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

Brazilian high-tech startup develops molecule that promotes muscle mass growth
SDG 9
Brazilian high-tech startup develops molecule that promotes muscle mass growth

The startup’s founders were researchers at the University of São Paulo and adjusted their marketing strategy to focus on regenerative, veterinary and sports medicine thanks to training provided by PIPE, FAPESP’s program for Innovative Research in Small Business.


Study shows influence of biological sex and age on clinical profile of COVID-19 in Brazil
SDG 3
Study shows influence of biological sex and age on clinical profile of COVID-19 in Brazil

Researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and elsewhere analyzed blood work from almost 179,000 people who were tested for the novel coronavirus. They obtained the data from COVID-19 Data Sharing/BR, an open-access repository established by FAPESP.


Southern hemisphere could see up to 30% less rain at end of the century if Earth’s temperature rises 3 °C
SDG 13
Southern hemisphere could see up to 30% less rain at end of the century if Earth’s temperature rises 3 °C

Analysis published in Scientific Reports is based on climate models for the mid-Pliocene period, which occurred 3 million years ago and shared characteristics with present-day warming.


Emergency income support has changed the way Brazilian society sees the welfare safety net
SDG 1, SDG 10, SDG 16
Emergency income support has changed the way Brazilian society sees the welfare safety net

Economists who took part in a webinar organized by FAPESP to discuss options for the post-pandemic economic recovery said this is the right time to implement broad basic income policies.


Brazilian researchers develop saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostic test
SDG 3, SDG 9
Brazilian researchers develop saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostic test

Designed by the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, the novel test may cost a quarter of those based on RT-PCR, considered the gold standard for diagnosis of the disease.


Mega-study shows limits to survival of tropical forests
SDG 13, SDG 15
Mega-study shows limits to survival of tropical forests

Dozens of scientists from several countries calculated upper limits to global and local temperatures if tropical forests are to survive.


Exercise protocol mitigates one of the most incapacitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
SDG 3
Exercise protocol mitigates one of the most incapacitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Brazilian researchers use complex training program to stimulate different motor and cognitive skills simultaneously and restore brain regions associated with freezing of gait in advanced-stage patients.


International study will compare different countries’ responses to COVID-19
SDG 3, SDG 16
International study will compare different countries’ responses to COVID-19

Project led by researchers from Brazilian and American institutions will collect primary data during the pandemic to create a repository that will serve as a basis for future studies. The findings of the comparative analysis will be published in book form.


System monitors presence of novel coronavirus in air
SDG 3, SDG 9, SDG 12
System monitors presence of novel coronavirus in air

Integrated with the air quality management tool created by startup Omni-electronica, a collector captures viruses suspended in the environment and submits the air samples to RT-PCR testing. Monitoring of crowded locations combined with indicators created by the firm can contribute to a safer economic reopening.


Incentives for the production of bioenergy must continue as part of post-pandemic recovery
SDG 7, SDG 12
Incentives for the production of bioenergy must continue as part of post-pandemic recovery

Governments should assure continuity of policies that promote bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts, say the speakers in a webinar held by the Brazilian Bioenergy Science and Technology Conference, which is supported by BIOEN-FAPESP.


Substances with anti-cancer action are identified in Brazilian red propolis
SDG 3
Substances with anti-cancer action are identified in Brazilian red propolis

Researchers isolated eight novel polyphenols from the rarest type of propolis. Two of them were found to inhibit tumor cell proliferation in laboratory assays.


Brazilian researcher creates an ultra-simple inexpensive method to fabricate optical fiber
SDG 9
Brazilian researcher creates an ultra-simple inexpensive method to fabricate optical fiber

The conventional process requires costly large-scale equipment. The novel method can be executed in a single step by a device no larger than a microwave oven.


Exercise hormone may modulate genes associated with replication of novel coronavirus, study suggests
SDG 3
Exercise hormone may modulate genes associated with replication of novel coronavirus, study suggests

Brazilian researchers observed that in uninfected adipocytes, the hormone irisin altered the expression of genes that regulate ACE-2, which encodes a protein to which the virus binds in order to invade human cells.


Brazilian scientists start to unravel the mystery of North American insect bioluminescent systems
SDG 15
Brazilian scientists start to unravel the mystery of North American insect bioluminescent systems

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) isolated molecules present in the larvae of a blue light-emitting fungus gnat that inhabits the Appalachians. The study will help elucidate human diseases and could lead to novel biotech applications.


Urbanization and agriculture are land uses that most affect Brazil’s rivers
SDG 11
Urbanization and agriculture are land uses that most affect Brazil’s rivers

A literature review by researchers affiliated with universities in Brazil and the United States produces the first ever nationwide survey of land use impacts on water quality, showing how a lack of planning may affect the availability of a natural resource that is already becoming scarce.


Technique uses artificial intelligence to diagnose COVID-19 and predict risk of complications
SDG 3, SDG 9
Technique uses artificial intelligence to diagnose COVID-19 and predict risk of complications

The automated system developed by Brazilian researchers is based on an analysis of patterns of molecules in patient blood plasma.


Researchers prepare to screen genes associated with the replication of novel coronavirus
SDG 3
Researchers prepare to screen genes associated with the replication of novel coronavirus

A study conducted at the FAPESP-funded Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID) will identify key processes triggered by SARS-CoV-2 in human cells.


Action of 50 synthetic compounds will be tested against novel coronavirus
SDG 3
Action of 50 synthetic compounds will be tested against novel coronavirus

In a project supported by FAPESP, researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) will assess the potential of peptides and other bioactive molecules to inhibit the infection of cultured cells.


The importance of open data and data sharing in fighting COVID-19
SDG 17
The importance of open data and data sharing in fighting COVID-19

In an online seminar held by FAPESP, researchers from France, the US and Brazil discussed how data repositories can be made secure and easily accessible to accelerate the development of responses to the pandemic.


Consortium of Brazilian researchers completes sequencing of native stingless bee’s genome
SDG 15, SDG 17
Consortium of Brazilian researchers completes sequencing of native stingless bee’s genome

Frieseomelitta varia is a docile species of economic interest as a pollinator. Its workers are sterile, and some of its genetic sequences are identical to those found in other eusocial bees, pointing to the conservation of ancestral traits.


Brazilian technology is used in several countries to treat COVID-19 patients
SDG 3, SDG 9
Brazilian technology is used in several countries to treat COVID-19 patients

An electrical impedance tomography system was developed by a São Paulo-based startup to monitor the lungs of patients on mechanical ventilation uninterruptedly and noninvasively.


BIOTA-FAPESP Program celebrates 20 years of contributing to public policy
SDG 12, SDG 13
BIOTA-FAPESP Program celebrates 20 years of contributing to public policy

Webinar discussed prospects for future research on biodiversity. Synthesis centers designed to systematize knowledge in the field and scenario modeling studies are expected to gain importance in the years ahead.


Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug, accelerates recovery of hospitalized COVID-19 patients
SDG 3
Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug, accelerates recovery of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Benefits were observed in a clinical trial involving 38 volunteers treated at the teaching hospital of the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirão Preto Medical School. The drug is cheap and can shorten ICU stays but should not be used outside hospitals, the researchers warn.


Researchers develop flat lens a thousand times thinner than a human hair
SDG 9
Researchers develop flat lens a thousand times thinner than a human hair

The lens can be used to produce high-resolution images with a wide field of view. It can serve as a camera lens in smartphones and can be used in other devices that depend on sensors.


Researchers investigate genetic factors behind resistance or susceptibility to COVID-19
SDG 3
Researchers investigate genetic factors behind resistance or susceptibility to COVID-19

A study is being conducted by a research center supported by FAPESP to determine whether people who develop severe forms of the disease have risk genes and whether asymptomatic people or patients with only mild symptoms have protective genes.


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