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

Low-calorie diet induces beneficial changes in the DNA of obese women
SDG 3
Low-calorie diet induces beneficial changes in the DNA of obese women

After six weeks of a low-calorie diet, the pattern of gene expression in obese women became more similar to that of non-obese women in the same age group. Genes associated with cancer became less active.


Scientists explore the physics of perovskite, a material with many potential technological applications
SDG 9
Scientists explore the physics of perovskite, a material with many potential technological applications

One of the most promising fields is photovoltaics. Prototype perovskite solar cells have been shown to be more efficient than commercial silicon-based cells.


System monitors industrial electrical installations in real time
SDG 9
System monitors industrial electrical installations in real time

Technology developed by a startup with FAPESP’s support dispenses with manual inspection, diagnosing problems rapidly and accurately, facilitating preventive maintenance, and cutting costs.


Technique permits genome sequencing of novel coronavirus with 25-fold increase in resolution
SDG 3
Technique permits genome sequencing of novel coronavirus with 25-fold increase in resolution

For the first time in Brazil, the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 has been directly sequenced by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo, who studied the biochemical changes that determine the pathogen’s biology and how it is evolving.


Including more intense exercise in regular physical activities increases longevity
SDG 3
Including more intense exercise in regular physical activities increases longevity

Analysis of data for more than 400,000 people shows that increasing the proportion of vigorous exercise reduces mortality by 17% compared with people who get only moderate exercise.


Amazon community transforms residues into resources
SDG 11
Amazon community transforms residues into resources

With the support of NGOs, universities and business, the inhabitants of small towns in the Amazon are practicing a self-sustaining circular economy in which waste is converted into inputs for production.


Men are the main transmitters of the novel coronavirus, study suggests
SDG 3
Men are the main transmitters of the novel coronavirus, study suggests

The hypothesis was raised by scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center, on the basis of an epidemiological survey involving 1,744 Brazilian couples where at least one partner was infected.


Technological platform facilitates digitization of hotels
SDG 9
Technological platform facilitates digitization of hotels

A system for identifying people and controlling access developed by a Brazilian startup lets guests check in remotely and open room doors using smartphones.


Experts discuss violence committed by the state, militias, and radical movements
SDG 16
Experts discuss violence committed by the state, militias, and radical movements

The third event in the series FAPESP 60 Years featured three researchers who are leading experts in the area: Donatella della Porta, Sérgio Adorno, and Michel Misse.


Frail health and anti-Indigenous attitudes have exacerbated deaths from COVID-19 in the Amazon
SDG 3, SDG 10
Frail health and anti-Indigenous attitudes have exacerbated deaths from COVID-19 in the Amazon

The warning came from a FAPESP-held webinar in which researchers discussed the present-day and historical factors that explain the inadequate response to the pandemic in Brazil’s North region.


Startup produces cholesterol-lowering molecule in tomatoes
SDG 3, SDG 9
Startup produces cholesterol-lowering molecule in tomatoes

The Brazilian startup Crop Biotecnologia has developed a peptide that inhibits bad cholesterol receptors in the liver. The researchers who founded it took part in the 18th edition of the PIPE High Tech Entrepreneurial Training Program.


Study reveals drastic decline of aquatic insect population in Paraná River basin
SDG 14
Study reveals drastic decline of aquatic insect population in Paraná River basin

Analysis of data collected over 20 years suggests the decline is due to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná and its tributaries.


Scientists use radar data to measure the impact of forest fires in the Amazon
SDG 13
Scientists use radar data to measure the impact of forest fires in the Amazon

The researchers combined VOD, an indicator of the amount of water in vegetation, with remote sensing data from optical satellites. The innovative strategy described in Remote Sensing provides a more comprehensive understanding of the biomass changes caused by fire.


Discovery facilitates search for drug to sabotage replication of SARS-CoV-2
SDG 3
Discovery facilitates search for drug to sabotage replication of SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center investigated the mechanism that produces the main enzyme involved in the virus’s replication in cells. The findings are reported in the Journal of Molecular Biology.


Older people with abdominal fat and weak muscles are more likely to develop mobility problems
SDG 3
Older people with abdominal fat and weak muscles are more likely to develop mobility problems

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos in Brazil in partnership with University College London (UCL) in the UK analyzed data for 2,294 individuals aged 60 or more who were monitored for eight years. Results were published in the journal Age and Aging.


Researchers identify a novel cell type that makes survivors of sepsis more susceptible to infections
SDG 3
Researchers identify a novel cell type that makes survivors of sepsis more susceptible to infections

Many patients suffer from a significant decline in immunity lasting for years after they are discharged from hospital. In an article published in the journal Immunity, Brazilian researchers reveal why this happens.


Citrus canker bacterium can be an ally in biorenewables manufacturing
SDG 7, SDG 9
Citrus canker bacterium can be an ally in biorenewables manufacturing

A study led by Brazilian scientists revealed the biological process used by Xanthomonas to weaken the defenses of plants and discovered a novel class of enzyme that can be used to obtain advanced sugars from agroindustrial waste.


Study reveals decline in predatory fish catch at Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
SDG 12, SDG 14
Study reveals decline in predatory fish catch at Arraial do Cabo, Brazil

Analysis of fishery data and interviews with artisanal fishers confirmed replacement of large species by others that are less valuable commercially, and 37 species were considered overfished.


Transcranial stimulation enhances beneficial effect of aerobic exercise on gait in Parkinson’s patients
SDG 3
Transcranial stimulation enhances beneficial effect of aerobic exercise on gait in Parkinson’s patients

The result was obtained in a study of 20 volunteers by researchers at São Paulo State University. The treatment is painless and uses a weak current delivered by electrodes placed over specific brain regions.


Brazilian physicists create a model to predict mutations in SARS-CoV-2
SDG 3
Brazilian physicists create a model to predict mutations in SARS-CoV-2

The study is published in PLOS ONE. Equations suggest viral population variability can be estimated on the basis of epidemiological data.


Pregnant women with COVID-19 face higher risk of pre-eclampsia, study shows
SDG 3
Pregnant women with COVID-19 face higher risk of pre-eclampsia, study shows

In a review of the scientific literature, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo concluded that infection by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy can reduce the availability of ACE2, a protein that plays an important part in placental development, control of blood pressure, and the circulatory adaptations required for fetal development.


Physically active people respond better to COVID-19 vaccine, study shows
SDG 3
Physically active people respond better to COVID-19 vaccine, study shows

More than 1,000 Brazilian volunteers immunized with the CoronaVac vaccine were assessed by researchers at the University of São Paulo. Those who were active for at least 150 minutes per week without long sedentary periods produced more antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.


A smartphone app to monitor cancer patients
SDG 3, SDG 9
A smartphone app to monitor cancer patients

The platform is used by several hospitals, has more than 2,500 users, and performs 800 care processes per month on average.


Genetic profile of tumor can indicate best treatment for brain cancer patients
SDG 3
Genetic profile of tumor can indicate best treatment for brain cancer patients

A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy in São Paulo state, Brazil, identified a genetic signature that can be used to predict whether patients should be submitted to radiation therapy.


Fire in wet area of the Amazon destroys 27% of trees in up to three years, study finds
SDG 13
Fire in wet area of the Amazon destroys 27% of trees in up to three years, study finds

Based on data collected in the field, Brazilian researchers showed that small and medium trees suffer most in the first two years after a fire, but the overall impact on vegetation can last decades. Carbon stocks fall 12.8% in burned areas on average.


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