Agência FAPESP

Fermentation method transforms unripe fruits into specialty coffees

Biotechnology

2025-08-13

Fermentation method transforms unripe fruits into specialty coffees

Normally discarded due to their astringent taste, green beans from the Arara cultivar were subjected to airless fermentation and produced high-quality beverages in blind tests. Brazilian researchers see potential for the product to be valued in domestic and foreign markets.

Corals in Brazilian archipelago capture carbon equivalent to the burning of 324,000 liters of gasoline per year

Ecology

2025-08-06

Corals in Brazilian archipelago capture carbon equivalent to the burning of 324,000 liters of gasoline per year

A single species found in the Alcatrazes Archipelago, brain coral, produces around 170 tons of calcium carbonate annually. This represents the retention of approximately 20 tons of carbon in mineral form, which can last for centuries or millennia. A study by the Federal University of São Paulo highlights the potential ecosystem services provided by subtropical corals.

Evolution

2025-07-28

New examination of fish considered a ‘living fossil’ changes our understanding of vertebrate skull evolution

Researchers reanalyzed the skull musculature of coelacanths, a group of fish that has existed for 400 million years, and concluded that many structures had been incorrectly described. The study was published in Science Advances by researchers from the University of São Paulo and the Smithsonian Institution.

Sarcopenia is better for assessing the risk of death in older adults than frailty syndrome

Aging

2025-08-13

Sarcopenia is better for assessing the risk of death in older adults than frailty syndrome

This is the conclusion of a study that evaluated data from 4,500 people who were followed for 14 years. The results are helpful in clinical practice and for screening patients at risk, eliminating the need for complicated tests.

Neuroscience

2025-08-13

AI tool detects invisible brain abnormalities in people with severe epilepsy

Publicly available algorithm facilitates lesion identification and surgical planning for patients with focal cortical dysplasia, a malformation associated with a drug-refractory form of the disease.

Paleontology

2025-08-13

Giant turtle fossil found in the state of Acre, Brazil

On its first expedition, a project funded by the Amazon+10 Initiative reveals clues about the Amazon millions of years ago.

Biotechnology

2025-08-13

Laser therapy enhances treatment of fungus resistant to conventional medication

Researchers at a FAPESP-supported research center have managed to reduce Candida albicans’ resistance to fungicides by incorporating photodynamic inactivation techniques into the treatment. The results of the study indicate that the technology can be used in both human healthcare and the prevention of food contamination.

Brazilian company develops sustainable alternative to antibiotics for livestock

Innovation

2025-08-13

Brazilian company develops sustainable alternative to antibiotics for livestock

The startup uses bacteriophages to prevent mastitis in dairy cows and reduce the use of conventional drugs.

Ethnobotany

2025-08-13

Indigenous researcher revives traditional medical practices of his people

The study accessed ancestral knowledge and cataloged 175 medicinal plants used to treat diseases such as parasitic worms, diabetes, and hypertension. Community participation was central to all stages of the study.

Health

2025-08-06