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The call is one of several initiatives designed by FAPESP to help science and technology startups supported by its entrepreneurship and innovation program attract investors and survive “death valley”.

The prevalence of dysfunctional eating behaviors among almost 1,000 vegans studied by researchers at the University of São Paulo was less than a tenth of the average for the Brazilian population. The explanation, according to the researchers, lies in the reasons for which people choose a restrictive diet.

A seminar hosted by the steering committee for the FAPESP Bioenergy Research Program featured researchers and representatives of the public and private sectors. A rapid and substantial increase in production of sustainable aviation fuels was the option considered most consistent.

Experiments conducted at the University of São Paulo showed that expression of the gene that encodes the vitamin D receptor is greatly reduced in pediatric adrenocortical tumor cells. When the gene was activated, an anti-proliferation effect was observed. The only treatment currently available is surgical removal of the tumor.

The product will pave the way for researchers and food engineers to develop novel industrial processes based on the use of sugarcane molasses. It was tested as a yeast culture medium for ethanol production.

Algorithms developed at the University of São Paulo interpret information from different databases and help identify city areas susceptible to food insecurity.

Hormones and metabolites secreted after physical activity act together to suppress hunger, as highlighted by an editorial in The Journal of Physiology written by researchers at the State University of Campinas and the University of Copenhagen.

A technology created by the University of São Paulo’s Center for Artificial Intelligence increases the accuracy of shipping and other weather forecasts by 20%, and is being tested at the Port of Santos.

The main impacts for the Caatinga, as the semi-arid biome is known, will be replacement of trees by shrubs and grasses, and a decrease in the overall number of species. The projections are based on the IPCC’s latest report and a database created by Brazilian researchers.

Made from agar, a substance extracted from red algae, the optical fiber can be used to monitor stimuli produced in the brain or muscles, or as an ancillary interface in human-computer connections for assistive or rehabilitation technologies.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and collaborators in four other countries analyzed more than 400 patients. They found a link between the endocrine disorder and alterations in the gene MECP2, which encodes a protein of key importance to neuron development.

The technique uses functionalized cellulose fibers from sugarcane bagasse to remove residues of the herbicide from an aqueous medium.

A startup supported by FAPESP is developing an app that leverages artificial intelligence to help users monitor the disease and improve the quality of their lives.

Brazilian researchers and collaborators in Germany and the US compiled data from 195 clinical trials conducted in 30 countries between January 2020 and December 2021. The findings are promising, although the authors stress the need for enhanced controls in the making of the products used in cell therapy.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo highlight the importance of monitoring these areas and advocate the use of technosols based on tailings and other waste to offset part of their emissions.

A comprehensive review by researchers in Brazil and elsewhere provides a wealth of information about the effects on the organism of remaining seated for much of the day, and calls for more research to analyze the effectiveness of interventions to reduce or interrupt sedentary behavior.

Acetone, a key input for the chemical industry, is usually produced by an elaborate and hazardous process. A more sustainable strategy has been developed by a scientific collaboration between researchers in Brazil and Germany.

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo conducted experiments involving rats to analyze the effects of a high-fat high-sugar parental diet. The results suggested that ingestion of hypercaloric food by male progenitors favors weight gain and a build-up of body fat in their offspring.

The researchers correlated data on the animal’s ecological niche and connectivity among populations with existing and planned hydropower development sites in Brazil’s South region. They estimated that 30% of its habitat could be lost, heightening the risk of extinction.

A software tool developed by a company supported by FAPESP raises productivity and lowers operating costs in the bioenergy sector.

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo helps explain why older people are more susceptible to the severe form of the disease and why it involves blood clotting disorders.

The fourth-generation particle accelerator installed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) was the topic for the 4th FAPESP Lecture 2023. LNLS Director Harry Westfahl Junior described the facility and the research opportunities it offers. He also announced the third call for proposals.

Researchers sampled oysters and mussels at three locations between the port of Santos and the nearby city of Guarujá. Their aims included assembling data as a basis for public policy on basic sanitation. The law does not currently require removal of microplastic particles from sewage.

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analyzed saliva, oral microbiota and dental health of volunteers who were preparing for gastroplasty and after the operation. The results showed an increase in caries and periodontitis, as well as alterations in salivary inflammatory markers.

Applications of specialty glass range from astronomy to medicine, as well as data and power transmission. The study combined spectroscopy and computational modeling to show how the structure of the material is affected by addition of niobium oxide.

Technology developed with FAPESP’s support was the winner in the “Technological Innovation” category. Also, a University of São Paulo study that found a molecule capable of killing leukemic cells was awarded in “Oncology Research” category.

Available free of charge on the internet, the platform simulates fire propagation in the savanna biome three times a day and is in use in nine conservation units.

Heitor Cantarella was a member of BIOEN-FAPESP’s steering committee for 14 years. As a researcher at the São Paulo State Institute of Agronomy in Campinas, he has made groundbreaking contributions to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

In experiments with mice, researchers at the State University of Campinas observed alterations in feed consumption, weight gain, anxious behavior and an increase in central nervous system, adipose tissue and liver inflammation.

A study by researchers at the State University of Campinas and Harvard University shows that despite the presence of invasive strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, all of them belong to the ethanol fermentation environment, keeping the industrial process stable. Their findings can help cut costs and assure better results for producers.

With FAPESP’s support, the startup developed a smart biodressing produced by 3D printing and designed to accelerate skin wound healing. It will compete for a Global eAward in October.

A review of research on minimally processed vegetables highlights cases of unsatisfactory microbiological safety and calls for best practice assurance throughout the supply chain.

The project is the result of a partnership between FAPESP and Shell and could help make hydrogen a widely used fuel in Brazil. Hydrogen from a pilot plant to be built at USP using Raízen’s ethanol will power buses on the campus.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo investigated the effects of five concentrations of glitter on two strains of cyanobacteria. Use of the material in makeup, party costumes and decorations should be reconsidered, they argue.

A model developed by a cross-border collaboration including Brazilian researchers could help decision-makers assess the real impact of green roofs on the urban food-water-energy nexus.

In a study involving 46 volunteers, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo found that telomere shortening, a biomarker of cellular aging, accelerated in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients, whereas continuous positive airway pressure attenuated the damage.

Based on artificial intelligence techniques such as neural networks and machine learning, the system takes seconds to perform tasks that used to take months. It will extract useful information from the gigantic amount of data furnished by the new Vera C. Rubin telescope.

Experiments with rats at the Federal University of São Paulo suggest that the technique promotes reprogramming of the neurons affected by the disease, making them return to a normal state and interrupting seizures. Increased production of adenosine appears to play a key role in the process.

Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to train a machine learning algorithm to help diagnose autism. The study involved physicists, statisticians, physicians and neuroscientists from centers in Brazil, France and Germany.

A project conducted by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) cross-referenced data from sensors to analyze soil and weather variations in the same vineyard so as to produce different wines and improve water and fertilizer management. Wineries in São Paulo state are already benefiting from the results.

A study published in Nature and led by scientists at Brazil’s National Space Research Institute (INPE) and Bristol University in the UK describes a novel methodology for calculating the carbon absorption capacity of recovering areas in the Amazon, Congo and Borneo, which contain the world’s largest tropical rainforests. Together these areas remove at least 107 million metric tons from the atmosphere every year.

A collaborative study by Brazilian and British researchers shows for the first time that obesity can cause a lack of vitamin D and not the other way around. The risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in subjects with abdominal obesity was 36% and 64% higher respectively than in those without.

A biocatalyst discovered by Brazilian researchers has the potential to increase renewable biofuel output by removing obstacles in technology and production processes, as well as enhancing the manufacturing of bioplastics and biopolymers.

Primates in a Brazilian national park spend 41% of their time on the ground. Territoriality influences stone tool use, the behavior of females while on heat, and care of disabled individuals.

Genome sequencing of clinical samples from a child hospitalized in Aracaju, the capital of Sergipe state (Brazil), revealed the simultaneous presence of the protozoan Leishmania infantum and an as-yet unnamed parasite belonging to the genus Crithidia, identified earlier in a fatal case of visceral leishmaniasis in the same region.

Photodynamic therapy developed by the Center for Research in Optics and Photonics, which is supported by FAPESP, has been recommended by Brazil’s federal body responsible for including novel healthcare technologies in the national health service.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed inflammatory markers in cyclists who trained regularly and had been exposed to traffic-related pollution. The results of the experiment, which was conducted in São Paulo city, are published in the American Journal of Physiology.

The aim of the study is to understand the strategies used by children and young people in low-income households to adapt to the public health crisis and economic hardship in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

The innovative approach highlights vulnerability to deforestation, fire and drought, as well as poverty. The results can help formulate public policies for sustainable development.

A study combining genetic analysis and oceanographic simulations showed that a species of mangrove rarely disperses very far, so that North and South Brazil have two distinct populations. The results can help prioritize conservation units and understand global patterns in mangrove forest formation.