Issue # 240 _ February 2016
S&T Policy
Energy

Towards the development of natural gas
FAPESP and the BG Group open a research center in São Paulo
Science
Biogeography

When the ocean was forest
The Atlantic Forest may have extended outward onto the continental shelf during the Ice Age
METEOROLOGY

The hidden seeds of rain
Researchers find the missing particles that explain how clouds form in the Amazon
CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

Searching for the magic numbers
Produced artificially, four chemical elements are now part of the periodic table; the search for other, more stable elements continues
Technology
NANOGEOSCIENCE

More productive oil wells
Studies indicate that silica nanoparticles can increase the volume of oil and gas extracted from reservoirs
Sugar and Alcohol Industry

Recycled waste
Fusel oil and CO2 generated during ethanol manufacturing can be used to produce chemicals for industrial use
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

The cosmetic from the Caatinga scrubland
A Swiss-Brazilian study shows that umbu, a fruit prevalent in the northeastern scrublands, could form the basis for an anti-aging skin cream
BIOTECHNOLOGY

Silver microproducer
Fungus is used to produce metallic nanoparticles that can be employed as antibacterial substances