News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Jan-2026 18:11 ET (27-Jan-2026 23:11 GMT/UTC)

23-Oct-2025

South American long-necked dinosaur could easily stand on two legs

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

Using computational engineering techniques to simulate weight and gravitational stress on sauropod femurs, researchers  have demonstrated that these giant quadrupeds could generally remain standing for feeding, mating, and defense.

Journal

Palaeontology

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

22-Oct-2025

Device assesses skin tone to create personalized facial foundations

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Spin-off of startup supported by FAPESP develops technology based on artificial intelligence to create individualized beauty products.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

22-Oct-2025

Underwater thermal vents may have given rise to the first molecular precursors of life

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

To test the hypothesis, researchers from Brazil, the United States, and Japan built bench-scale reactors that simulate the interaction between hydrothermal fluids and primitive ocean water.

Journal

Journal of the American Chemical Society

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

22-Oct-2025

Study paves the way for new therapeutic strategies against obesity

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

Research conducted by Redoxoma, a FAPESP Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center, found that mitochondrial potassium channels regulate heat production in brown adipose tissue.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

17-Oct-2025

Device can detect banned additive in wine, orange juice and mineral water

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

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos used pieces of cork and lasers to create a mechanism that detects the presence of the substance, which has potential carcinogenic effects, in mineral water, orange juice, and wine.

Journal

Microchimica Acta

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

16-Oct-2025

Research reveals possibility of new drug therapy for hereditary diseases

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

A study published in Science and involving a Brazilian researcher unveils a cellular mechanism involved in transmitting mutations in mitochondrial DNA. These mutations can cause serious, incurable diseases.

Journal

Science

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

15-Oct-2025

Essential oil-based solution protects fruit from fungi

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

FAPESP-supported startup develops formulations based on bio-inputs to combat fungal infections and reduce the use of pesticides in fruit growing.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

15-Oct-2025

The largest primate in the Americas could lose up to 61% of its climatically suitable habitat by 2090

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

Study predicts that the two species of muriquis will be restricted mainly to coastal regions of the Atlantic Forest, leaving populations in the interior seriously at risk. Predictions only consider climate change, which could mask an even greater risk when considering synergistic threats, such as forest fragmentation.

Journal

Journal for Nature Conservation

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

14-Oct-2025

Compound from Antarctic microorganism can be used to produce food, cosmetics, and medicine

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

A bioactive compound produced by the microorganism Bacillus licheniformis, found on Deception Island in Antarctica, has properties that qualify it for use in producing food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable materials. The substance is essential for the survival of microbes in extreme environments and has been shown to have antioxidant, emulsifying, and stabilizing properties.

Journal

Journal of Biological Macromolecules

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

9-Oct-2025

Portable sensor detects synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarettes and biological fluids

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

Researchers develop technology that identifies highly potent and dangerous psychoactive substances. The device can be used in emergency medical facilities and to help inform users and reduce the harm associated with consumption.

Journal

Talanta

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo