News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 5-May-2025 09:09 ET (5-May-2025 13:09 GMT/UTC)

20-Dec-2022

Blood donation samples can be used to monitor progress of epidemics, study shows

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

A group of researchers in Brazil and the UK have developed a method to track seroprevalence in real time. An article in the journal eLife shows how this was done in the case of SARS-CoV-2, providing a “portrait” of the first year of COVID-19 in Brazil.

Journal

eLife

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

15-Dec-2022

Artificial intelligence helps Brazilian breeders select desired traits of native fish

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

The research group has been working for some time on genetic improvement of this native species to raise yields while lowering production costs.

Journal

Aquaculture

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

15-Dec-2022

Applications open for School of Advanced Science on Nanotechnology, Agriculture and Environment

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Meeting Announcement

The school will focus on nanotechnology innovation with safety, responsibility, and sustainability considering an international globalized scenario; submissions will be accepted until February 5, 2023.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

14-Dec-2022

Telemedicine arrived in Brazil during the pandemic and came to stay, study shows

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

The findings of the study, which involved 1,183 physicians in two Brazilian states, point to inequalities in the uses and coverage of telemedicine.

Journal

Globalization and Health

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

14-Dec-2022

Religion is not the factor that most influences rejection of evolutionary theory in schools, study says

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

A survey of 5,500 Brazilian and Italian school students aged 14-16 pointed to nationality, social perceptions of science and household income as more influential than religion. The findings are published in PLOS ONE.

Journal

PLOS One

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

13-Dec-2022

Vitamin D deficiency increases risk of losing muscle strength by 78%

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

Researchers in Brazil and the UK analyzed data for more than 3,000 people aged 50 or more to prove the importance of vitamin D to muscles.

Journal

Calcified Tissue International

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

13-Dec-2022

Effects of antidepressants taken during pregnancy are poorly understood, scientists note

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

Brazilian researchers advocate trials using mini-brains grown in the lab to investigate the impact of these drugs on fetal neurodevelopment.

Journal

Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

6-Dec-2022

Infection of visceral fat cells may contribute to severe COVID-19, study suggests

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

The researcher said that It was possible to observe that visceral adipocytes are more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2. Viral load increased far more in this fat cell type than in subcutaneous adipocytes due mainly to higher levels of the protein ACE-2.

Journal

Nature Communications

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

5-Dec-2022

Study links genetic variant to digestive disturbances in patients with Chagas disease

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

An article published in the journal Biomedicines describes a study led by Brazilian researchers showing that mutations occurred in the mitochondrial genes of patients with Chagas disease megaesophagus, a disorder in which the esophagus dilates and loses motility. The discovery could pave the way to the development of novel treatments.

Journal

Biomedicines

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

1-Dec-2022

Despite peculiarities, conservation challenges are similar in Madagascar and Brazil

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

Two articles published in the journal Science by an international group of researchers that includes Brazilians present an up-to-date review of existing knowledge of the island’s rich biodiversity and how it is protected. Maintaining harmony between the species found on this tropical island off the coast of Africa and its human population is a daunting challenge.

Journal

Science

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo