News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Oct-2026 06:16 ET (26-Oct-2026 10:16 GMT/UTC)

18-Jul-2023

Brazilian coast is warmer and is having more frequent extreme temperature events, study shows

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

An article by scientists at the Federal University of São Paulo shows that the South and Southeast of Brazil are the most affected regions, and that Espírito Santo is the state most affected by waves of heat and cold.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

17-Jul-2023

 

Research group develops biodegradable film that keeps food fresh for longer

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

The material was designed by Brazilian researchers and includes a derivative of limonene from citrus rind, blended with chitosan, a biopolymer from exoskeletons of crustaceans.

Journal

Food Packaging and Shelf Life

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

12-Jul-2023

 

Marine fossils unearth story about Panama’s deep past

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New fossil mammal specimens from Caribbean Panama suggest ongoing marine interchange during the final stages of formation of the isthmus connecting North and South America.

Journal

Biology Letters

Funder

National Secretary of Science and Technology of Panama, Ricardo Perez S.A., Candoc, Explorers Club Rolex, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

11-Jul-2023

 

Adipose tissue hormone protects cells that secrete insulin and reverses damage associated with obesity

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

Researchers at the University of São Paulo observed the effects of adiponectin in trials involving blood samples from lean and obese subjects. The discovery points to novel routes to treatment for type 2 diabetes and related dysfunctions.

Journal

Aging Cell

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

11-Jul-2023

 

Mortality rate from Candida infections remains high in Brazil, despite therapeutic advances

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

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Paulo shows that 20% of patients with bloodstream infections are not treated, and at least half of those treated die. Diagnostic techniques must improve, the authors warn.

Journal

Journal of Fungi

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

10-Jul-2023

 

Novel compound combats drug-resistant fungi when combined with commercially available medications

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

Combinations of antifungals with brilacidin, a drug undergoing clinical trials for other diseases, cleared up lung infections in animals. On its own, the candidate drug treated a fungal disease of the cornea that affects millions of people worldwide.

Journal

Nature Communications

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

6-Jul-2023

 

Bezos Earth Fund grants $12 million to Smithsonian to support major forest carbon project

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

A generous grant to the Smithsonian to support international partnerships and training will enable GEO-TREES to offer the free, online data needed to verify the amount of carbon stored in complex forests worldwide, in real time.

Funder

Bezos Earth Fund

6-Jul-2023

 

Researchers offer a tropical perspective on marine conservation

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

To achieve tangible solutions for ocean conservation, a new peer-reviewed paper suggests that we should listen to the people who are most affected by the current problems facing the ocean: the people in the tropics.

Journal

npj Ocean Sustainability

5-Jul-2023

 

In search of rice to reduce methane emissions

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Livestock, the petroleum industry and landfills are all leading producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But another significant but less well known contributor is one of the world’s most popular crops: rice. Rice plants transport methane from the flooded rice field into the atmosphere. A new paper from researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has found that it is possible to lower emissions by developing new varieties of rice.

Journal

All Earth

3-Jul-2023

Cigarette smoke and HPV have synergistic effects on cells, heightening the risk of head and neck cancer

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

The discovery was made by researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and Chile. Their analysis of oral cells that expressed human papillomavirus proteins and were exposed to cigarette smoke pointed to an increase in levels of an enzyme associated with tumor progression and DNA damage

Journal

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo