News from Latin America
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Oct-2025 16:11 ET (22-Oct-2025 20:11 GMT/UTC)
22-Oct-2025
Underwater thermal vents may have given rise to the first molecular precursors of life
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
To test the hypothesis, researchers from Brazil, the United States, and Japan built bench-scale reactors that simulate the interaction between hydrothermal fluids and primitive ocean water.
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
22-Oct-2025
Study paves the way for new therapeutic strategies against obesity
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
Research conducted by Redoxoma, a FAPESP Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center, found that mitochondrial potassium channels regulate heat production in brown adipose tissue.
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
17-Oct-2025
Device detects sodium nitrite in beverages
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos used pieces of cork and lasers to create a mechanism that detects the presence of the substance, which has potential carcinogenic effects, in mineral water, orange juice, and wine.
- Journal
- Microchimica Acta
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
16-Oct-2025
Research reveals possibility of new drug therapy for hereditary diseases
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
A study published in Science and involving a Brazilian researcher unveils a cellular mechanism involved in transmitting mutations in mitochondrial DNA. These mutations can cause serious, incurable diseases.
- Journal
- Science
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
15-Oct-2025
Essential oil-based solution protects fruit from fungi
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
FAPESP-supported startup develops formulations based on bio-inputs to combat fungal infections and reduce the use of pesticides in fruit growing.
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
15-Oct-2025
The largest primate in the Americas could lose up to 61% of its climatically suitable habitat by 2090
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
Study predicts that the two species of muriquis will be restricted mainly to coastal regions of the Atlantic Forest, leaving populations in the interior seriously at risk. Predictions only consider climate change, which could mask an even greater risk when considering synergistic threats, such as forest fragmentation.
- Journal
- Journal for Nature Conservation
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
14-Oct-2025
Compound from Antarctic microorganism can be used to produce food, cosmetics, and medicine
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
A bioactive compound produced by the microorganism Bacillus licheniformis, found on Deception Island in Antarctica, has properties that qualify it for use in producing food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable materials. The substance is essential for the survival of microbes in extreme environments and has been shown to have antioxidant, emulsifying, and stabilizing properties.
- Journal
- Journal of Biological Macromolecules
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
9-Oct-2025
Portable sensor detects synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarettes and biological fluids
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers develop technology that identifies highly potent and dangerous psychoactive substances. The device can be used in emergency medical facilities and to help inform users and reduce the harm associated with consumption.
- Journal
- Talanta
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
8-Oct-2025
Physical exercise can ‘train’ the immune system
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloPeer-Reviewed Publication
In an article published in the journal Scientific Reports, an international team of researchers describes how the defense cells of older adults with a history of endurance training are more effective against inflammation. The study concluded that the bodies of older athletes are accustomed to dealing with inflammatory episodes due to decades of continuous training; as a result, they have an immune system with a more regulated and controlled profile, which under stress exhibits less intense inflammatory responses than young athletes.
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Funder
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo