News

The discovery, led by researchers at a FAPESP-supported center, could lead to novel treatments for autoimmune diseases.

A review article goes beyond international standards to propose zero waste methodologies in the production of natural assets from marine organisms.

As well as benefiting users, the aim was to contribute to energy saving and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The technique was developed at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in São Paulo state, Brazil, and could impact the manufacturing of batteries, smartphone screens and other devices.

Carapace resembling scaled armor used by medieval knights appears to be first evidence of defense against predators and linked to origin of large group of animals with bilateral symmetry, which includes humans. Advanced techniques including electron microscopy and tomography applied to rocks found in Brazil in the 1970s enabled scientists to reconstruct this animal’s morphology.

The data, referring to Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Guatemala, was presented by the FAPESP Bioenergy Research Program (BIOEN) during a seminar hosted by the International Energy Agency.

The study combined models that predict urban expansion and land-use changes with hydrodynamic models, and the results were validated using actual data for São Caetano do Sul, a city in metropolitan São Paulo.

A research group at Butantan Institute performed tests on animal models with asthma as a reference and demonstrated that the peptide from Thalassophryne nattereri, common in North and Northeast Brazil, is safe and efficacious.

The meeting at FAPESP was attended by Youngsuk ‘YS’ Chi, Chairman of Elsevier.

Resin applied to purification of compound can be reused in eight different cycles without loss of effectiveness.

The computer program was developed at the State University of Campinas to include more vegetation diversity in the analysis of climate change impacts.

The alert came from scientists who participated in the 10th German-Brazilian Dialogue on Science, Research and Innovation, organized by the German Center for Science and Innovation in São Paulo in partnership with FAPESP.

Esper Kallás, who heads Latin America’s leading producer of vaccines, delivered the Second 2023 FAPESP Lecture on “Viruses, pandemics and vaccines”. He spoke about the “100 Day Mission” to produce novel vaccines in just over three months.

The molecule was identified by researchers at the University of São Paulo in cells of the Amblyomma tick that transmits the disease.

First meeting was held last week in The Hague, Netherlands, during the Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council.

Brazilian technology developed with FAPESP’s support can be used to spray large or small areas, economizing inputs, lowering costs and mitigating environmental impacts.

The call was issued in 2022 by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, a transnational consortium of research funders set up to combat chronic non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Two proposals supported by FAPESP were among those approved.

Representatives from 81 research funding agencies from 63 countries are meeting this week in The Hague, in the Netherlands, for the Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council, co-organized by FAPESP. In discussion, topics that will help shape the future of research around the world.

A charter of principles was ratified during the annual meeting of the Global Research Council. The goal is to establish common practices to assess the quality of the science produced and facilitate international collaborations.

Assessment was made by experts at the third day of the Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council. During the event, practices on funding research on the topic were ratified by representatives of funding agencies from 63 countries.

This assessment was made by participants of an event promoted on Tuesday by the Gender Working Group of the Global Research Council. One of the panelists was Marco Antonio Zago, president of FAPESP.

Debate was hosted by Swedish, American and Japanese research funding agencies at the Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council.

Initiatives developed by Elsevier, Royal Society of Chemistry, South Africa’s National Research Foundation and German Research Foundation were presented at event held in The Hague, Netherlands.

Discovered by Uruguayan scientists in 2013, two psychrophilic (cold-adapted) species have been experimented with since 2018 by a partnership between IIBCE in Montevideo and the University of São Paulo in Brazil.

Study mapped knowledge of nature-based solutions among municipal staff responsible for projects in 20 Brazilian cities. The survey points to the need to adapt the approach used in the northern hemisphere to local conditions.

Researchers in São Paulo state analyzed data for over 1 million patients hospitalized for treatment by the public health service after contracting COVID-19. Lower levels of inflammatory cytokines and fewer ACE2 receptors for the virus to bind to may be the explanation.

In experiments involving rats, researchers at São Paulo State University found that periods of low oxygen levels in the first months of life can lead to dysregulation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, which controls functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. The discovery points to possible routes to the development of novel therapies.

A biodressing containing human umbilical cord stem cells was produced in a 3D printer by the startup In Situ Cell Therapy. Researchers at the University of São Paulo found that when used on diabetic mice, the “smart” biodressing modulated the immune response, stimulated collagen synthesis and enhanced tissue repair.

Research groups in São Paulo state and Mozambique analyzed carotenoids in over 1,000 sweet potatoes and found some with 88% more beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

Described by Benjamin Franklin in the mid-eighteenth century, the kite experiment was an important step toward our modern understanding of electricity, but the pictures that popularized this episode are full of inaccuracies.

Leishmania alters the structure of the human protein that would normally induce the death of infected cells and weakens the inflammatory response. Reported in Nature Communications, the discovery could serve as a basis for better treatment.

FAPESP has funded more than 40,000 research projects linked to one or more SDGs, said Marco Antonio Zago.

No fewer than eight important hydrographic basins depend on the ecosystems that make up the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna-like biome, but ambiguities in the legislation have permitted the advance of soybean plantations in the region. The warning is in an article by Brazilian researchers in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation.

A study by researchers at the State University of Campinas showed that although the two types of training produce similar metabolic stress, muscle activation is different.

An analysis conducted at the University of São Paulo showed that no sample exceeded the recommended limit for aflatoxin M1, a contaminant of fungal origin considered carcinogenic. Nevertheless, the researchers warn of the need to demand best practices in dairy production.

A program developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo included three weekly sessions of up to 80 minutes each for 16 weeks, with positive effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, lung function, functional capacity, body composition and persistent symptoms.

In vitro experiments were conducted at a FAPESP-supported research center with a synthetic peptide inspired by molecules secreted by the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum.

Ricardo Galvão, President of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), discussed the status quo and outlook for Brazilian science in the first of the 2023 FAPESP Lectures.

A new study simulated dozens of solar flares and showed that analysis of the Lyman Continuum spectrum formed by hydrogen ionization and recombination can be used for diagnosis of the solar plasma.

Brazilian researchers observed an increase in production of endocannabinoid, a natural anti-inflammatory neurotransmitter, in COVID-19 patients given glucocorticoids. The discovery points to possibilities of novel treatments for various inflammatory and neurological diseases.

Scientists at São Paulo State University repurposed a device already used to analyze bovine reproductive cells to observe different characteristics of human sperm simultaneously.

A sprayable solution developed by researchers at the State University of Campinas does not spread rapidly over a surface and efficiently eliminates harmful microorganisms. The technology can be licensed from the university’s innovation agency.

In laboratory mice, the hormone easily bought from pharmacies and widely consumed as a supplement aggravated Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, depending on the animal’s gut microbiota profile, according to a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo.

In an interview given to Agência FAPESP, the new director reveals his plans to seek more partnerships with institutions, strengthen the Foundation’s international ties and simplify processes by cutting bureaucracy.

Researchers show the importance of political skill on the part of federal research institution Fiocruz and regulatory agency ANVISA in the process that resulted in the signature of an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in mid-pandemic.

Predictive model developed at São Paulo State University (UNESP) helps identify tumor biomarkers of this metabolic syndrome characterized by acute weight loss and muscle wasting.

An online event presented the results of five projects selected in a call issued by FAPESP in partnership with the Belmont Forum and JPI Urban Europe.

Representatives of 44 startups will receive 12 months of technical support for the development of products and processes through in-person training, mentoring and workshops run by experts from FAPESP and institutions that promote innovative entrepreneurship.

In a study with 116 participants, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo evaluated the genetic material contained in extracellular vesicles possibly secreted by brain tissue. The analysis pointed to patterns of microRNA expression associated with depression, anxiety and ADHD.

A startup based in São Paulo is working with research centers, laboratories and private enterprise to develop novel medications from plant-based natural products. The drugs will be designed to combat multifactorial diseases.