Cacao of Excellence, a programme of the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) announced the winners of the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards, honouring excellence in the cultivation of cacao, while also supporting and encouraging a more sustainable sector.

A study conducted at a FAPESP-supported research center discovered a link between the protein VAPB and tumor cell proliferation in medulloblastoma, one of the most common and aggressive brain tumors in children.

gCutting-edge nanopore technology, first developed to track the COVID-19 virus in Colombia, has been equally suited to identifying and reducing the spread of plant viruses, especially with detemining the root cause of cassava witches' broom disease in Southeast Asia.

André Morandini, Director of the University of São Paulo’s Center for Marine Biology, was on the team that has published a description of a rare medusa found at a depth of 812 meters. The animal has been sighted only twice in a deep-sea volcanic structure. The scientists named the jellyfish Santjordia pagesi because of its bright red stomach that resembles the Cross of St George.

Developed by a team of Brazilian researchers, the device is made of plant-based material with little environmental impact, and detects pesticides in a few minutes, helping to certify food safety. Electrochemical sensors can combine affordability, rapid detection, miniaturization, convenience, easy of use, high selectivity and in situ pesticide detection.

Data from the Phase 3 clinical trial was published today (Thursday) in The New England Journal of Medicine. The vaccine is safe for both participants who have had dengue and those who have never been exposed to the virus before.