News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Mar-2026 23:15 ET (1-Apr-2026 03:15 GMT/UTC)

31-Mar-2026

Stress in adolescence causes lasting brain changes, study with mice suggests

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

Research conducted at the University of São Paulo shows that changes in the prefrontal cortex caused by severe stress or trauma during adolescence may be linked to the onset of disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.

Journal

Cerebral Cortex

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

30-Mar-2026

 

Improved catalyst enhances the conversion of ethanol to hydrogen

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

Fine-tuning the processing of perovskite-type ceramic material increases system stability and reduces costs by eliminating the need for noble metals.

Journal

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

25-Mar-2026

 

Brazil’s fire corals may be facing silent extinction, experts say

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Also known as hydrocorals, four species found in Brazil – three of which are endemic – have historically been overlooked in reef monitoring. Researchers report the death of 100% of the monitored colonies of one of the species studied.

Journal

Coral Reefs

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

23-Mar-2026

Study details neuropsychiatric symptoms and biological mechanisms of long COVID

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

It is estimated that up to 400 million people worldwide and nearly 14 million in Brazil have the chronic condition. A review by an international panel of 14 experts, including Brazilians, highlights the need to standardize diagnosis and treatment.

Journal

Nature Reviews Disease Primers

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

23-Mar-2026

 

Registrations open for São Paulo School of Advanced Science in Obesity

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

School at the State University of Campinas (Brazil) features comprehensive content, including epidemiological aspects, genetic nutrition, epigenetics, molecular and cellular aspects, and advances in preventive and therapeutic interventions. Register by Ma

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

20-Mar-2026

 

Registrations open for São Paulo School of Advanced Science in Microplastics

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

School at the State University of Campinas (Brazil) is an interdisciplinary forum designed to help students understand one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges. Applicants should apply by April 10.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

19-Mar-2026

 

The risk of groundwater contamination is still poorly monitored

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

Two-thirds of the 14,000 private wells in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area in Brazil are not formally registered, and many of the compliant wells operate in areas contaminated by toxic industrial waste.

Journal

Environmental Earth Sciences

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

19-Mar-2026

 

Aquatic plant reduces antibiotics in water and genetic damage in fish

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

A study conducted in the Piracicaba River in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, shows that the macrophyte Salvinia auriculata can act as a sink for these contaminants, reducing bioaccumulation and genotoxicity.

Journal

Environmental Sciences Europe

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

18-Mar-2026

Researchers make breakthrough in biomedical imaging and cancer treatment

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

A group from the University of São Paulo transformed hydroxyapatite, a bioceramic material, into a nanoparticle with enhanced intrinsic luminescence.

Journal

ACS Nanoscience Au

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

18-Mar-2026

 

Diet determines the bacteria present in microbial gardens cultivated by ants

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

Scientists observed that bacterial communities in colonies change depending on the food leafcutter ants offer to their symbiotic fungus. This research may aid in the search for new molecules for biofuels and bioremediation.

Journal

npj Biofilms and Microbiomes

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo