News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jan-2026 09:11 ET (22-Jan-2026 14:11 GMT/UTC)

21-Jan-2026

Fossilized vomit reveals first filter-feeding pterosaur in the tropics

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

A flying relative of dinosaurs, Bakiribu waridza (“comb mouth” in the Kariri language) filtered crustaceans and other small organisms from rivers and lakes, where it was likely swallowed by a predator that regurgitated it in the Araripe Basin in northeastern Brazil.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

20-Jan-2026

Brazilian research reveals how some types of breast cancer ‘evade’ treatment

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Discovery increased the number of known variations of the HER2 protein, the target of advanced drugs against the disease, from 13 to 90; diversity may explain resistance to therapies.

Journal

Genome Research

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

20-Jan-2026

Registrations open for São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Immigration, Environmental Violence and Colonialism

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

The School aims to foster critical training and collective production of knowledge on the main challenges set by the convergence of crises faced by contemporary society.

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

16-Jan-2026

Deadly to amphibians, a fungal strain emerged in Brazil and spread around the world

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

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is responsible for the decline of toad and frog populations across the globe. The origin of the fungal strain was the subject of a study led by researchers at the State University of Campinas.

Journal

Biological Conservation

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

14-Jan-2026

Study reveals protein linked to spread of pancreatic cancer through nerves

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Brazilian research shows that stellate pancreatic cells produce periostin, remodeling tissue and facilitating tumor infiltration, a key mechanism of the aggressiveness and high mortality of the disease. 

Journal

Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

13-Jan-2026

Smart device reminds older adults to take their medication and monitors intake

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

The organizer holds all the pills for one week (Monday through Sunday) and can be set for up to four different times throughout the day. Real-time monitoring reduces medication waste and increases treatment effectiveness. the system not only acts as a reminder but also records each patient’s action.

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

13-Jan-2026

Starch sachets release fertilizer in a controlled manner and can replace petroleum-derived polymers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Nanoparticle-reinforced wrappers can be filled with various formulations of the granular products needed for crops, a versatility that facilitates application by agribusiness.

Journal

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

8-Jan-2026

Research shows how immune system reacts to pig kidney transplants in living patients

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

Results indicate that the innate immune response remains activated even with immunosuppressant use, paving the way for new therapies to prevent organ rejection.

Journal

Nature Medicine

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

7-Jan-2026

Artificial saliva containing sugarcane protein helps protect the teeth of patients with head and neck cancer

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

In patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy, applying radiation very close to the mouth can destroy some salivary glands and compromise saliva production, which is essential for controlling bacteria and disease

Journal

Journal of Dentistry

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

7-Jan-2026

Advances in liquid biopsies as a tool for detecting lung cancer mutations

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

Researchers used a panel to assess the presence of circulating tumor DNA in plasma samples and detected changes in genes related to the development of adenocarcinoma that indicated both actionability by drugs and resistance to treatment.

Journal

Molecular Oncology

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo