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

Company based in São Paulo develops self-test that detects all variants of SARS-CoV-2
SDG 3, SDG 9
Company based in São Paulo develops self-test that detects all variants of SARS-CoV-2

The startup supported by FAPESP produces all of the inputs for the test and will supply them to partner companies that will assemble kits and distribute them to retailers.


Deforestation of Indigenous lands could prevent Brazil from achieving climate change mitigation targets
SDG 13
Deforestation of Indigenous lands could prevent Brazil from achieving climate change mitigation targets

The warning comes from a letter by Brazilian researchers published in the journal Science, highlighting the “dramatic increase” in deforestation in areas of the Amazon that should act as shields against such destruction.


Chiral gold nanoparticles increase vaccine efficacy by more than 25%, study suggests
SDG 3
Chiral gold nanoparticles increase vaccine efficacy by more than 25%, study suggests

The material is not an active ingredient but an adjuvant, and was successfully tested on an influenza virus in research conducted by an international team of scientists with Brazilian participation and reported in an article in Nature.


Study proves that domestic dogs play a key role in maintaining transmission of visceral leishmaniasis
SDG 3
Study proves that domestic dogs play a key role in maintaining transmission of visceral leishmaniasis

In an article published in the journal PLOS ONE, Brazilian scientists show that the number of domestic dogs in an area influences the risk of transmission of the disease and that areas in which cases occur remain high-risk areas.


Sustainable soil management and novel inputs help reduce use of mineral fertilizers in agriculture
SDG 2
Sustainable soil management and novel inputs help reduce use of mineral fertilizers in agriculture

Introducing more modern agricultural practices in Brazil could save farmers more than USD 20 billion in coming decades via a reduction in the use of phosphate fertilizer alone, a study by the University of São Paulo shows.


Researchers test novel strategy to accelerate drug development
SDG 3
Researchers test novel strategy to accelerate drug development

By combining acoustic levitation and X-ray diffraction with synchrotron light, the researchers were able to analyze the interactions of a drug’s atoms in real time and improve its formulation.


Risk of obesity is 45% higher among adolescents whose diet is based on ultra-processed food products
SDG 3
Risk of obesity is 45% higher among adolescents whose diet is based on ultra-processed food products

The finding by Brazilian researchers was based on data for 3,587 adolescents who took part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Another finding of concern is a 63% higher risk of visceral obesity, which correlates closely with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.


Metabolic syndrome impairs pulmonary function and immune response in over-sixties, study shows
SDG 3
Metabolic syndrome impairs pulmonary function and immune response in over-sixties, study shows

Results published in Scientific Reports by a research group at the Federal University of São Paulo help scientists understand why patients with metabolic syndrome are among those worst affected by COVID-19.


Extant species of <i>Atta</i> leaf-cutting ants may have benefited from expansion of the Cerrado
SDG 15
Extant species of <i>Atta</i> leaf-cutting ants may have benefited from expansion of the Cerrado

These ants emerged some 8.5 million years ago and underwent an intense speciation process between 1 million and 3 million years ago, when the Brazilian savanna was expanding. The recent advance of agriculture in the region, however, appears to be reducing this biodiversity and selecting species that damage crops.


Researchers discover bacteria capable of killing fungus that causes yield-reducing disease in sugarcane
SDG 2
Researchers discover bacteria capable of killing fungus that causes yield-reducing disease in sugarcane

Known as pineapple sett rot, the disease reduces cane budding by up to 50%. Results obtained by scientists in Brazil will bolster the search for biological fungicides that offer an alternative to agrochemicals.


Innovation in industry is essential to economic growth in Brazil
SDG 9
Innovation in industry is essential to economic growth in Brazil

The importance of innovation was stressed by participants in the ninth FAPESP 60 Years Conference, who also highlighted the fall in public-sector investment in R&D in recent years.


Bioactive compounds in orange juice help control blood sugar, study suggests
SDG 3
Bioactive compounds in orange juice help control blood sugar, study suggests

This was the main finding of a study by scientists affiliated with a FAPESP-supported research center. The effect may be associated with a mechanism whereby the fruit increases expression of an insulin-related microRNA.


Evidence abounds for capacity of physical activity to combat complications from COVID-19, scientist says
SDG 3
Evidence abounds for capacity of physical activity to combat complications from COVID-19, scientist says

In an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Bruno Gualano, a professor at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), reviews what scientists know about the relationship between regular exercise and the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.


Inequality and poverty increase vulnerability to climate change in Central and South America
SDG 13
Inequality and poverty increase vulnerability to climate change in Central and South America

The point was stressed by Jean Ometto, a senior researcher at Brazil’s National Space Research Institute (INPE) and a Lead Author of the latest installment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, during a webinar held by FAPESP. Four other Brazilian researchers who contributed to the document also took part in the event.


Pen-like sensor detects bisphenol-A in water quickly and inexpensively
SDG 6
Pen-like sensor detects bisphenol-A in water quickly and inexpensively

Researchers at the University of São Paulo have developed a portable device made from graphite, silver particles and polyurethane that detects BPA, a chemical compound harmful to health and considered an indicator of the presence of emerging pollutants in river or tap water.


Aquatic plants can be effective in removing contamination of estuary by iron mine tailings, study shows
SDG 6
Aquatic plants can be effective in removing contamination of estuary by iron mine tailings, study shows

Brazilian researchers analyzed the mechanisms by which estuarine plants absorb iron at the mouth of the Doce River, which was polluted by massive amounts of tailings from the 2015 Fundão dam disaster.


Structures involved in communication among pathogenic fungi could be targets for novel treatments
SDG 3
Structures involved in communication among pathogenic fungi could be targets for novel treatments

A study shows how extracellular vesicles share information among cells in the same species, enabling the colony to respond in a coordinated manner to the host organism’s defenses.


Discovery could contribute to diagnosis and treatment of skin disease caused by false fungus
SDG 3
Discovery could contribute to diagnosis and treatment of skin disease caused by false fungus

Pythiosis affects humans, horses and other animals, often requiring surgery and even amputation. A study conducted at São Paulo State University has discovered seven potential antigens that can serve as a basis for tests and vaccines.


Stroke patients face higher risk of heart attack, study suggests
SDG 3
Stroke patients face higher risk of heart attack, study suggests

A study by researchers at the University of São Paulo advocates closer monitoring of these patients and prescribing more powerful drugs to combat atherosclerosis.


A model that mimics malformation associated with severe epilepsy paves way to novel therapies
SDG 3
A model that mimics malformation associated with severe epilepsy paves way to novel therapies

Scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center reprogrammed skin cells from patients with epilepsy to differentiate into cortical organoids with hallmarks of the malformation known as focal cortical dysplasia.


Deforestation is starting to affect fish diversity in Amazon streams
SDG 14
Deforestation is starting to affect fish diversity in Amazon streams

Species sensitive to habitat change are gradually being replaced by more resistant species, according to a study conducted in Brazil. The trend is leading to a loss of the ecological functions performed by the vanishing species.


Whole-genome database will help refine diagnosis of genetic diseases in Brazil
SDG 3
Whole-genome database will help refine diagnosis of genetic diseases in Brazil

Whole-genome sequences of 1,171 elderly people living in São Paulo City were analyzed to detect mutations responsible for disease or that play a key role in healthy aging.


Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as booster magnifies antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by a factor of 25
SDG 3
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as booster magnifies antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by a factor of 25

Brazilian researchers measured this increase in immunity in a study involving health workers who had received two doses of CoronaVac. In subjects given the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the same booster raised immunity by a factor of 7.


Study reveals strategy for novel treatment of aggressive type of breast cancer
SDG 3
Study reveals strategy for novel treatment of aggressive type of breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer grows rapidly and is highly likely to metastasize. Experiments with mice identified a molecule that binds to a defense cell receptor and activates an immune response against the tumor.


Smartphone app helps communities monitor floods and supplies data for disaster prevention
SDG 13
Smartphone app helps communities monitor floods and supplies data for disaster prevention

The app is one of the outcomes of an initiative by researchers in Brazil, Germany and the UK to engage local communities in generating data on flood-prone areas. The researchers are also collecting memories of past incidents.


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