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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Extension project developed by students aged 8 to 15 at the House of Science of the Blood Center run by the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto.

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.

A startup supported by FAPESP is developing a system to assure the proper use of elements capable of guaranteeing structural integrity at high temperatures while reducing heat transfer from machinery and equipment to the environment.

In the fourth 2024 FAPESP Lecture, Carlos Jaramillo, a Colombian geologist, palynologist and paleobiologist affiliated with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, showed how South America’s landscapes and biomes have evolved over geological time.

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 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.

In experiments with mice, researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil and the Pasteur Institute in Lille (France) found that viral load and inflammation decreased in animals infected by influenza virus when they were given the substance.

Today’s key issues, such as artificial intelligence, climate change, cancer and Brazilian institutions, will be the focus of inter-institutional and multidisciplinary teaching and research; the new organization gives groups more autonomy and agility.