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News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jun-2025 04:09 ET (16-Jun-2025 08:09 GMT/UTC)

First ever assessment reveals accuracy of key maps cocoa companies rely on for environmental compliance

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Business Announcement

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT have assessed the most commonly used maps for environmental compliance.

Study evaluates effect of oxidizing compounds on melanoma cells

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

Results from a FAPESP-supported research center pave the way for expanding the use of photodynamic therapy in the fight against skin cancer.

Journal: Photochemistry and Photobiology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

In a preclinical study, a new jararaca antivenom serum was three times more effective than the standard one

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

Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo and the Butantan Institute are working on an improved version of the antibothropic serum, with more neutralizing antibodies and fewer proteins associated with side effects.

Journal: Journal of Proteome Research
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Fiber consumption protects gut from serious bacterial infection, study suggests

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

Rodents fed a diet rich in soluble fiber coped better with a microorganism that causes diarrhea and can lead to death in debilitated patients. Researchers observed that acetate – a compound produced by the gut microbiota when fiber is digested – helps modulate the immune response.

Journal: Cell Host & Microbe
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Reducing cattle ranching is not enough to restore degraded soils in the Caatinga

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

Study carried out in Brazil’s semi-arid biome found that removing animals did not lead to significant improvements, even after three years of spontaneous soil recovery. Researchers suggest complementary measures such as green manure and strategic tree planting.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Creativity and problem-solving: How design thinking transforms university teaching

Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Thinking creatively, solving complex problems, and working in teams… all add up to Design Thinking (DT). A study conducted by the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and Ghent University provides a step-by-step guide for teaching this methodology as a university course.

The main objective of this study is to share the implementation of DT in the first year of all undergraduate programs at ESPOL, considering that previous research has shown that this course fosters essential DT skills in a world of constant change, allowing students to build their own knowledge through experiential learning.

Journal: Thinking Skills and Creativity

Method uses drone and low-cost camera to select drought-tolerant plants

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

Images taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle, processed with free software, help assess water stress parameters in corn experiments and select varieties that are better adapted to water shortages.

Journal: The Plant Phenome Journal
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Firefly light gives rise to sensor that detects cellular alterations

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

An enzyme cloned from an insect found by Brazilian researchers – and genetically modified – makes it possible to monitor intracellular acidity and could be used to study diseases and drugs.

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

Weight training protects older people’s brains against dementia, study suggests

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

The study involved 44 people with mild cognitive impairment. After six months, the volunteers who practiced strength training showed improvements in memory and brain anatomy, while the others showed a decline in the parameters evaluated.

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

Edible biofilm based on pomegranate peel extract extends the shelf life of strawberries

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

Fruit coated with the material developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo showed 11% less weight loss during storage and took longer to start becoming contaminated by fungi.

Journal: Food Chemistry
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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