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News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 11-May-2025 11:09 ET (11-May-2025 15:09 GMT/UTC)

New enzyme capable of cleaving cellulose should revolutionize biofuel production

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

This natural protein, called CelOCE, was obtained at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials and can be immediately incorporated into the industrial process. The discovery was published in the journal Nature.

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

Research reveals how exercise helps prevent acute muscle pain from becoming chronic

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

Through experiments with mice, scientists from the State University of Campinas have shown that physical activity induces immune cells involved in the inflammatory process to acquire an anti-inflammatory profile. The finding opens the way to new therapeutic approaches.

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

Hearing loss in middle age may accelerate cognitive decline

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

The conclusion comes from a study that followed 805 Brazilians in their 50s for eight years. The results underscore the need for increased attention to hearing health as a way to prevent dementia.

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Silver nanoparticles produced by fungus could be used to prevent and treat COVID-19

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

Study in hamsters paves way for development of nasal sprays and other products to fight several viral diseases, including HIV/AIDS, shingles and influenza.

Journal: Current Research in Biotechnology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Beef production emits more than twice the greenhouse gas targets

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

In an article published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo discuss the need for the production chain to adopt emission reduction practices.

Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

FAPESP opens call for selection of Thematic Projects by researchers from abroad

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Grant and Award Announcement

Projects of up to 60 months at the frontier of knowledge will be selected. FAPESP will provide the necessary support, with the objective of enabling researchers to establish themselves as full professors at the host institutions in the state of São Paulo.

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

Consumption of ultra-processed foods by children up to one year old favors harmful bacteria in the gut

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

Analysis of the gut microbiota of more than 700 babies also showed that breastfeeding was a protective factor, mitigating the problem in those who consumed industrialized products. The study underscores the importance of breastfeeding and avoiding foods high in sugar, saturated fat, salt and chemical additives.

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

Speech and hearing tests allow early detection of rare type of dementia that affects language

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

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo compared the performance of people diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and healthy individuals, identifying the main tasks that can signal the presence of the syndrome.

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

Study reconstructs a century of pollution in the city of São Paulo (Brazil) using aquatic sediments

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

The samples were taken from the bottom of a lake in the Ipiranga Fountains State Park. The analysis showed a strong correlation between industrialization, population growth and increased concentrations of pollutants.

Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Brazilian study creates first public atlas of COVID-19-induced changes across multiple organs

D'Or Institute for Research and Education

Despite the official end of the pandemic, covid-19 remains a significant health concern. In Brazil alone, the virus claimed around 6,000 lives in 2024, emphasizing the need for continued vaccination efforts.

Recognizing that covid-19 affects multiple organs and that much remains unknown about the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2, a Brazilian study published in Scientific Reports (Nature) aimed to map the virus’s impact on human tissues. Researchers from Unicamp, the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), and other national institutions analyzed infection-induced changes at the protein level, creating a freely accessible digital atlas detailing affected proteins across nine distinct cell types.

Journal: Scientific Reports

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