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News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Sep-2025 12:11 ET (15-Sep-2025 16:11 GMT/UTC)

Historical and current population DNA reveals that there are at least 12 species of rocket frogs, three of which are already extinct

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of São Paulo extracted genetic material from animals kept in museums for a hundred years and from others living in the wild and concluded that they are a new genus with at least a dozen species. The group is working quickly to identify them all and direct conservation efforts in the Atlantic Forest, where they live.

Journal: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Electrochemical route allows for the synthesis of giant fullerenes at a lower cost and with less environmental impact

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of São Paulo and Sapienza Università di Roma obtained the material without the need for high temperatures. The product has many potential applications, ranging from electronics to cosmetics.

Journal: Diamond and Related Materials
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

The 2025 World Cultural Council’s award winner is announced

Consejo Cultural Mundial
Grant and Award Announcement

Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis has been awarded the 2025 Albert Einstein World Award of Science for pioneering work on perovskite solar cells

Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, from Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Albert Einstein World Award of Science by the World Cultural Council. He is honored for his groundbreaking contributions to the development of halide perovskite semiconductors, which have launched a new era of efficient, low-cost, and durable solar energy conversion technologies. His pioneering research has inspired hundreds of research groups worldwide and significantly advanced global efforts toward clean energy and sustainability. The Award Ceremony will take place on October 22, 2025, at the Auditorium of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo MARCO, in Monterrey, Mexico, on October 22, 2025.

AI-based tool can ‘measure’ cancer aggressiveness and paves the way for new therapies

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Developed at the University of São Paulo, the model uses protein expression to create a stemness index that analyzes the similarity of tumors to pluripotent stem cells. The article was published in Cell Genomics.

Journal: Cell Genomics
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Reduction in supply of prey was decisive factor in extinction of saber-toothed tigers, study finds

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cross-referencing climate data and fossils from around 15 million years ago shows that the decline in prey availability may have played a role in the extinction of these felines. Another study cites competition with elephants and an increase in predators as factors that reduced the once diverse antilocaprids to a single species today.

Journal: Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Colombia’s biofortified rice has untapped potential to improve nutrition. And consumers want it

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Colombia’s biofortified rice provides 1.5 more zinc than normal rice. Consumers say the rice is as good as premium rice and are willing to pay more for it. Improving staple foods everywhere should be part of national nutrition policies.

Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research

Substances isolated from marine sponges show potential for treating malária

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In pre-clinical tests conducted at the University of São Paulo, compounds called batzelladins were effective even against strains of Plasmodium that are resistant to conventional antimalarial drugs.

Journal: ACS Infectious Diseases
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Group is investigating biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Based on the analysis of the genotypes of 500 volunteers, the research project aims to develop a panel of prognostic biomarkers and differentiate Alzheimer’s disease from other types of dementia using blood tests.

Journal: Neurobiology of Aging
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Reusing sunflower seed flour can make bread more protein-packed and rich in antioxidants

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by Brazilian scientists shows that a by-product of industrial sunflower oil extraction can be used to produce functional breads with high nutritional value

Journal: ACS Food Science & Technology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Quantum computer simulates spontaneous symmetry breaking at zero temperature

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Unprecedented experiment reproduces phase transition in system with short-range interactions, challenging traditional predictions of physics

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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