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When Brazilian immunologist Helder Nakaya visited Evandro Chagas Institute in Belém (the capital of Pará state, Brazil) in 2017, there was a commotion because one of its best microscopists was retiring and much of the knowledge used for fast and accurate identification of the protozoan Leishmania would be lost."I was dismayed by the waste of losing all that expertise, which it had taken decades to acquire. We began researching and trying to train a computer program to use [...]

Focal cortical dysplasia is a malformation of the cerebral cortex associated with one of the most severe types of epilepsy. Treatment is difficult owing to a lack of effective drugs or access to surgery. A new human model developed by researchers at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, using organoids cultured from patients’ cells has now opened up opportunities to test more specific therapies and medications. In partnership with a group at the [...]

In COVID-19 patients, obesity is the factor most associated with the development of endothelial dysfunction, a condition in which the blood vessels become unable to contract and relax adequately, increasing the risk of events such as heart attacks, thrombosis (blood clotting), and stroke. Endothelium refers to the thin sheet of cells lining the walls of arteries and veins, as well as the inside of the heart. Endothelial cells release substances that control vascular relaxation and contraction, [...]

The efficacy of biosensors used in clinical tests depends critically on the surface of the device on which the biorecognition molecules are immobilized. This surface can be adjusted and sometimes controlled using self-assembled molecular monolayers as matrices. The monolayers are films made up of organic molecules that under the right conditions assemble spontaneously on metal surfaces via chemical bonds between the sulfur atoms and the metal. A study conducted at the University of São [...]