News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Dec-2025 22:11 ET (14-Dec-2025 03:11 GMT/UTC)

8-Dec-2021

Study shows how waste can be converted into materials for advanced industries

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

A paper by a research group including Brazilian scientists and international collaborators shows that low-cost waste biomass can be upcycled to make bioplastic, electronic devices, equipment for power generation, storage and transmission, and other high added-value products.

Journal

Advanced Materials

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

8-Dec-2021

Novel computer simulation method can accelerate COVID-19 drug discovery

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

The technique was used by researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil, Germany and Finland to study the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), a key driver of the virus’s reproductive cycle.

Journal

Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

7-Dec-2021

New description increases number of known species in jellyfish genus from seven to 28

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

Aurelia cebimarensis, a new jellyfish species described for Brazil, is named after the University of São Paulo’s Center for Marine Biology (CEBIMAR-USP), and can be found on the beach in São Sebastião where the center is located.

Journal

PeerJ

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

3-Dec-2021

Infection by Chikungunya produces partial immunity against Mayaro virus

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

Scientists at the University of São Paulo confirmed the finding in experiments with mice and blood serum from patients.

Journal

Journal of Virology

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

3-Dec-2021

A conservation incentive yields increase of protected Atlantic Rainforest areas, but with limited results

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

The ICMS-E mechanism, whereby states pay municipalities to conserve biodiversity and water resources, is effective but its impact decreases as the number of conservation units increases. In addition, it mainly stimulates creation of units with relatively few restrictions on land use change.

Journal

Ecological Economics

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

1-Dec-2021

Modified protein from rattlesnake venom permits development of drug to modulate blood clotting

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

Procedure tested by researchers in Brazil and Belgium made the molecule more stable in the organism. Potential applications include anti-coagulants and wound dressings.

Journal

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

1-Dec-2021

Eat, Grow, Save Agrobiodiversity: Congress gathers participants from around the globe

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Reports and Proceedings

The 2nd International Agrobiodiversity Congress brought together over 3,100 participants from varied sectors in a 4-day virtual event to explore the role of agricultural biodiversity in transforming our food systems.

30-Nov-2021

Researchers, practitioners and community members call for greater inclusion in ecosystem restoration

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

Restoration efforts hold unique potential for improving environmental outcomes and human wellbeing. They are the focus of the recently launched UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Yet, ignoring the social dimensions of environmental initiatives is likely to fail to achieve ecological and other objectives. Ten people-centered rules for successful restoration are proposed by experts involved in restoration efforts around the globe.

Journal

Restoration Ecology

29-Nov-2021

Do official vital records of maternal death detect specific effects of new pandemic viruses?

MELISA Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A natural experiment carried out during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic found that vital records of births and maternal deaths in Argentine have reached sufficient sensitivity to detect specific effects of new pandemic viruses during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium. The results are relevant for epidemiological surveillance of other emerging viruses in the region, including SARS-CoV-2.

Journal

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas

Funder

The San Ramón Research Foundation

23-Nov-2021

eDNA sequencing will enable scientists to explore piscine diversity in the Amazon without catching fish

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

An article on the research published in the journal Scientific Reports also discusses the limitations of the technique for the study of environments as highly diverse as Amazonia.

Journal

Scientific Reports