New research shines a light on the way that women’s self-help groups in Odisha, India, were able to keep fresh produce flowing from farms to homes during Covid-19 lock-downs, avoiding a food security crisis.

Albeit less lethal than synthetic insecticides, this fungus-based substance is not detected by social insects and can spread spores to entire nests, threatening the survival of species that play a key role in pest control and pollination.

The device, which combines magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles, was designed at the Center for Development of Functional Materials, a research center supported by FAPESP and hosted by the Federal University of São Carlos.

Results of tests with the substance pave the way for the development of medications or specific vaccines against zika, for which there is currently no treatment. The number of cases rose 20% year on year in the first seven months of 2023.

In an article published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at the University of São Paulo show that damage to small blood vessels in the lungs caused by SARS-CoV-2 is the main factor underlying severe COVID-19.

The school will focus on the transdisciplinarity in social-environmental sciences as a starting point for the coproduction of knowledge necessary for transformative change in the search for global sustainability; submissions will be accepted until January 8, 2024. 

Brazilian researchers unveil a groundbreaking study in Science Advances, exposing the intricate relationship between the prion protein, related to neurodegenerative diseases, and copper ions, which are especially important for neurotransmission. The findings reveal dynamic liquid condensates of the prion protein acting as copper scavengers at cell surfaces. Crucially, exposure to oxidative stress triggers a transition from liquid to solid, offering insights into potential interventions to prevent neurodegeneration.

Scientists at the State University of Campinas analyzed samples taken at 15 points in the basin comprising the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí Rivers, and detected 45 contaminants, including compounds from agricultural, industrial and household effluents not yet regulated by Brazilian legislation.