current Affairs 5th August 2018 - Details

World’s first single-chromosome yeast created by - Chinese researchers

Researchers from China have claimed to have created the world’s first single-chromosome yeast while not affecting the majority of its core functions. The researchers involved in the creation are molecular biologists from the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences in China.  This research was published on the journal website – Nature on August 2nd, 2018.

Important Highlights

• Brewer's yeast, 33 % of its genome is said to share ancestry with humans, has 16 chromosomes.
  But, Chinese scientists have managed to fit nearly all of its genetic material into just one chromosome while not affecting the majority of its functions.
• The researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing to create a single-chromosome yeast strain.
• Using the CRISPR-Cas9, their team have removed the DNA at the telomeres, the ends of chromosomes,protecting them from degrading.
• They also snipped out the centromeres, sequences in the middle which are important for the DNA replication.
• First, the fusion of two chromosomes was done, then joined the product to another chromosome, and hence repeated the process in successive rounds until there was only one chromosome left.

MoU signed between NHAI and SBI on - 3rd August 2018

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) for getting Long Term Unsecured Loan of Rs  25000 crore for 10 years with 3 years of moratorium on repayments on August 3rd, 2018.

This is the SBI’s highest long term unsecured loan to any entity till date. Also, this is the largest amount of loan to have been sanctioned to NHAI in one stroke by any institution. SBI has offered the loan to the NHAI in response to the Expression of Interest invited by the latter from Scheduled Commercial Banks to fund Rs 25000 Crore as an unsecured loan for 10 years with 3 years of moratorium on repayments.

Key Highlights of the MoU

• The total sanctioned amount of Rs 25000 Crore will be disbursed by March 31st, 2019.
• The Rate of interest would be based on one month MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate).
• Interest accrued on the amount actually outstanding will be paid every month.
• NHAI can draw the amount in any number of tranches by March 31st, 2019.
• The loan sanctioned is unsecured; there is no principal repayment liability for the first three years.
  The total loan period is 10 years.
• NHAI can repay or prepay the loan at any time without any prepayment penalty.
• The repayment would be made by NHAI in 14 equal half yearly installments once the three-year moratorium is over.