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According to an article published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, severe COVID-19 patients can be divided into two distinct groups: those with a high viral load and relatively little inflammation; and those who continue to suffer from inflammatory complications even after the virus has been completely eliminated. The article describes a study conducted in Brazil by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) who analyzed lung autopsies from 47 fatal COVID-19 cases alongside their [...]

Research conducted at the Center for Dairy Technology (Tecnolat) in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil, has identified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that have probiotic properties and are beneficial to human health in samples of traditional Brazilian cheeses. Tecnolat is part of the Food Technology Institute (ITAL), an arm of the São Paulo State Department of Agriculture and Supply. The researchers analyzed three strains of bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus from [...]

Researchers in Brazil who analyzed samples from a 46-year-old patient in the Northeast state of Maranhão found an amphotericin B-resistant strain of the parasite Leishmania amazonensis circulating for the first time in the country. Amphotericin B is widely used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis, a skin infection caused by sandfly bite. The disease is characterized by skin lesions that persist for months but can be cured. In the case in question, however, the patient had the diffuse [...]

Researchers have shown that a fluorescence detection system that doesn’t contain any lenses can provide highly sensitive detection of deadly microorganisms in drinking water. With further development, the new approach could provide a low-cost and easy-to-use way to monitor water quality in resource-limited settings such as developing countries or areas affected by disasters. It could also be useful when water safety results are needed quickly, such as for swimming events, a concern [...]

A study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows how the presence of a specific protein called IL-22BP affects the composition of the gut microbiota and the body’s response to bacterial infection. “We discovered that mice that don’t produce this protein are more protected against intestinal infections by bacteria like Clostridioides difficile and Citrobacter rodentium,” Marco Aurélio Ramirez Vinolo, a co-author of the article, [...]

Memory loss and attention deficit are frequent complaints of people who have survived severe COVID-19, but these and other cognitive impairments have also been observed in mild patients more than 18 months after the start of the infection, according to a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil. An article on the study is published in the journal BMC Psychology. The findings highlight the need for more comprehensive rehabilitation to address the enduring [...]

An article published in the journal Cell describes a study that enabled a group of researchers to discover how SARS-CoV-2 evades the cytotoxic immune response by identifying a protein called ORF6 that is a key factor in this mechanism. The cytotoxic immune response involves T-lymphocytes that kill pathogens when they recognize cells bearing a specific antigen while sparing neighboring uninfected cells. The study was led by Wilfredo Garcia-Beltran and Julie Boucau, research scientists at [...]

Only a fraction of nature’s diversity, or species richness, is still known, especially when it comes to insects and fungi, both of which have millions of species still unknown to science. At the same time, the loss of nature is progressing at an unprecedented rate, and researchers are racing against time to find out the unknown diversity while also coming up with ways to save it. “Air is a real treasure trove for nature research,” says Academy Research Fellow Nerea Abrego [...]

An article published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases shows that Mayaro and chikungunya viruses are circulating at the same time (co-circulating) in Roraima, Brazil’s northernmost state and part of the Amazon biome. According to the authors, their findings reinforce the need for more effective epidemiological surveillance in the region. The researchers were surprised by the discovery. Their initial hypothesis was that other viruses were highly unlikely to circulate in places [...]