News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 01:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 05:16 GMT/UTC)

5-Aug-2026

New vaccine strategy protects against chikungunya and could become a platform for combating other diseases

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

In tests conducted on mice, a single dose of the formulation containing genetically modified viruses protected the rodents against the disease.

Journal

npj Vaccines

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

5-Aug-2026

Study points to a link between hypothyroidism and sleep apnea

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

Research involving residents of São Paulo (Brazil) suggests a bidirectional relationship between the two conditions and indicates the benefits of hormone therapy for improving sleep quality.

Journal

SLEEP

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

5-Aug-2026

 

Laser scanning may help prevent urban trees from falling

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

A team from the University of São Paulo has developed an algorithm for optimal pruning that makes trees less vulnerable to wind tunnels. The goal is to create an app to guide human work.

Journal

Trees Structure and Function

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

4-Aug-2026

 

CIMMYT and World Food Programme strengthen global partnership to advance food security and resilient food systems

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Business Announcement

CIMMYT and the World Food Programme have signed a landmark global agreement combining humanitarian reach and agricultural science to help countries respond to food crises, restore farming and livelihoods, and build more resilient food systems.

4-Aug-2026

 

In Atlantic Forest restoration, connection between fragments is more important than fragment size

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

Study covering 52 areas of the biome shows that natural dispersal of new plants is boosted by the amount of surrounding forest and rainfall regime.

Journal

Journal of Ecology

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

4-Aug-2026

A high-sugar diet may worsen asthma, even in the short term

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

In a study conducted on mice, high consumption of condensed milk induced a fast inflammatory response in abdominal adipose cells that extended to the lungs.

Journal

Nutrients

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

4-Aug-2026

Combination of abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency more than doubles the risk of death in people over 50

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

A study involving over 5,500 individuals indicates that hormone level monitoring and weight control are essential measures to avoid premature death.

Journal

Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

31-Jul-2026

 

Analysis of a super-deep diamond reveals how water travels to the Earth’s interior

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

Stone studied at the Sirius particle accelerator reinforces the hypothesis that the mineral goethite can transport water from the planet’s surface to rocks in the lower mantle.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

31-Jul-2026

 

Secondhand smoke may alter tooth mineralization, study in rats suggests

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

Researchers from the University of São Paulo found microscopic and chemical changes in the teeth of animals exposed to cigarette smoke during the first days of life.

Journal

Calcified Tissue International

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

31-Jul-2026

 

Indigenous territory maintains ecological stability amid agricultural expansion in the Brazilian savanna

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

A study combining remote sensing, geographic data science, and field research shows that the Xavante territory has preserved its environmental configuration, while neighboring areas have been converted to large-scale soybean farming and livestock ranching

Journal

Geocarto International

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo