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

Group from Unicamp is evaluating the impact of forest burning on mercury emissions into the atmosphere
SDG 13
Group from Unicamp is evaluating the impact of forest burning on mercury emissions into the atmosphere

Researchers are trying to trace the destination of the particles emitted by the burning of biomass and measure the effects of deforestation on the mercury cycle of the Amazon rainforest.


Study is investigating factors that influence the transmission of Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil
SDG 3
Study is investigating factors that influence the transmission of Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil

Brazilian and French researchers have studied specimens of the vector insect captured in Brazil that recorded an outbreak of the disease and have observed a high prevalence of infection by T. cruzi; two species of rodents were identified as potential reservoirs of the parasite


Researchers show how opportunistic bacterium defeats competitors
SDG 3
Researchers show how opportunistic bacterium defeats competitors

A study conducted in Brazil shows that Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a common drug-resistant pathogen in hospitals, kills rival bacteria with a cocktail of toxins. This discovery could lead to the development of new antibiotics.


Contamination by metals can increase metabolic stress in mussels
SDG 14
Contamination by metals can increase metabolic stress in mussels

The animals' response may be a sign of ecosystem imbalance. Experiments performed on six beaches of Brazil’s Southeast Region showed that the mussels' activity intensifies when they are exposed to metallic contaminants in seawater.


Most complete commercial sugarcane genome sequence has been assembled
SDG 2, SDG 7
Most complete commercial sugarcane genome sequence has been assembled

With FAPESP’s support, researchers have succeeded in mapping 99.1% of the plant’s genes, providing knowledge that will help improve its resistance to disease and increase its biomass yield for fuel or sugar production.


An international research group is developing computer system for early detection of Alzheimer’s
SDG 3, SDG 9
An international research group is developing computer system for early detection of Alzheimer’s

In a lecture given at FAPESP Week France, Brazilian scientist Francisco Fraga da Silva spoke about developing a low-cost diagnostic alternative based on electroencephalography data.


Scientists combine nanotechnology and natural products to fight agricultural pests
SDG 2, SDG 9
Scientists combine nanotechnology and natural products to fight agricultural pests

In a search for more sustainable alternatives for agriculture, researchers at UNESP are developing systems to encapsulate synthetic pesticides as well as compounds of botanical, fungal, and bacterial origin; results were presented at FAPESP Week France.


Mechanism that triggers the inflammatory process during infection by Mayaro virus is discovered
SDG 3
Mechanism that triggers the inflammatory process during infection by Mayaro virus is discovered

A Brazilian team at FAPESP-supported Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases identified the strategy used by immune cells to combat the pathogen Mayaro virus, which causes symptoms similar to those of chikungunya fever. These results pave the way for the development of drugs.


An international panel will collect and disseminate scientific knowledge on migrations
SDG 16
An international panel will collect and disseminate scientific knowledge on migrations

The initiative, inspired in the same lines as IPCC’s, was presented on FAPESP Week France; its goals are to provide support for the formulation of public policies and to promote a less ideological discussion about the European migration crisis.


New strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancer is tested at USP
SDG 3
New strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancer is tested at USP

Therapy used against grade four glioblastoma multiforme combines a photoactive molecule and a chemotherapeutic agent – both encapsulated in protein-lipid nanoparticles; work was presented by Antônio Claudio Tedesco during FAPESP Week France.


Schools and universities stifle student creativity, says researcher
SDG 4
Schools and universities stifle student creativity, says researcher

Scientists from Brazil and France argue for the need to train teachers to stimulate this ability in the classroom, which is considered to be essential in the context of the 21st century; the topic was debated at FAPESP Week France.


Financialization of housing policies is a reflection of old practices, says researcher
SDG 11, SDG 16
Financialization of housing policies is a reflection of old practices, says researcher

Fabrice Bardet, of Université de Lyon, highlights during FAPESP Week France that the real estate sector has gained relevance in the structural transformation of contemporary capitalism; Bardet carries out collaborative research that aims to understand the historical perspective on this process in France and Brazil.


Study of intestinal bacteria of insects may reveal strategies for combatting them
SDG 3
Study of intestinal bacteria of insects may reveal strategies for combatting them

Intestinal microbiota of mosquito that transmits dengue and of bugs resistant to insecticides is the focus of studies developed at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and presented at FAPESP Week France.


Brazil will be one of the main partners of the new Université de Paris
SDG 17
Brazil will be one of the main partners of the new Université de Paris

Presidents of FAPESP and of the Université de Paris highlight at FAPESP Week France the importance of academic and scientific collaborations between Brazilians and the French. Collaboration agreement to reinforce the partnership will soon be signed.


In order to face challenges in the future, scientists are investigating the Earth’s past
SDG 13
In order to face challenges in the future, scientists are investigating the Earth’s past

A joint project between Brazilian and French scientists attempts to reconstruct the stages of evolution based on geological sediments analysis; that and other initiatives that look at the challenges of the period known as the Anthropocene were presented at FAPESP Week France.


South America is home to more than 2,500 species of frogs and toads
SDG 15
South America is home to more than 2,500 species of frogs and toads

Updated survey of anuran amphibians that live in South America was led by a Brazilian researcher. Results are published in a book with maps of species diversity, ecological functions and endemic species.


Removals Observatory detects 30,000 families removed in Greater São Paulo in two years
SDG 16
Removals Observatory detects 30,000 families removed in Greater São Paulo in two years

Collaborative platform forms part of a research project being carried out in São Paulo since 2012 that monitors and analyzes removals in the city with the aim of creating solutions for housing and urban development issues.


FAPESP signs collaboration agreement with École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
SDG 17
FAPESP signs collaboration agreement with École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales

Partnership formalized during symposium organized in Paris widens collaborative research opportunities between scientists from France and São Paulo.


Agroecology is emerging as a new market for peasant farming
SDG 2
Agroecology is emerging as a new market for peasant farming

Brazilian researcher reports during his lecture at FAPESP Week France that socioterritorial movements are creating alternatives to agribusiness based on sustainable development and healthy food.


Computer simulation helps understanding the transport of suspended particles in the atmosphere
SDG 13
Computer simulation helps understanding the transport of suspended particles in the atmosphere

A study developed in Brazil and presented during FAPESP Week France aims at elucidating the behavior of the so-called aerosols, which have an important influence over climate, agriculture, and human health.


A research project is evaluating the environmental impact of sugar-alcohol production in São Paulo
SDG 13
A research project is evaluating the environmental impact of sugar-alcohol production in São Paulo

A group of scientists from UNESP wants to investigate why aerosol and ozone particle concentrations in São Paulo did not decrease after the state prohibited burnings; the subjected was highlighted at FAPESP Week France.


Advances in machine learning enable new technologies based on image analysis
SDG 9
Advances in machine learning enable new technologies based on image analysis

A researcher from USP, Nina Hirata spoke during FAPESP Week France about deep learning techniques that make the machine training process more autonomous and open the way for applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as public safety, medicine, astronomy, and marine biology.


Human-machine interaction enables highly accurate decision-making systems to be created
SDG 9
Human-machine interaction enables highly accurate decision-making systems to be created

During a lecture at FAPESP Week France, Brazilian researcher who created a tool capable of automating parasite detection in stool analyses stressed that including experts from various areas in machine learning projects is essential for increasing the precision of results.


Optical systems and quantum information research may enhance computing efficiency
SDG 9
Optical systems and quantum information research may enhance computing efficiency

Technologies that enable light to be used to transmit information in quantum systems are presented by scientists from Lyon and São Paulo at FAPESP Week France.


Discovery paves the way for blocking malaria transmission in Brazil
SDG 3
Discovery paves the way for blocking malaria transmission in Brazil

Research that will be presented today at FAPESP Week France suggests that bacteria present in the intestine of the Anhopheles darlingi mosquito influence the development of the parasite that causes the disease in the insect’s body and the chances of transmission to humans.


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