News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Oct-2026 03:16 ET (25-Oct-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)

19-Apr-2023

 

Obese pregnant women infected by zika virus have impaired immune response

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

Researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed placental samples from women with and without obesity who contracted the infection while pregnant. The results show that maternal overweight can compromise the placenta’s immune response and impair fetal protection.

Journal

Viruses

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

19-Apr-2023

 

Researchers cultivate microalgae for biofuel production

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

The aim was to compare the effects of different cultivation systems on growth and productivity of the species Botryococcus terribilis. In one experiment, production of lipid and hydrocarbon increased 49% and 29% respectively.

Journal

Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

18-Apr-2023

Study describes mechanism that regulates activity of memory gene

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

Working at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the researchers used epigenetics to study the mechanism, which could be associated with pathologies such as Alzheimer’s. The discovery expands scientists’ knowledge of the central nervous system.

Journal

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

14-Apr-2023

 

Trees in savanna areas of Cerrado produce three times more bark than species in forest areas

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

The mechanism has resulted from evolution over millions of years to protect the buds that enable plants to survive fire. A study conducted in an environmental protection unit in São Paulo state (Brazil) can contribute to strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change.

Journal

Annals of Botany

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

13-Apr-2023

 

A simple, portable sensor monitors paracetamol levels in saliva in real time for personalized treatment

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

Developed at the University of São Paulo, the device permits corrections to the dosage of the analgesic to improve its efficacy according to the patient’s profile and avoid toxic side effects or overdose.

Journal

Small

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

12-Apr-2023

 

Low-cost sensor detects early-stage Parkinson’s disease in biological samples

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

The device, produced by ordinary 3D printing and capable of being miniaturized, detects levels of the protein PARK7/DJ-1, which is associated with the disease. The study used samples of blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid.

Journal

Sensors and Actuators B Chemical

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

11-Apr-2023

 

Mutant strains of Salmonella make infection more aggressive in commercial poultry, study shows

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

In Brazil, a group of researchers supported by FAPESP created mutant forms of Salmonella to understand the mechanisms that favor colonization of the intestinal tract of chickens by these pathogenic bacteria and find better ways to combat the infection they cause.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

10-Apr-2023

Scientists create model to predict depression and anxiety using artificial intelligence and social media

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

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil are using artificial intelligence (AI) and Twitter, one of the world’s largest social media platforms, to try to create anxiety and depression prediction models that could in future provide signs of these disorders before clinical diagnosis.

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

6-Apr-2023

Adolescents who use smartphones for more than three hours a day suffer more from back pain

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

The finding is from a longitudinal study conducted in Brazil. Analyzing data for high school students aged 13-18, it concluded that the problem affects girls more than boys and is associated with physical inactivity and low academic achievement.

Journal

Healthcare

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

5-Apr-2023

 

Undermining of institutions and lack of local policies hinder fire management in Amazonia

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

A lack of community involvement impairs fire control programs in the region known as MAP, between Madre de Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil) and Pando (Bolivia).

Journal

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo