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

Scientists discover how forest fires influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon
SDG 13
Scientists discover how forest fires influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon

Particles released into the atmosphere by fire modify the water droplet freezing process and can affect precipitation, according to a paper in Communications Earth & Environment.


Climate change caused the devastating floods of 2020 in Minas Gerais, Brazil, study concludes
SDG 13
Climate change caused the devastating floods of 2020 in Minas Gerais, Brazil, study concludes

Torrential rain resulted in losses estimated at BRL 1.3 billion and made over 90,000 people homeless in the state, where the probability of far higher volumes of rain than expected has increased 70% owing to industrialization and global warming.


Novel rapid test detects SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and indicates viral load
SDG 3
Novel rapid test detects SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and indicates viral load

The portable device developed at the Federal University of São Carlos is as accurate as RT-PCR, the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19, and can analyze up to 20 samples at the same time.


Citizen scientists help assure quality of coastal biodiversity monitoring
SDG 14
Citizen scientists help assure quality of coastal biodiversity monitoring

A study conducted in the port city of Santos (Brazil) by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo shows collaboration between civil society and academia achieving progress toward the goals of the UN Ocean Decade.


Exercise training reverses muscular atrophy caused by cancer and can extend patient lifespan
SDG 3
Exercise training reverses muscular atrophy caused by cancer and can extend patient lifespan

A study in rats by researchers at institutions in Brazil, the US and Norway investigated the effects of physical exercise on cancer cachexia. The analysis suggested that exercise training can be an ancillary treatment for cancer patients.


Climate change will alter functioning of marine microbial communities, study shows
SDG 13, SDG 14
Climate change will alter functioning of marine microbial communities, study shows

Plankton are the foundation of life in the oceans and produce half the world’s oxygen. These marine microorganisms will suffer from rising temperatures at the poles, rising salinity in the tropics, and a reduction in the flow of nutrients in the temperate zone, according to simulations based on data collected from all oceans around the globe.


Startup launches cosmetic made from passion fruit bagasse
SDG 3, SDG 9
Startup launches cosmetic made from passion fruit bagasse

Researchers recombined extracts from this fruit industry waste to produce a mini-emulsion that can be used as the basis for an anti-aging skin complex.


Large infrastructure projects in the Amazon have bequeathed a harmful social and environmental legacy
SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 8, SDG 13
Large infrastructure projects in the Amazon have bequeathed a harmful social and environmental legacy

For scientists gathered at this FAPESP-hosted webinar, projects like the Belo Monte dam and the Transamazon highway have had few local benefits and led to a rise in poverty, violence, deforestation and disease.


Children repeatedly exposed to malaria from birth are more likely to be anemic by the age of two
SDG 3
Children repeatedly exposed to malaria from birth are more likely to be anemic by the age of two

The conclusion was published by Brazilian researchers in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. They followed 1,539 children in a part of Amazonia that accounts for 18% of infections by Plasmodium vivax in Brazil.


FAPESP issues call for innovations from young entrepreneurs under Centelha program
SDG 9
FAPESP issues call for innovations from young entrepreneurs under Centelha program

Proposals must be submitted by October 25. Around 1,000 innovative ideas are expected in Phase 1 of the program.


Research describes two distinct patterns of lung injury in victims of COVID-19
SDG 3
Research describes two distinct patterns of lung injury in victims of COVID-19

Lung tissue samples from 47 people who died as a result of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus were analyzed by Brazilian researchers. The findings can be used to improve treatment of the disease.


Riverine barriers influenced but were not decisive for the evolution of the Amazon’s huge plant diversity
SDG 15
Riverine barriers influenced but were not decisive for the evolution of the Amazon’s huge plant diversity

A study by the University of São Paulo shows that where the Negro River is very wide certain plants found on one bank are not found on the other. Overall, however, the extraordinary variety of species is due more to ecology than geography.


Study: COVID-19 affects transplant recipients differently, possible therapeutic approach suggested
SDG 3
Study: COVID-19 affects transplant recipients differently, possible therapeutic approach suggested

Liver recipients who contracted SARS-CoV-2 recovered faster and with less inflammation than heart or kidney recipients, according to researchers at the University of São Paulo. The reason may have to do with differing amounts and types of immunosuppressants, the drugs used to prevent organ rejection.


Constant monitoring of viruses, fungi and bacteria can prevent future pandemics, scientists insist
SDG 3
Constant monitoring of viruses, fungi and bacteria can prevent future pandemics, scientists insist

Experts who took part in the fourth FAPESP 60 Years Conference discussed the challenges of diagnosing and combating emerging pathogens and the need to integrate multidisciplinary teams and governments if outbreaks of infectious disease are to be prevented.


Species with spines and ‘armor’ are favorite prey for electric eels in the Amazon
SDG 14
Species with spines and ‘armor’ are favorite prey for electric eels in the Amazon

Electric eels of the species Electrophorus varii feed on other fish, especially those habitually hunted by larger predators such as caimans and giant river otters. Hunting tactics enable them to maintain the same diet in the wet and dry seasons alike.


Presence of antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases can predict COVID-19 severity
SDG 3
Presence of antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases can predict COVID-19 severity

Molecules that attack cells and tissues in the patient’s own organism were detected in blood serum from volunteers infected by SARS-CoV-2, who progressed to moderate or severe COVID-19 after the samples were collected. The discovery could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.


Protein that helps zika virus invade cells could be target for novel antivirals
SDG 3
Protein that helps zika virus invade cells could be target for novel antivirals

A study by Brazilian researchers evidenced a correlation between post-zika neurological complications and high levels of Gas6, a protein that facilitates viral replication. The findings are published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.


Innovative electron beam irradiation machine can create semiconductor materials
SDG 9
Innovative electron beam irradiation machine can create semiconductor materials

Designed and built by researchers at the Center for Development of Functional Materials, the device is much cheaper than the conventional technology.


COVID-19 pandemic is clear wake-up call to monitor for novel infectious agents, scientists warn
SDG 3
COVID-19 pandemic is clear wake-up call to monitor for novel infectious agents, scientists warn

In an online seminar held by FAPESP, experts stressed that deforestation favors pathogen spillover from wild animals to humans, and that zoonotic disease surveillance urgently needs to be upgraded.


Scientists investigate how infection by SARS-CoV-2 can lead to kidney disorders
SDG 3
Scientists investigate how infection by SARS-CoV-2 can lead to kidney disorders

Loss of ACE2, the protein used by the novel coronavirus to invade human cells, leads to an imbalance in systems that regulate essential metabolic functions, impairing blood filtration and causing kidney injuries that can become permanent.


Study investigates how stress due to sleep deprivation affects immunity
SDG 3
Study investigates how stress due to sleep deprivation affects immunity

To achieve a deeper understanding of the links between the nervous and immune systems, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo inhibited the REM stage of sleep in mice to see how this affected the progress of infectious diseases, allergic processes and cancer treatment.


Foot training reduces risk of running-related injury by a factor of two and a half
SDG 3
Foot training reduces risk of running-related injury by a factor of two and a half

In older people, the probability of falling was reduced by a factor of 7 in a study conducted at the University of São Paulo. Constant use of rigid or reinforced footwear is the main enemy of healthy feet, according to the researchers.


Investing in innovation in the health sector will contribute to national development, scientists insist
SDG 3
Investing in innovation in the health sector will contribute to national development, scientists insist

Participants in a webinar held by FAPESP pointed to disorganization of the research ecosystem, lack of government planning and underinvestment as obstacles to drug development in Brazil.


A magneto-optical fiber to detect extremely weak magnetic fields
SDG 9
A magneto-optical fiber to detect extremely weak magnetic fields

Brazilian scientists have developed an innovation that can be used in sensors to monitor brain function with even greater sensitivity than existing devices.


Study reveals how saline solution can inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2
SDG 3
Study reveals how saline solution can inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2

The use of a hypertonic solution of sodium chloride at 1.1% reduced viral replication by 88% in tests involving infected lung cells conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo. If found efficacious in clinical trials, the strategy could contribute to the development of novel prophylactic interventions and therapies for COVID-19.


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