Issue # 240 _ February 2016
S&T Policy
Congress

Updated framework
Law introduces new incentives for innovation, but vetoes are criticized
By Bruno de PierroEnergy

Towards the development of natural gas
FAPESP and the BG Group open a research center in São Paulo
By Bruno de PierroCOOPERATION

Ranchers and environmentalists united
Cattle ranching on native grasslands—vegetation typical of southern Brazil—balances interests of both parties
By Carlos FioravantiScience
GENETICS

A tool to edit DNA
A system copied from bacteria, CRISPR-Cas9 may catalyze discoveries in biology and medicine, but it raises ethical concerns
By Maria GuimarãesHEALTH

The spread of Zika
Sequencing confirms that the variety in circulation in Brazil came from Polynesia and is projected to spread to other countries
By Ricardo ZorzettoBiodiversity

The white and black fungi of the Atacama
Yeasts in the Chilean desert exhibit resistance to ultraviolet radiation levels as high as those found on Mars
By Carlos FioravantiBiogeography

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

The hidden seeds of rain
Researchers find the missing particles that explain how clouds form in the Amazon
By Ricardo ZorzettoCHEMISTRY 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
By Igor ZolnerkevicTechnology
NANOGEOSCIENCE

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

Recycled waste
Fusel oil and CO2 generated during ethanol manufacturing can be used to produce chemicals for industrial use
By Evanildo da SilveiraPHARMACEUTICAL 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
By Yuri VasconcelosBIOTECHNOLOGY

Silver microproducer
Fungus is used to produce metallic nanoparticles that can be employed as antibacterial substances
By Evanildo da SilveiraHumanities
Culture

Globalization in the 19th century
Project reveals an intense circulation of cultural goods, especially printed matter, among France, England, Portugal and Brazil
By Márcio Ferrari