News

Professor Marianne Hirsch, daughter of Holocaust survivors, delivered the 8th FAPESP Lecture 2024 on “Rethinking Holocaust Postmemory After October 7”.

The study was conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo and involved 731 over-sixties. It is the first to demonstrate the effects of high blood pressure on lung mechanics. The findings highlight the benefits of regular physical exercise for partial protection of the lungs.

Research focusing on the Caatinga shows that by restoring the soil, it is possible to achieve quality levels close to those that existed before human interference.

Through experiments in mice infected with a herpes virus, scientists identified an immune system sensor that recognizes viral fragments and activates neurons responsible for pain, independently of inflammation. The discovery paves the way for novel analgesic treatments.

Scientists from the BIOTA Synthesis project helped develop the strategy that uses blended finance to promote the restoration and conservation of ecosystems in the state.

The number of grants and scholarships awarded in 2023 rose 18% year over year, reflecting measures taken by FAPESP to foster a resumption of research.

With FAPESP’s support, the startup plans to collect biomass from the cyanobacterial blooms that have turned the Pinheiros River green in São Paulo city and convert it to bioproducts.

Discovery of a novel class of proteins that help regulate the parasite’s essential cellular functions could lead to the development of more effective drugs against the disease. More than 3,500 new cases are notified each year in Brazil.

Researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) used concepts of condensed matter physics to describe phase separation. Their findings can have applications in the treatment of diseases.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo conducted an experiment to observe the effects on soil samples of extreme conditions in terms of temperature and rainfall in the laboratory. Their findings show that the balance of greenhouse gas emissions from microbial decomposition of organic matter may change.

FAPESP has signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement with Quebec’s research funding agency and is planning a new edition of FAPESP Week in Canada’s second most populous province.

A study conducted by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos and University College London analyzed eight years of data for almost 4,000 over-50s.

Leaders of FAPESP met with representatives of France’s National Research Agency (ANR), Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intensify joint research and unveil CNRS’s new International Research Laboratory at the University of São Paulo.

An invention developed at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) obtains theobromine and caffeine from coca bean husks using stingless bee honey as a solvent. The method is a safe alternative to conventional processes, which can be harmful to human health and the environment.

Marine organisms in areas influenced by lower sea surface temperatures, such as the Lakes Region in Rio de Janeiro state, are between 25% and 100% larger than those inhabiting warmer water along the coast of São Paulo state, the study shows.

The work was conducted at the University of São Paulo’s Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center in Neuromathematics; the results were published in Scientific Reports.

Nominated in the “Technological Innovation in Oncology” category, the study could benefit patients with hematological neoplasms.

When the dust that covered the skies 66 million years ago prevented plants from photosynthesizing and benefited creatures that fed on decomposing organic matter, these insects selected species that could fill their nutrient void, confirms a study published in Science.

Brazilian researchers analyzed behavioral and physiological factors in animals whose mothers received a synthetic substance that activates the same receptors as marijuana during pregnancy. The consequences were different in males and females.

The synthetic peptide was inspired by ACE2, the protein to which the virus that causes COVID-19 binds to invade human cells. The results point to a route for the development of novel antivirals.

According to an article published in the journal PNAS, different lineages of amoebae and ancestors of plants, algae and animals were already established in the Neoproterozoic period and survived the two glaciations that covered the entire planet.

A study conducted by Brazilian scientists at São Paulo State University involved 242 volunteers aged 40 on average. The results showed an improvement in heart rate control by the autonomic nervous system regardless of the level of physical activity in adulthood.

A GM strain of brewer’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae developed by Brazilian researchers could significantly grow the production of ethanol biofuel. A patent application has been filed with Brazil’s patent office.

Hurricane Maria killed so many Purple-throated caribs, sole pollinator of two species of heliconia, that other birds were able to gain access to the plants, according to an article in New Phytologist, which concludes that species extinction is a far more complex process than is often thought.

The technology was developed at the Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics in collaboration with scientists from Finland.

The experiment of the Center for Development of Functional Materials was described in an article in the journal ChemCatChem.

In an article published in Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, researchers affiliated with the National Space Research Institute (INPE) and the National Disaster Surveillance and Early Warning Center (CEMADEN) in Brazil discuss CO₂ emission reduction challenges and solutions.

Promising results were obtained by a group at the Brazilian Center for Research on Energy and Materials (CNPEM), working with collaborators elsewhere. They combined inhibition of glutaminase, an enzyme that converts glutamine into nutrients for tumor cells, with inhibition of HuR, a protein that regulates the RNA of glutaminase.

Characterized by high pH and salinity, these water bodies have practically dried up because of rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and wildfires. The findings show how the local microbial community and other factors influence greenhouse gas emissions.

Experiments conducted at the Federal University of the ABC showed that nitrogen-fixing bacteria play a key role in the reproduction of a legume native to Brazil.

The process designed by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil and collaborators in Chile and Mexico results in low-cost raw materials and reduced environmental damage.

Residents of the cities of Bauru and Belo Horizonte were challenged to identify the image and song of the main bird species that inhabit these places.

Computer simulations based on the standard model did not account for observational data obtained via telescope, showing that other factors must be taken into consideration when analyzing the process.

Researchers at UNICAMP and other Brazilian universities, as well as 20 companies, are participating in the DUNE experiment. They are responsible for the argon purification and photon detection processes, without which the international mega-project would be impossible.

The conclusion is from a study of 774 vegans conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. An article reporting its findings is published in JAMA Network Open.

The product, derived from sugarcane, is being developed by Dermbio Biotech, a startup incubated at the State University of Campinas.

Through morphological and molecular analysis of material collected from rivers in Brazil's Northeast region, the researchers are extending their knowledge of the evolutionary history of South American darters in the genus Characidium.

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo in Brazil helps elucidate the impact of high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide on human health.

A study by the University of São Paulo shows that expansion of cattle ranching to meet growing domestic demand has contributed more than any other driver to the elimination or degradation of the Amazon’s original vegetation, followed by expanding croplands and urbanization.

A study conducted by Brazilian scientists and colleagues in other countries shows that earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions increase the risk of extinction for mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The natural events may have synergies with hazards due to human activity.

The 3D model developed by Djúlio Zanin, a PhD candidate at the University of São Paulo supported by FAPESP, won an award at an international rheumatology conference.

Researchers affiliated with the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change met at the State University of Campinas in Brazil to discuss current research priorities in the effort to understand and combat the consequences of the extreme events caused by global warming.

In addition to providing a detailed description of the morphology of hepatic nerves, the study led by Brazilians showed that the increase in blood sugar was activated by a protein called CREB.

Alex Ruane delivered the 7th FAPESP Lecture 2024 on “Climate Change and Food Security”

Researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil evaluated the effect of three different low-cost training programs on a group of socially vulnerable female volunteers. HIIT combined with muscle strength exercises was the most efficacious in terms of reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness, the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

In PLOS Pathogens, researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil report a study based on autopsies of 47 patients who died after being infected by the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2. The findings will support clinical decisions on the treatment of critical cases.

A member of the Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Mauro Galetti uses his experience from his undergraduate studies in biology to his most recent studies in ecology to tell stories in accessible language that inspire readers to fight for the planet.

A report by an international group of researchers including three Brazilians shows that climate change tripled the probability of weather conditions favoring unprecedented wildfires in Canada and multiplied it by a factor of 20 in western Amazonia between March 2023 and February 2024. Global carbon emissions were 16% above average.

The MoU is the first cooperation agreement between NIH and a foreign partner to cover a wide array of research areas.

The researchers are now looking for a molecule that inactivates the protein expressed by the gene as a basis for a drug that could complement existing medications, which are not always effective and can have adverse side-effects.