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Shortly after the explosion in microcephaly cases caused by Zika virus in Brazil in 2015-16, several scientific studies were published with evidence that the pathogen is capable of crossing the human placenta, the organ that keeps the fetus connected to the mother's body during pregnancy. From then on, the states began following a protocol established by the National Ministry of Health requiring collection of placental samples to help diagnose the disease in women with symptoms during [...]

Two new species of viruses have been identified in blood samples taken from patients in Brazil's northern region who had similar symptoms to those of dengue or Zika, such as high fever, severe headache, rash and red skin spots. One belongs to the genus Ambidensovirus and was found in a sample collected in the state of Amapá. The other belongs to the genus Chapparvovirus and was found in blood from the state of Tocantins. The study was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation [...]

Only two days after Latin America’s first case of coronavirus was confirmed in São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city, researchers at Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL), the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the University of Oxford in the UK have published the complete genome sequence for the virus, which they call severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The report was published on February 28 on Virological.org, a forum for discussion and data [...]

A new study by researchers at Campinas State University (Unicamp) and published in Scientific Reports concluded that the Zika virus may inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation. The information is from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. The research supported by Fapesp conducted experiments with a viral strain obtained from samples isolated from an infected patient in Ceará. After cultivation in the laboratory, the virus was heated at 56 ° C for one hour to inhibit its potential [...]

Researchers have identified a genetic signature with prognostic value for certain kinds of breast cancer. The discovery also contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of pathological angiogenesis, the aberrant proliferation of blood vessels that occurs during cancer and other diseases. The research, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, combined a study of the genes involved in retinopathy, as a model of angiogenesis, with analysis of transcriptomic gene [...]

Leafcutter ants such as Atta sexdens or Acromyrmex lobicornis face two major challenges when they leave the safety of the nest to forage: choosing the best plants from which to collect leaves and avoiding being surprised by strong winds or heavy rain, which would prevent them from carrying out their task. A study by researchers at the University of São Paulo's Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP) in Brazil shows that leafcutter ants are capable of predicting adverse [...]

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have described a system present in a species of opportunistic bacterium found in hospital environments that injects a cocktail of toxins into competing bacteria and completely eliminates them. This discovery can be used in the future development of new antimicrobial compounds. The study was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP and published in PLOS Pathogens by researchers affiliated with USP's [...]

A study of six beaches in the coastal city of Guarujá in São Paulo state (Southeast Brazil) suggests that urbanization may be a source of stress not only for humans but also for mussels. Researchers affiliated with the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Santos, Brazil, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, found a direct correlation among the degree of urbanization, contamination of the sea by metals and the possible metabolic stress [...]

An international group of researchers led by Brazilian scientists has assembled the most complete genome sequence of commercial sugarcane. They mapped 373,869 genes or 99.1% of the total genome. This feat is the result of almost 20 years of research supported by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP and will serve as a basis for the genetic improvement of the world's largest crop in tonnage according to the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO). An article describing the [...]