Laboratory trial by Butantan Institute in partnership with the University of São Paulo involved inoculation of variants P.1 and P.2 into cultured cells containing blood serum from vaccinated subjects. The results were satisfactory, according to the researchers.
The technology uses ultraviolet-C, which can inactivate the novel coronavirus. Startup BioLambda was supported by FAPESP and partnered with the Albert Einstein Jewish-Brazilian Hospital in São Paulo.
Brazilian researchers tested the capacity of different materials to produce sensors for the detection of PCA3, a gene that is overexpressed in prostate cancer. The technique can also be used to diagnose infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
In a study of the effects of cigarette smoking on exacerbation of the disease, scientists at a FAPESP-supported research center identified a novel pathway in the inflammatory process relating to bone damage.
Published by an Anglo-Brazilian epidemiological research center, the study revealed that in only seven weeks SARS-CoV-2 lineage P.1 became the most prevalent strain of the virus in Manaus. Analysis of more than 900 samples from patients diagnosed in the period pointed to a higher viral load.
Blood plasma from COVID-19 convalescents was tested against Brazilian variant isolates obtained from patients diagnosed in Manaus. The study also assessed the effectiveness of plasma from volunteers immunized with CoronaVac.
In Araraquara, state of São Paulo, researchers detected the P.1 variant in 93% of samples from patients diagnosed at a primary healthcare facility in the first two months of the year.
Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, the non-invasive methodology facilitates identification of immature or poor-quality seeds without destroying them or creating residues.
In a study conducted at the University of São Paulo, researchers used infrared laser irradiation to accelerate the activity of enzymes immobilized on gold nanoparticles. The technique could have biomedical and industrial applications.
Study conducted at University of Campinas in collaboration with University of Michigan explains nanoscale physics of this manmade material in article published in Science Advances.
Open-access repository established to facilitate research on the disease holds anonymized data including clinical examinations and laboratory test results from 485,000 patients processed by five institutions.
Study suggests that replacing native vegetation with pasture or crops increases competition among microorganisms, favoring those with antimicrobial resistance genes. Brazilian scientists advocate more research to find out whether bacteria can migrate to food and reach humans.
In an article published in BMC Biology, Brazilian researchers compare the phenomenon observed in the species E. coli to a “tragedy of the commons”, in which individual interests take precedence over the collective good. According to the authors, it masks the emergence of bacterial variants and makes the colony’s mutation rate appear lower.
Agricultural residues already produce 25% of the electricity used by households in the state. The proportion could jump to 70%, according to researchers who took part in an online seminar on the topic.
There is no universally adopted system or standard for collecting, documenting and sharing the massive amount of data from research on the disease, noted an expert who took part in the Second Latin American and Caribbean Scientific Data Management Workshop.
Study by researchers at the University of Campinas published in Physical Review Letters discusses both light dispersion by vibrations inside the device and light dissipation to the exterior, an aspect rarely studied hitherto.
In October the CDC recommended ten instead of 14 days of isolation for patients with mild or moderate symptoms, but Brazilian researchers found viable viral particles in 25% of samples collected from patients on the tenth day of symptoms.
Operating in the São José dos Campos Technology Park, Autaza’s RIC has an optical system for automotive paint quality inspection using computer vision and artificial intelligence.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo estimated biodiversity and biomass losses in the biome using data from 1,819 forest inventories. In terms of carbon storage, the losses correspond to the destruction of 70,000 km² of forest, representing some USD 2.6 billion in carbon credits.
Scientists will monitor areas in which these diseases are endemic, such as São Paulo, the Amazon, the Pantanal and Panama, to investigate the factors that trigger outbreaks.
Scientists who study capuchin monkeys on a nature reserve in Brazil found that stone tools are used for digging, seed pounding, and stone-on-stone percussion. The monkeys can serve as a model to help understand how humans evolved to use tools.
With FAPESP’s support, PangeiaBiotech develops genetically modified varieties of sugarcane that are protected against attacking insects and glyphosate-tolerant.
The black and white tegu lizard, which depends on external environmental factors to regulate body temperature, can survive swings between 15 and 35 degrees Celsius in a single day while keeping blood pressure steady. This study extends scientists’ knowledge of cardiovascular regulation in vertebrates.
An analysis conducted in the Brazilian state of São Paulo detected seven proteins in plasma from hospitalized patients that could be used in novel treatments and methods of identifying potentially severe or critical cases.
The different criteria used in Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccines approved so far were explained by scientists in a webinar hosted by FAPESP. The impact of delays in vaccinating Brazilians was one of the topics discussed.
The new Applied Research Center’s mission is to conduct research that can provide input for public policies. FAPESP is partnering with the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation and INSPER to mount the initiative.
According to a paper by Brazilian researchers published in Nano Today, the spatial arrangement of proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 assures highly efficient interaction with target receptors on human cells.
In an article published in Scientific Reports, Brazilian researchers show that besides simplifying operational logistics and improving production, fertilization of the grass used as a cover crop can reduce fertilizer use in the long run.
Brazilian researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess 86 volunteers who had moderate COVID-19 and compared the results with those of uninfected volunteers. Preliminary findings have not yet been published but were presented during a conference held at the University of Campinas.
With FAPESP’s support, Hytron has developed a containerized solution for hydrogen production via ethanol reforming that eliminates the need for shipping by tanker trucks. The equipment can supply the gas to factories and vehicle service stations.
Filaments made of polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles are obtained by exposing the material to a magnetic field under controlled temperature. The applications are myriad and include transporting substances into cells or directing fluids.
A study by researchers at the University of São Paulo showed that the blood serum of severe patients contained high levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid. The discovery may help improve the prognosis of such patients and the treatment available to them.
Brazilian researchers applied an examination protocol based on an analysis of 12 lung regions to 180 severe patients and found that the higher the lung ultrasound score the greater the risk of ICU admission, intubation and death.
Technology based on nanoparticles identifies IgG antibodies and costs only about a fifth of similar devices now on the market. It was developed by scientists at the University of São Paulo and Brazilian startup Biolinker.
Mapping of toxins from pit viper and tarantula reveals peptides that could lead in future to the development of novel drugs for cardiovascular problems and cancer, besides anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral potential.
More than 1,000 volunteers completed an online questionnaire designed by Brazilian researchers. The results show that more women are cooking, sitting down to eat, snacking between meals, and ordering takeaway meals, while dieting and supermarket shopping have declined.
The hormone acts as a barrier against SARS-CoV-2, blocking the expression of genes that encode proteins in cells serving as viral entry points, according to a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo.
Researchers at York University in Canada and the University of Campinas in Brazil used mathematical modeling to estimate the short-term impact of vaccination. Abandoning non-pharmaceutical interventions too soon could cancel out the benefit, they warn.