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By analyzing samples from obese non-diabetics, researchers from the State University of Campinas found that high blood levels of saturated fatty acids cause pre-activation of innate immune cells that, when infected with SARS-CoV-2, produce elevated levels of inflammatory molecules. Results were presented during FAPESP Week China.

About BRL 130 million will be invested in the new centers, which will develop solutions to challenges posed by the São Paulo State Government.

A Brazilian study assessed 237 patients treated at the University of São Paulo’s general and teaching hospital. The researchers found that 92% still had lung damage two years after discharge, with fibrosis (33% of cases) arousing most concern.

According to the authors of the study, infection by one virus was expected to afford protection against the other, preventing co-circulation. They warn of the risk of transmission of Mayaro in urban areas owing to deforestation and advocate more effective epidemiological surveillance.

A study shows that ritual dances and other displays in which workers select future queens with optimal reproductive capacity are found among all representatives of this group of wasps.

Brazil is considered “one of 12 countries that produce the most science” by the French government. The purpose of the event was to explore opportunities for funding joint research projects.

Participants emphasized their desire to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation between Brazil and China and celebrated the friendly relations between the two countries.

Startups were selected to participate in FAPESP Week through a call for proposals from the Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program, launched in April; the focus on innovation should be maintained in future editions of the event.

The award was presented to the President of FAPESP by Emmanuel Lenain, France’s ambassador to Brazil.

Located in Botucatu, the plant will perform outsourced medical drug development and production services for pharmaceutical companies, biotechs and other research institutions, complying with best manufacturing practices.

Companies are currently involved in 15% of the collaborative research projects conducted by scientists in São Paulo state and Italy, according to data presented at an event hosted by FAPESP.

At the meeting, leaders of the two institutions shared experiences on removing red tape and discussed the use of AI to assess project proposals, as well as preparations for FAPESP Week Berlin in 2025.

In a study conducted by Brazilian researchers, blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine correlated with the development of a disease that affects a third of the inhabitants of São Paulo city.

In a study conducted at the University of São Paulo and described in Scientific Reports, the diameter of semiconductor quantum dots was monitored in real time via the wavelength of the emitted light.

Heads of the two agencies met on June 24th and renewed the cooperation agreement signed in 2019; a joint workshop on precision agriculture will be held on Saturday as part of FAPESP Week China.

Supported by FAPESP, Shell, the Technological Research Institute (IPT) and the University of São Paulo (USP), this Applied Research Center will investigate technologies that promote decarbonization and optimization of deep-sea oil and gas operations, contributing to the future of the offshore industry.

Innovation stems from a project on gas turbines conducted at the Engineering School and could make the use of CPAP more comfortable.

The study is the first to show that femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation is effective and safe in mice with induced ocular melanoma, paving the way for minimally invasive targeted treatment of the disease in future.

Researchers analyzed landslides caused by storms in São Sebastião (Brazil) in 2023, when at least 65 people died, and suggest involvement of the local community in contingency programs.

The aim is to extend and diversify the sources of funding for deep techs supported by the Innovative Research in Small Business Program.

The process, developed by Brazilian and Spanish scientists, obtains anthocyanin from fruit processing waste with a higher yield than the usual method.

In an online seminar hosted by FAPESP and the U.S. National Science Foundation, researchers presented on initiatives aimed at promoting equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

As described in Scientific Reports, the study involved analysis of blood samples from volunteers infected by Plasmodium vivax, which produces forms that lie dormant in the host and can be reactivated months after treatment. The findings will help detect and diagnose these forms, with significant potential to enhance control and treatment of the disease in future.

Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the system used the port city of Santos as a sample space, and could enhance the efficiency of civil defense activities in the context of extreme weather events.

Bacteria, fungi and archaea that live in soil act as a methane sink, among other ecosystem services, but deforestation can reduce their functional diversity, Brazilian, British and American researchers warn in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

In vitro tests show that some of the materials are toxic in high concentrations and can cause inflammatory processes.

A startup supported by FAPESP is developing a fertilizer that extends the shelf life of roses and keeps them healthy.

Bread produced with probiotic yeast performed well in experiments with mice, showing potential to combat asthma, which affects 20 million Brazilians.

A systematic review of 14 scientific articles on studies conducted in seven countries detected a statistically significant improvement in mental health after treatment with mindfulness.

New analysis of an archaeological site near the town of Laguna refutes the theory that the ancestors of the Southern Jê replaced the people who built shell middens and burial mounds known as sambaquis for more than 5,000 years on the coast of Santa Catarina state. The results are reported in PLOS ONE.

With simple audio messages and images, the Viva Vida program produced significant improvements in over-sixties living in a major city in metropolitan São Paulo (Brazil). An article on the study is published in Nature Medicine.

The extreme weather events in the South of Brazil call for urgent coordinated action by governments and entities. The Paraíba do Sul basin is the focus for a “pilot” project conducted by a group of researchers.

A study conducted in a medium-sized city in São Paulo state (Brazil) found that chikungunya, which has caused major epidemics in several countries, can also circulate silently in a community, with few infections for years. The researchers produced a new profile of this arbovirus, underscoring the importance of disease surveillance to predict and prepare efficiently for epidemics.

A startup supported by FAPESP is using AI to detect chronic diseases by analyzing ordinary blood tests.

The use of photobiomodulation and an antioxidant drug called idebenone strengthened the regenerative capacity of muscle fibers in an experimental model, a study conducted at the State University of Campinas shows.

An analysis of scientific papers published in a 15-year period on molecular methods to identify elasmobranch species shows that better detection of illegal trade has not enhanced protection.

Experiment with the semiconductor silver phosphate revealed an unprecedented mechanism for the formation of reactive oxygen species – toxic molecules that can cause the death of pathogens.

After 48 hours of exposure to the pesticides imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate, stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris exhibited morphological and behavioral alterations that could weaken colonies, impair pollination and adversely affect food security.

For two weeks, scientists from the University of São Paulo collected specimens of poraquês and other fish of the order Gymnotiformes aboard the vessel Comandante Gomes. The Agência FAPESP report followed the work in the field.

In preparation for the expedition down the Negro River in search of fish of the order Gymnotiformes, researchers gather more than 200 kilos of equipment and supplies for detecting, collecting and storing specimens.

Historic drought in the Negro River basin and a possible inaccurate description of the distribution of Iracema caiana may be reasons why the species was not found by the DEGy Negro River Expedition. The episode describes the first collections.

A species from the Negro River basin uses the spaces between the roots and hollows of trees to build nests and care for its young for four to six months, leaving only at night to hunt.

The most abundant electric fish are found from the bottom of large rivers to igarapés, where they can bury themselves in the sand or blend into the leaf litter. In two weeks, an expedition in the Negro River basin collected 27 species of the group.

The low severity of the injury, rapid medical attention and appropriate care meant that the researcher was able to return to work on the same day he was stung by a venomous fish. In the Amazon, cases often get worse because a lack of specialized care.

One of the fishing methods used to collect electric fish in the DEGy Negro River Expedition was employed for the first time on a large scale in freshwater during the Calhamazon project, which brought together researchers from Brazil and the United States between 1993 and 1996.

The last episode of the series of reports takes stock of the journey of a group of researchers from the USP Museum of Zoology, who spent two weeks traveling along the Negro, Preto and Jauaperi rivers in the states of Amazonas and Roraima.

Researchers detected SARS-CoV-2 in male reproductive cells under the microscope even when PCR testing failed to detect the virus in semen. The discovery serves as a warning of possible implications for natural conception and particularly for assisted reproduction.

In a study involving mice, scientists used a technique that combines light stimulation and bioengineering to activate a cluster of nerve cells deep inside the brain. The discovery could pave the way to future treatment of eating disorders.

An analysis of data from weather stations shows that large contiguous areas of the region have seen more days of extremely heavy rain in the past seven decades.

In tests involving animals, nanoparticles containing substances already approved for human use reduced inflammation in the biological microenvironment where malignant tumors flourish and facilitated the action of the immune system.