Scientists in Brazil have tested a method to obtain a substance similar to estrogen from soy isoflavones. They aim to create a product that reduces the discomfort suffered by many women in the menopause.
Results of tests with the substance pave the way for the development of medications or specific vaccines against zika, for which there is currently no treatment. The number of cases rose 20% year on year in the first seven months of 2023.
Albeit less lethal than synthetic insecticides, this fungus-based substance is not detected by social insects and can spread spores to entire nests, threatening the survival of species that play a key role in pest control and pollination.
The device, which combines magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles, was designed at the Center for Development of Functional Materials, a research center supported by FAPESP and hosted by the Federal University of São Carlos.
Hosted by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the new center will establish Agricultural Technology Districts in which to conduct research, development and innovation activities in emerging technologies. The initiative has the potential to reach 14,000 small and medium rural properties.
The Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON) is a Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center (RIDC) supported by FAPESP and hosted by the University of São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP). It was officially launched on November 17 and aims to make food, fiber and energy productivity part of the solution to the climate crisis.
In an article published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at the University of São Paulo show that damage to small blood vessels in the lungs caused by SARS-CoV-2 is the main factor underlying severe COVID-19.
The goal is to produce sustainable aviation fuel from sugarcane biomass and ethanol.
A study conducted in Brazil analyzed marine sediments to investigate gas exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere in the recent past. The researchers concluded that a rise in the temperature of the South Atlantic caused a release of CO2 trapped at the bottom of the Southern Ocean.
Scientists at the State University of Campinas analyzed samples taken at 15 points in the basin comprising the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí Rivers, and detected 45 contaminants, including compounds from agricultural, industrial and household effluents not yet regulated by Brazilian legislation.
The One Planet Polar Summit was attended by people from over 40 countries, including researchers, experts, members of business enterprises and nonprofits, and representatives of Indigenous Peoples.
Senior executives of the foundation visited leading Italian universities and scientific institutions with the aim of increasing collaboration.
Technology developed by a startup supported by FAPESP has been used to improve the performance of athletes like soccer goalkeeper Ederson, who plays for Manchester City and Brazil’s national side, and to reduce the number of accidents caused by human error in the petrochemical and meatpacking industries.
The study by researchers at the University of São Paulo also shows that genetic engineering techniques need to be improved in order to increase ethanol production without expanding crop acreage, a strategy considered crucial to the effort to cope with climate change.
A group of organizations led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have established an online platform to raise the visibility of the ocean and highlight its importance to climate negotiations and life on the planet.
On a visit to São Paulo to participate in the FAPESP 2023 Interdisciplinary School in Exact and Natural Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, astrophysicist Duília de Mello argued that science popularization can combat epistemic bubbles.
Called SpiNTec, the vaccine can induce a more lasting immune response and should be more effective than vaccines currently available in Brazil against variants of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to the leader of the local vaccine development project, who took part in the FAPESP 2023 School in Exact and Natural Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
A technological solution developed by a Brazilian startup with FAPESP’s support detects microorganisms that cause disease in eucalyptus, soybeans and other agricultural plants. They can be detected in grains, leaves and the air.
A computational study conducted by the Center for Development of Functional Materials at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil could help extend the working lives of these batteries, which are widely used by utilities and manufacturers.
In vitro experiments showed cobalt-doped calcium phosphate to be capable of stimulating bone cell differentiation by mimicking a low-oxygen environment. Next steps include animal testing.
Written by two experts on biofuels, Luís Augusto Barbosa Cortez and Frank Rosillo-Calle, the book explores Brazil’s experience and how other countries can learn from it in the context of climate change.
The Ninth General Assembly of the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness, representing funding agencies, research institutions and government bodies from around the world, was held at FAPESP in São Paulo, Brazil, on October 24-25.
Technology developed by the startup ByMyCell with the support of FAPESP helps farmers make decisions that boost yields and reduce the use of agrochemicals.
Scientists at the University of São Paulo’s Center for Research on Redox Processes in Biomedicine used a novel technique they themselves developed to identify altered molecules in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The emergence of rabies in distinct wildlife species is a potential source of human infection and poses life-threatening risks. As the researchers responsible for the discovery warn, anyone who comes into contact with these animals should alert the authorities. A 36-year-old farm worker died in May, only weeks after being bitten by a marmoset.
