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News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 6-Mar-2026 21:15 ET (7-Mar-2026 02:15 GMT/UTC)

Climate projections warn 20% of Colombia’s cocoa-growing areas could be lost by 2050, but adaptation options remain

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

By 2050, nearly 20% of the areas currently suitable for cocoa cultivation in Colombia could lose the climate conditions needed for production, particularly in the lowlands of the Caribbean region and the country’s northeastern departments, according to a new study.

Journal: Regional Environmental Change

Diversification of termite diets was made possible by genome modifications

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

Study reveals that evolutionary divergence occurred before ecological divergence, enabling these insects to feed on both wood and soil. Future discoveries may be applied to the production of biofuels.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Natural dye produced by Amazonian fungus can be used in cosmetics

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

A red extract made from Talaromyces amestolkiae was tested in the bases of potential products, including face cream, shampoo, and gel sticks, for its antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Journal: ACS Omega
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Researchers identify ‘neuroimmune signature’ that can predict hepatitis complications

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

A network of genes linked to the nervous and immune systems can predict cancer risk and even explain symptoms such as fatigue and depression resulting from viral hepatitis infection.

Journal: Journal of Medical Virology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Babies exposed to poverty show delays in motor development as early as six months

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

Analyses conducted by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos showed that the condition can be easily reversed through simple stimuli and strategies, reinforcing the need for programs aimed at this population.

Journal: Acta Psychologica
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Green turtle nests may bury ‘plastic rocks’ and endanger the species

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

Study observed accumulation of plastic on Trindade Island, Brazil’s easternmost territory, precisely in the depressions where turtles lay their eggs and hatchlings are born.

Journal: Marine Pollution Bulletin
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Innovative approach achieves good results in degrading pharmaceutical contaminants in water

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

A study supported by FAPESP tested using high-energy sparks to degrade pollutants without generating waste.The research aimed to develop a more efficient method for eliminating pharmaceutical contaminants, a primary concern for scientists and public officials today.

Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Golden frogs going back to nature

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Smithsonian’s Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project releases Panama’s critically endangered golden frogs into the wild

Living in a favela influences how people move around the city

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

Research using mobile phone data indicates that the living condition reduces the variability of daily movements.The study focused on intrapersonal mobility variability, or how much a person’s routes change from one workday to the next.

Journal: Transportation
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Iron nanoparticle eliminates tuberculosis in mice and may pave the way for new treatments

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

Research from São Paulo State University shows that an inexpensive, easy-to-produce substance eliminated lung infection in 30 days. The compound has the potential to reduce the time and toxicity of current therapies.

Journal: ACS Omega
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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