Health Brazil  BRASIL 28/07/2016

Growing evidence that a peridomestic mosquito also transmits Zika virus

Scientists find viral load in saliva of 'Culex quinquefasciatus' to be similar to that in 'Aedes aegypti'

The mosquito Aedes aegypti has been considered the main vector of Zika virus, estimated to have infected 49,000 people by June 2016, although 139,000 cases were notified in this period. Zika is also widely considered as the cause of microcephaly in 1,600 babies born in 582 Brazilian cities.

 Mosquito. Foto: FAPESP.
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Science Chile  ATACAMA 21/07/2016

ALMA Achieved Highest Polarimetric Sensitivity

Polarimetry is an important method to investigate magnetic fields in the Universe

Researchers have confirmed ALMA’s unprecedented capability for polarimetry in millimeter/submillimeter wavebands. Polarimetry is an important method to investigate magnetic fields in the Universe and astronomers are eager to use ALMA for unveiling magnetic mysteries, such as the launching mechanism of high energy jets from supermassive black holes.

 Los telescopios de ALMA. Foto: ALMA.
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Health Brazil  BRASIL 19/07/2016

Male hormone reverses cell aging in clinical trial

Telomerase, an enzyme naturally found in the human organism, is the closest of all known substances to a “cellular elixir of youth”

Telomerase, an enzyme naturally found in the human organism, is the closest of all known substances to a “cellular elixir of youth.” In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Brazilian and US researchers show that sex hormones can stimulate production of this enzyme.

 Cromosomas (en gris) y telómeros (blanco). Imagen: Fapesp.
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Technology Spain  MADRID 19/07/2016

New Guidance System with 3D sounds for the visually impaired

The application is designed to be installed in a mobile phone and uses satellite navigation and augmented acoustic reality to indicate to the user the correct path that is clear of obstacles

The visually impaired will be able to use a new system of sensorial guidance that uses 3D sounds. The system was developed by Geko NAVSAT, a company that receives assistance from the Business Incubator at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) Science Park. The application is designed to be installed in a mobile phone and uses satellite navigation and augmented acoustic reality to indicate to the user the correct path that is clear of obstacles.

 Sistema de guiado con sonidos 3D para personas con discapacidad visual. Imagen: UC3M.
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Science Panama  PANAMÁ 14/07/2016

A Bioarchaeologist Reads History from Bones

Nicole Smith-Guzmán holds up a small lower jawbone and says it belonged to a seven-year old child who grew up on a sugary, corn-based diet

Nicole Smith-Guzmán holds up a small lower jawbone and says it belonged to a seven-year old child who grew up on a sugary, corn-based diet. Although the child died over 1,500 years ago, she can determine its age to within six months based on the number and size of milk versus permanent teeth. She points out several signs of dental disease—a tooth cavity, an abscess in the jawbone, a gap from a fallen milk tooth with the bone healed over before the permanent tooth could grow out. On another person’s jaw, impacted teeth suggest that the jawbone never grew to its full potential because it only chewed on soft, mushy food. On yet another set of teeth, she points out ancient tartar, which may hold plant remains and even traces of mouth bacteria.

 Mandíbula. Foto: STRI.
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Health Brazil  BRASIL 30/06/2016

Vaccine against Zika virus tested successfully in mice

The results suggest a vaccine can be produced for humans in the near future

An experimental vaccine against Zika virus developed by Brazilian and US researchers has been tested successfully in trials with mice. The results were published on June 28 in Nature and according to the authors suggest a vaccine can be produced for humans in the near future.

 Virus del Zika. Imagen: FAPESP.
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Science Chile  CHILE 29/06/2016

ALMA Discovers a Rotating Ring of Complex Organic Molecules

This observation definitively shows that organic materials formed in interstellar space are brought into the planet-forming region

Researchers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a rotating ring containing large organic molecules around a protostar. This observation definitively shows that organic materials formed in interstellar space are brought into the planet-forming region. Researchers also found that the molecular species brought into the planet-forming region vary from one protostar to another. Chemical composition is a new way to answer the long-standing question of whether or not the Solar System is a typical example of a planetary system.

 Anillo giratorio de moléculas orgánicas complejas. Créditos: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Oya et al.
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Science Spain  SALAMANCA 16/06/2016

Improvements in training and technology transfer are required in order to boost Iberoamerican Biotechnology

'BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016' ends with new proposals on bioenergy, agriculture and the environmental preservation

A conference of Pedro Alvarez, a renowned Nicaraguan scientist at Rice University in Houston (Texas, USA), has been an exceptional finishing touch for 'BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016, which throughout the last four days has gathered in Salamanca more than 600 researchers from 22 countries and several scientific areas such as agriculture, environment, medicine and energy. Mexico will take over to host the second edition, to be held in June 2018.

 Pedro �lvarez en BIO.IBEROAM�RICA 2016.
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Science Chile  ATACAMA 14/06/2016

ALMA Witness Intergalactic Deluge Feeding a Black Hole

An international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has witnessed a cosmic weather event that has never been seen before

An international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has witnessed a cosmic weather event that has never been seen before – a cluster of towering intergalactic gas clouds raining in on the supermassive black hole at the center of a huge galaxy one billion light-years from Earth. The results will appear in the journal Nature on June 9, 2016.

 Un pequeño cúmulo de nubes de gas gigantes que precipitan en dirección del agujero negro central. Imagen: NRAO/AUI/NSF; Dana Berry / SkyWorks; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO).
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Nutrition Panama  PANAMÁ 13/06/2016


Using a reverse paint-by-numbers approach, scientists have located another gene that controls the brilliant patterning of Heliconius butterfly wings

Using a reverse paint-by-numbers approach, scientists have located another gene that controls the brilliant patterning of Heliconius butterfly wings. Led by former Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) fellow Nicola Nadeau, the researchers identified variations in the gene that correspond to wing color and pattern variation in three different Heliconius species. Published in Nature, June 2016, the discovery puts scientists a step closer to unlocking the code responsible for diversity and evolution in butterflies and moths.

 Mariposa Heliconius. Ilustración por: Paulette Guardia.
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Health Spain  MADRID 09/06/2016

A research project to improve the laws regarding disability

Madrid Sin Barreras

Six Madrid universities, led by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), are carrying out the research project “Madrid Sin Barreras” (Barrier-free Madrid) to promote the social inclusion of persons with disabilities. For that purpose, they are analyzing the laws governing accessibility in education, employment, mobility and participation, among other areas, with the goal of improving these regulations.

 Madrid sin Barreras.
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Health Spain  SALAMANCA 08/06/2016

Nanoparticles revolutionazed the way of delivering drugs

'BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016' addresses nanoscience-based treatments that can be applied to various diseases

Biotechnology applied to the improvement of health and food has been the main issue on the third day of BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016. Integrando Continentes', which is being held in Salamanca. In particular, new and more efficient forms of drugs delivery has been one of the more relevant topics of this scientific meeting.

 Jesús Santamaría, investigador del Instituto de Nanociencias de Aragón.
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Science Spain  SALAMANCA 07/06/2016

Gene editing is a new challenge for ethics and the law

'BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016' addresses the legal and ethical challenges posed by new genetic engineering techniques

Biotechnology not only brings together various scientific matters, but has repercussions in all areas of human knowledge, as has been demonstrated today during BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016. Integrating Continents'. Carlos María Romeo Casabona, director of the Chair University BBVA-Provincial Government of Vizcaya in Law and Human Genome at the Universities of Deusto and the Basque Country Foundation, examined an issue of topical, editing genes from the point of view of ethics and law.

 Asitentes a BIO.IBEROAM�RICA 2016.
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Technology Spain  SALAMANCA 06/06/2016

2016 BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA claims the Iberoamerican scientific heritage in its opening

The keynote lecture of Dr. Tejal Desai, an expert in nanotechnology based therapies , serves as starting point to a outstanding programme

The American researcher Tejal Desai was in charge of the opening lecture of BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016. Intengrando Conteinentes'. The conference started today with an official ceremony, led by the rector of the University of Salamanca, Daniel Hernandez Ruipérez, who wanted to highlight during his intervention the close historical links between Salamanca´s academic institution , who turns 800 years in 2018, and the Latin America region. Ruiperez also expressed his wish that this anniversary would serve as an incentive to create a common university system throughout Latin America.

 Asistentes al congreso.
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Nutrition Spain  MADRID 02/06/2016

Discovering How Cyanobacteria Form Patterns for Nitrogen Fixation

These microorganisms are fundamental to life on Earth because they produce much of the oxygen in our planet, and convert nitrogen into chemical forms which can be used by any life form

Almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere today was produced by cyanobacteria 3,000 million years ago; cyanobacteria continue to produce between 20% and 30% of the photosynthetic activity on Earth. Furthermore, they perform additional vital tasks: along with other microorganisms called Archaea, they are the only living beings able to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into chemical forms which can be used by any life form. According to one of the authors of the research, Saúl Ares of Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC; Interdisciplinary Complex Systems Group) at UC3M. "Without cyanobacteria, neither human beings nor any other complex living organisms could survive on Earth, because we would not have oxygen to breathe or nitrogen with which to build complex molecules like DNA and the proteins in our bodies".

 Simulación por ordenador de la evolución temporal de un filamento de cianobacterias. Imagen: UC3M.
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Technology Spain  SALAMANCA 02/06/2016

"Biotechnology will be a key discipline for the sustainable development of the Iberoamerican region"

The Nicaraguan Pedro Alvarez, researcher at Rice University in Houston (Texas, USA), is one of the most prominent speakers at the conference BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016, which starts next Sunday in Salamanca

Next Sunday 5th of June, starts in Salamanca the first edition of the Iberoamerican Biotechnological Conference, BIO.IBEROAMÉRICA 2016 ‘Biotecnología Integrando Continentes’. Salamanca will host during the next four days researchers from different biotechnological areas, and among them some such prominent as the Nicaraguan Pedro Álvarez, scientist at Rice University in Houston (Texas, USA), who has been involved in the development of new methods to assure drinkable water to the population.

 Pedro �lvarez, investigador de la Rice University.
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Social Sciences Spain  ESPAÑA 02/06/2016

Spanish University Research Activity

The 2016 IUNE Observatory Report

The Spanish University has lost resources and researchers in recent years, but has improved its international productivity and competitiveness, according to data from the new annual IUNE report on university R+D+i. This Alianza 4U observatory, made up of the following universities: Autónoma de Barcelona, Autónoma de Madrid, Carlos III de Madrid and Pompeu Fabra, presented its new research activity report for the Spanish University system (SUE in Spanish) in the past decade.

 Una investigadora trabajando con células. Foto: F. Descubre.
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Education Spain  MADRID 02/06/2016

A UC3M startup brings robotics to secondary school students

Using robotics to prepare today’s student for a technological future tomorrow

Using robotics to prepare today’s student for a technological future tomorrow. This is being done by CREA Robótica Educativa, a startup supported by the Business Incubator at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) Science Park, which offers extracurricular classes for secondary students as well as training courses for secondary teachers in the area of new technologies.

 Robot. Foto: UC3M.
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Nutrition Panama  PANAMÁ 31/05/2016

Mangrove decline through the ages in Central and South America

a new study looks to the past to provide conservation lessons for this essential ecosystem

As deforestation erases the thin, green line of mangrove forests along tropical shores, a new study looks to the past to provide conservation lessons for this essential ecosystem. Scientists from Colombia’s Talking Oceans Foundation, the University of York, U.K., and the Smithsonian in Panama document mangrove use and decline through the ages along the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.

 Manglar. Foto: STRI.
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Science Chile  ATACAMA 25/05/2016

ALMA Reveals Footprints of Baby Planets in a Gas Disk

New analysis of ALMA data for HL Tauri provides yet more firm evidence of baby planets around the star

New analysis of ALMA data for HL Tauri provides yet more firm evidence of baby planets around the star. Researchers uncovered two gaps in the gas disk around the star. The locations of these gaps in the gas match the locations of gaps in the dust found in the ALMA high resolution image taken in 2014. This discovery supports the idea that planets form in much shorter timescales than previously thought and prompts a reconsideration of alternative planet formation scenarios.

 Distribuciones del gas de HCO+ (azul) y el polvo (rojo) en el disco alrededor de HL Tauri. ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Yen et al.
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