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A study supported by FAPESP is investigating the possibility that estrogens inhibit the progression of the disease. The goal is to find medications for the treatment of COVID-19.

Scientists affiliated with a research center supported by FAPESP set out to understand the strategies used by immune cells to combat the most severe phase of the disease.

Only 13.8% of the workforce has jobs in sectors not badly hit by social isolation according to a research network set up to propose ways of improving the quality of government policies for dealing with the crisis.

Companies and research groups can use the infrastructure at the University of São Paulo to obtain measurements and develop equipment, circuits and devices that operate at frequencies up to 110 gigahertz.

Scientists at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Bath in the UK, aim to find ways of inhibiting gene exchange between fungi in order to reduce resistance to fungicide.

Higher blood glucose levels captured by defense cells provide energy for augmented viral replication, triggering overwhelming immune response that kills lung cells.

Strategy would maintain economic activity and protect healthcare services, according to system developed by a research center supported by FAPESP.

The device will identify parts of the virus’s RNA in the saliva of infected subjects. Other initiatives by the research group at the Federal University of São Carlos include developing sensors to look for the pathogen in the air and in sewerage systems.

Some 300,000 older people live alone in São Paulo City, and more than 8,000 say they have no one to turn to for help. A study supported by FAPESP describe their vulnerability in the ongoing public health crisis.

The international trade in timber, tobacco, cocoa, coffee and cotton accounts for a high proportion of malaria risk in exporter countries, according to a collaborative study by scientists in Brazil and Australia published in Nature Communications.

Doped with carbon and magnesium, the material becomes thermoluminescent in response to UV radiation.

Dr. Elnara Negri, who works in São Paulo City at the largest hospital complex in Latin America, advocates the use of the anti-coagulant drug heparin to treat complications caused by novel coronavirus.

This study analyzes the prevalence of factors that increase the risk of severe manifestations of COVID-19, such as old age, chronic disease, obesity and smoking, among others. The proportion of the most susceptible people is 80% among those with less schooling

A group of scientists in the state of São Paulo plan to determine whether a sudden loss of smell is an early indication of COVID-19.

Estimate is based on testing of 700 inhabitants of Ribeirão Preto in early May. Another round of testing will be conducted in June. The study is carried out by the University of São Paulo in partnership with the city’s health department.

Created at the University of São Paulo’s Engineering School (POLI-USP), the machine costs approximately 7% as much as a conventional ventilator and can be freely manufactured by companies that obtain approval from the national health surveillance authority.

On average, more than 4% of the studied forest fragments have regenerated naturally in the past 50 years. In certain forests near the Serra do Mar ridge, regeneration has reached 50%. The study used artificial intelligence to compare satellite images and aerial photographs taken in 1962.

Laboratory tests conducted by collaborating Brazilian and European researchers showed that heparin alters the shape of the protein used by SARS-CoV-2 to penetrate host cells.

Study shows that the 20-39 age group accounted for almost half the cases confirmed in the first month, possibly explaining why a smaller proportion of the total number infected were hospitalized in the period.

Researchers at the University of Campinas partner with biotech startups to promote local production of hitherto imported reagents. The goal is to increase Brazil’s capacity to perform RT-PCR tests, considered the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis.

Digital tool developed at the University of São Paulo’s Mathematics and Computer Sciences Institute (ICMC-USP) in São Carlos refines projections for the spread of the pandemic.

3D printed face shields are worn by frontline health workers over a conventional surgical mask.

Brazilian researchers show that the virus can infect different placental regions and that collection and storage methods should be taken into consideration to ensure that the results are trustworthy and representative.

Scientists in Butantan Institute’s Special Vaccine Development Laboratory will couple SARS-CoV-2 antigen to bacterial membrane in order to trigger defense against coronavirus.

Based on the Internet of Things, the system was developed in a project supported by FAPESP. Patients can be advised to seek hospital care if they detect a deterioration in clinical signs.

Brazilian researchers are conducting tests with cultured cells to find out how COVID-19 changes patterns of proteins and other metabolites present in samples.

A drop of 33% in levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is associated with a reduction in diesel vehicle traffic and industrial production due to isolation measures taken to slow the spread of novel coronavirus.

The dysregulation appeared to affect communication among neurons in the subjects of the study, which was conducted in Brazil. The discovery could improve diagnosis, which is currently based on the clinical analysis of symptoms.

This study shows that patients develop alterations in a type of leukocyte at the initial stage of the disease. This discovery paves the way for the enhanced diagnosis and treatment of this type of tumor.

Several initiatives are pursuing alternatives to increase the number of diagnostic tests performed in Brazil. Research groups who previously developed low-cost rapid tests for Zika fever and other viral diseases are adapting these models for use in detecting SARS-CoV-2.

The new Scientific Director plans to optimize processes, reduce bureaucracy and extend FAPESP’s reach.

Developed with FAPESP’s support via its small business program, the N95-type respirator is made of material containing silica-silver microparticles with antimicrobial and antifungal properties that hinder surface adhesion by SARS-CoV-2.

A drastic reduction in traffic due to the coronavirus lockdown resulted in a rapid decrease in airborne pollution: The levels of carbon monoxide fell by 50% in São Paulo City in a single week.

A study shows that administering coenzyme Q10 reverses damage done to germinative cells by BPA, a contaminant found in many kinds of plastic.

Brazilian researchers show that proteins associated with diseases and key biological processes can be found in the blood plasma fraction usually discarded in proteomic analysis.

Brazilian researchers show that the activity of the gene TRIB3 in lung cells declines in men as they age. Compounds capable of reversing the process could be tested against the novel coronavirus.

To develop a drug capable of treating the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a research institution in São Paulo will deploy a platform used to produce monoclonal antibodies against tetanus and zika.

AI-based technology developed by a São Paulo startup supported by FAPESP is in use at Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission

Selected projects aim to repurpose existing drugs for treatment of COVID-19, find novel compounds with therapeutic potential and develop alternative diagnostic methods. The call remains open until June 22.

Thanks to its magnetic properties, the material – zinc-doped manganese chromite – can be used in a range of products, from gas sensors to data storage devices.

The new Engineering Research Center will be hosted by São Paulo State University’s School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences in Jaboticabal. Its scientists will also research biotechnology and plant resistance.

Scientists affiliated with the FAPESP-funded Center for Cell-Based Therapy have collected plasma from donors and are conducting a trial to check the safety and effectiveness of passive immunization.

Based in São Paulo, Magnamed will produce 6,500 ventilators by August for use in treating COVID-19 patients, working in partnership with a pool of leading Brazilian and multinational corporations.

The initiative is coordinated by Butantan Institute and includes units in several cities accredited by Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL), the regional reference laboratory. Short supply is the main bottleneck delaying the expansion of testing in the state.

Researchers at the University of Campinas are organizing professionals, supplies and equipment to test for COVID-19, understand how the virus works, identify existing drugs that are effective against the disease, and use 3D printing to produce parts for ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Electrical impedance tomography system developed by startup based in São Paulo minimizes complications associated with mechanical ventilation and is used in the treatment of COVID-19 by hospitals in Italy, Spain and the US.

Diagnostic strategy developed by Brazilian researchers can also be used to distinguish MS from neuromyelitis optica, another demyelinating disorder. The two diseases have similar symptoms but must be treated differently.

The review article by researchers at the University of São Paulo shows the advantages of this technological alternative, which is nontoxic and much cheaper than other methods.

Metabolic changes associated with diseases such as pulmonary hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may reprogram gene expression to increase production of a protein used by SARS-CoV-2 to penetrate lung cells.

Brazilian researchers use minimally invasive technique to perform autopsies on deceased patients diagnosed with COVID-19, with the aim of assisting physicians and other health workers.