News

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.

An investigation covering four different parts of Brazil carried out analysis of genomic data from 34 fossils, including larger skeletons and the famous mounds of shells and fishbones built on the coast, and revealed differences between communities. An article on the study is published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Brazilian scientists analyzed the typical soil composition resulting from native management with the aim of developing biotech applications for more effective restoration of degraded areas.

The first-ever study of dark kitchens conducted in Brazil collected data on 22,520 establishments located in three cities in São Paulo state and listed by iFood. An article on the study offers a profile of these delivery-only restaurants, which proliferated during the pandemic.

Modeling projections depend on the installation of networks specific to these areas in Brazil and the Andes, where the available data falls far short of what is needed.

Research conducted in manipulated sugarcane plots showed that small water bodies such as ponds and puddles can contribute to sustainable farming even with environmentally hostile practices.

One of the goals of the study conducted by scientists at the Center for Development of Functional Materials and the Center for Innovation on New Energies is to reduce atmospheric emissions of this greenhouse gas.

A team affiliated with a FAPESP-supported research center showed in mice that molecules capable of preventing the peptide C5a from binding to its cellular receptor helped prevent lung damage and other complications typical of severe COVID-19.

An article in Science by 35 researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and elsewhere shows that carbon emissions resulting from forest degradation are equivalent to emissions from deforestation. The authors analyzed degradation due to fire, edge effects, illegal logging and extreme drought.

The results pave the way for breeding of cattle with selected traits. Preliminary work findings for human embryo models recently published by international groups could contribute to the understanding of congenital defects and early pregnancy loss.

In experiments conducted at the State University of Campinas (Brazil), intestinal epithelial stem cells proliferated more in mice fed an inulin-rich diet than in mice given insoluble fiber. The study also showed that the beneficial effects depended on interaction with gut microbiota.

Scientists at Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) investigated enzymes produced by two species of fungus used to break down sugarcane bagasse for production of second-generation ethanol. The goal of the project is to increase the efficiency of this process, which currently depends on imported feedstocks.

Similar programs and FAPESP’s pragmatism arouse interest in intensifying collaboration and joint calls for proposals involving research centers in Switzerland and São Paulo.

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo and reported in PNAS explains hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients and shows how SARS-CoV-2 causes symptoms similar to those of diabetes.

Strategies for reconciling forest conservation and income generation for families living on Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Acre state are the focus of a project in which local scientists are collaborating with colleagues from the states of São Paulo and Pará. The project is part of the Amazon+10 Initiative.

An article by scientists at the Federal University of São Paulo shows that the South and Southeast of Brazil are the most affected regions, and that Espírito Santo is the state most affected by waves of heat and cold.

Researchers at Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, discovered that survival of the parasitic worm that causes the disease depends on expression of a specific type of RNA. In animal trials, inhibition of the molecule interrupted the infection.

The view was expressed by participants in a discussion on “Bioenergy’s major contribution to the energy transition” organized by the FAPESP Bioenergy Research Program.

The new model is capable of providing a realistic analysis of the experimental data for a supercapacitor in which internal energy losses are considered.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo observed the effects of adiponectin in trials involving blood samples from lean and obese subjects. The discovery points to novel routes to treatment for type 2 diabetes and related dysfunctions.

Combinations of antifungals with brilacidin, a drug undergoing clinical trials for other diseases, cleared up lung infections in animals. On its own, the candidate drug treated a fungal disease of the cornea that affects millions of people worldwide.

Superflares release huge amounts of energy. If they occurred on our Sun, they would have a massive impact on Earth. The researchers studied two K-type stars and concluded that eruptions of this magnitude are due to their magnetic complexity.

The warning was delivered by Marta Vasconcelos, a biologist affiliated with the Portuguese Catholic University, during the third event in the 2023 series of FAPESP Lectures.

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo shows that 20% of patients with bloodstream infections are not treated, and at least half of those treated die. Diagnostic techniques must improve, the authors warn.

The material was designed by Brazilian researchers and includes a derivative of limonene from citrus rind, blended with chitosan, a biopolymer from exoskeletons of crustaceans.

Experiments involving mice and conducted by Brazilian researchers showed four weeks of training with weights to be sufficient to reverse behavioral and physical alterations characteristic of the disease.

Trials involving mammalian cells were conducted by researchers in São Paulo state, Brazil. Although it endangers biodiversity along much of the coast, sun coral could be an ally in combating Chagas disease, which affects 7 million people worldwide and lacks effective treatment.

The discovery was made by researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and Chile. Their analysis of oral cells that expressed human papillomavirus proteins and were exposed to cigarette smoke pointed to an increase in levels of an enzyme associated with tumor progression and DNA damage.

The study by Brazilian researchers showed that the microscopic arachnids rid stingless bee colonies of excessive fungi and serve as food for the larvae of these honey-making insects.

Contrary to the predominant view held since the eighteenth century, the French philosopher and physician saw the organism as a totality interacting with its environment rather than a mere aggregation of parts whose functioning depended only on the right amount of organic substances.

A novel methodology used in the 24th edition of the PIPE High-Tech Entrepreneurial Training Program will guide 21 innovative startups in the process of developing customers and refining their business models, among other competencies.

Scientists analyzed data for the period from 232 Indigenous Territories in Brazil. Results published in Scientific Reports show deforestation rates accelerating between 2019 and 2021.

A study of 40 asymptomatic subjects living with HIV conducted at São Paulo State University showed that a daily dose of 500 mg was safe and helped combat premature aging.

Brazilian researchers analyzed data from MRI scans and various tests to detect biological alterations linked to the neurological symptoms most reported by patients, especially anxiety, depression, sleepiness and fatigue. The latest results were presented to the ninth edition of BRAINN Congress.

Soon to be officially launched, IPOS is a coalition of 16 research institutions, research funders and universities. Its mission will be to bridge the science-policy divide and help protect the world’s ocean environment.

Brazilian researchers compared the therapies used most frequently for tinnitus, which affects some 750 million worldwide.

The FDA has authorized Magnamed to operate a plant in Florida that will produce Oxymag, its portable emergency ventilator.

Scientists at the University of São Paulo have shown that the occurrence of mesoscale convective systems, which account for 40% of precipitation in the Amazon, is already being affected by climate change.

Bone cavities called air sacs appeared in the ancestors of long-necked dinosaurs about 225 million years ago, according to the analysis of a specimen found in Rio Grande do Sul state, South Brazil. The study also shows that air sacs did not evolve as linearly as scientists believe.

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.