Fapesp

FAPESP and the Sustainable Development Goals

News

Research funded by FAPESP aligned with the SDGs

News

Research funded by FAPESP aligned with the SDGs

Blood test can help predict risk of obstructive sleep apnea
SDG 3
Blood test can help predict risk of obstructive sleep apnea

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.


Opening of FAPESP Week China brings together academic, political and diplomatic leaders in Dongguan
SDG 17
Opening of FAPESP Week China brings together academic, political and diplomatic leaders in Dongguan

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


Companies supported by PIPE-FAPESP are looking for possible partnerships in China
SDG 9, SDG 17
Companies supported by PIPE-FAPESP are looking for possible partnerships in China

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.


FAPESP and the National Natural Science Foundation of China plan to expand research cooperation
SDG 17
FAPESP and the National Natural Science Foundation of China plan to expand research cooperation

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.


Novel method optimizes extraction of antioxidant and colorant from jabuticaba peel
SDG 9, SDG 12
Novel method optimizes extraction of antioxidant and colorant from jabuticaba peel

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


Scientists in Brazil and the United States discuss how to boost schoolchildren’s engagement with mathematics
SDG 4, SDG 10
Scientists in Brazil and the United States discuss how to boost schoolchildren’s engagement with mathematics

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).


Early warning systems and plans to avert disasters due to extreme rainfall are still flawed, study shows
SDG 11, SDG 16
Early warning systems and plans to avert disasters due to extreme rainfall are still flawed, study shows

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.


Novel photodynamic therapy method can eradicate ocular melanoma, study shows
SDG 3
Novel photodynamic therapy method can eradicate ocular melanoma, study shows

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.


Offshore Technology Innovation Center is unveiled at the University of São Paulo
SDG 9, SDG 13
Offshore Technology Innovation Center is unveiled at the University of São Paulo

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.


FAPESP enters into partnerships to foster investment in companies supported by PIPE
SDG 9, SDG 17
FAPESP enters into partnerships to foster investment in companies supported by PIPE

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


Scientists identify molecules associated with recurrence in blood samples from malaria patients
SDG 3
Scientists identify molecules associated with recurrence in blood samples from malaria patients

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.


Mask developed at the University of São Paulo can prevent apnea patients from choking on air
SDG 3, SDG 9
Mask developed at the University of São Paulo can prevent apnea patients from choking on air

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


Soil microorganisms are also threatened by conversion of forest to pasture in the Amazon
SDG 13
Soil microorganisms are also threatened by conversion of forest to pasture in the Amazon

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.


Brazilian scientists develop functional bread to help prevent asthma
SDG 3
Brazilian scientists develop functional bread to help prevent asthma

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


Nanotechnology can help producers extend shelf life of flowers
SDG 9
Nanotechnology can help producers extend shelf life of flowers

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


Mindfulness alleviates stress and anxiety among nursing staff, study confirms
SDG 3, SDG 5
Mindfulness alleviates stress and anxiety among nursing staff, study confirms

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.


Group investigates whether nanoparticles of industrial interest are safe for cells
SDG 3
Group investigates whether nanoparticles of industrial interest are safe for cells

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


Project seeks to strengthen public policy for disaster risk management
SDG 13, SDG 16
Project seeks to strengthen public policy for disaster risk management

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.


Advances in techniques used to identify sharks and rays have not prevented trade and increase in extinction risk
SDG 14
Advances in techniques used to identify sharks and rays have not prevented trade and increase in extinction risk

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.


Monitoring shows chikungunya epidemics can be predicted by means of surveillance
SDG 3
Monitoring shows chikungunya epidemics can be predicted by means of surveillance

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.


Use of WhatsApp messages by public health service to treat depression in older people produces results, study shows
SDG 3
Use of WhatsApp messages by public health service to treat depression in older people produces results, study shows

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.


Group tests novel therapeutic strategy to minimize progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
SDG 3
Group tests novel therapeutic strategy to minimize progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

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.


Artificial intelligence helps analyze blood work to detect breast cancer
SDG 9
Artificial intelligence helps analyze blood work to detect breast cancer

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


Pesticides impair mobility and immune system of Brazilian native stingless bees, study shows
SDG 2
Pesticides impair mobility and immune system of Brazilian native stingless bees, study shows

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.


Chapter 6: Trip to the Negro River marked a reunion after pioneering expeditions in the 1990s
SDG 14
Chapter 6: Trip to the Negro River marked a reunion after pioneering expeditions in the 1990s

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.


News about research projects funded by FAPESP and articulated with the SDGs: