The voluntary carbon market has been extremely slow to take off, partly because each participant must find a way to quantify the amount of carbon offset by their project--and different projects use different methodologies. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is part of GEO-TREES, a partnership of a dozen space- and forest- based research groups who are creating a single, standard method to quantify forest carbon anywhere, anytime: verifying satellite estimates with on the ground estimates. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation just generously contributed $12 million to this effort, which recieved $12 from the Bezos Earth Foundation last year to put LiDAR and other technologies in the hands of botanists who already study forests worldwide.

One of the raw materials studied by the group is cashew nut shell liquid, a by-product of oilseed processing; work was presented during FAPESP Week Italy.

The study was conducted at the Federal University of São and involved 731 over-sixties. It is the first to demonstrate the effects of high blood pressure on lung mechanics. The findings highlight the benefits of regular physical exercise for partial protection of the lungs.

In Brazil, the main species grown is Agave sisalana, whose leaves are used to make sisal fiber. The latest studies results were presented on October 14th during FAPESP Week Italy.

Through experiments in mice infected with a herpes virus, scientists identified an immune system sensor that recognizes viral fragments and activates neurons responsible for pain, independently of inflammation. The discovery paves the way for novel analgesic treatments.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo conducted an experiment to observe the effects on soil samples of extreme conditions in terms of temperature and rainfall in the laboratory. Their findings show that the balance of greenhouse gas emissions from microbial decomposition of organic matter may change.