“Insect Apocalypse” – Study Reveals Drastic Decline of Aquatic Insect Population in Paraná River Basin
Analysis of data collected over 20 years suggests the decline is due to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná basin and its…
Agência FAPESP
First Genetic Sequencing of Brazilian Pit Viper Completed – Reveals Origin of Toxins in Its Venom
In an article published in PNAS, researchers affiliated with Butantan Institute describe the genome of Bothrops jararaca and suggest the origin of genes responsible for…
Breakthrough: Magnetizing a Material Without Applying an External Magnetic Field
Researchers propose a method of magnetizing a material without applying an external magnetic field. The study shows that the phenomenon can be produced by means…
COVID-19 Creates Conditions for Emergence of Invasive “Superfungus” in Brazil
Fully occupied intensive care units (ICUs). Physically and mentally exhausted health workers. Chaotically overcrowded hospitals. These and similar problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in…
Microorganisms Discovered on the Rio Grande Rise Are a Basis for Life and a Possible Origin of Metals
Researchers conducted the first large-scale survey of the microbiota present in the seamount’s ferromanganese crusts, describing bacteria and archaea involved in the nutrient cycle and…
High Dose of Vitamin D Fails to Improve Condition of Moderate to Severe COVID-19 Patients
A clinical trial was conducted with 240 patients who were given 200,000 IU of vitamin D3 on admission to hospital. The supplementation did not reduce…
Researchers Discover Why Lightning Branches and Flickers
Analysis of the first super slow motion recordings of upward flashes suggests a possible explanation for the formation of luminous structures after electrical discharges split…
Melatonin Produced in the Lungs Prevents COVID-19 Infection
The hormone acts as a barrier against SARS-CoV-2, blocking the expression of genes that encode proteins in cells serving as viral entry points, according to…
Food Replicator: Researchers Create Ingredients to Produce Food by 3D Printing
Food engineers in Brazil and France developed gels based on modified starch for use as “ink” to make foods and novel materials by additive manufacturing….
Two Anti-inflammatory Medications Shown to Accelerate Recovery From COVID-19
Monoclonal antibody tested by researchers at University of São Paulo and experimental drug given to patients in Italy by University of Pennsylvania research group promoted…
Fractal Signatures of COVID-19 Transmission Could Reduce Socio-Economic Impact of Lockdowns
Model developed by Brazilian researchers predicts spatial and temporal evolution of epidemic diseases and can help plan more effective social isolation programs with less socio-economic…
Fang’tastic: Venom Glands Similar to Those of Snakes Found for First Time in Amphibians
Brazilian researchers discover that caecilians, limbless amphibians resembling worms or snakes that emerged some 150 million years before the latter, can probably inject venom…
Unraveling the Mystery of Insect Bioluminescent Systems
Researchers isolated molecules present in the larvae of a blue light-emitting fungus gnat that inhabits the Appalachians; the study will help elucidate human diseases and…
Universal Mechanism for Ejection of Matter by Black Holes Proposed
The process occurs in active-core nuclei. A molecular gas cloud that accumulates in the central region is blown away by radiation from the black hole’s…
Flat Lens a Thousand Times Thinner Than a Human Hair Offers a Wide Field of View for Smartphone Cameras
The lens can be used to produce high-resolution images with a wide field of view. It can serve as a camera lens in smartphones and…
Low-Cost Second-Generation Ethanol Production Powered by Genetically Engineered Enzyme Cocktail
Brazilian researchers used genetic engineering to develop a low-cost platform for the production of enzymes that break down sugarcane trash and bagasse for conversion into…
Astronomers Identify Asteroids of Interstellar Origin Inhabiting Our Solar System
A study conducted by scientists at São Paulo State University’s Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences (IGCE-UNESP) in Rio Claro, Brazil, has identified 19 asteroids…
Solar System’s Turbulent Formation Quickly Gave Way to Current Planetary Configuration
Model developed by Brazilian researchers shows chaotic phase that placed objects in current orbits beginning within first 100 million years after formation of giant planets….