Initiative marks the collaboration between CNPEM and USP, both among the leading universities and most advanced research centers in Latin America
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) and the University of São Paulo (USP) announced the 15 selected projects in their first joint call for scientific research support. The initiative consolidates a strategic partnership between the two institutions, bringing together USP’s academic expertise and the cutting-edge infrastructure available at CNPEM.
The presentation was held at an event at the USP Rectorate on Friday morning (29), with representatives from both institutions. The program, aimed at students and researchers linked to USP or CNPEM, will award 20 PhD scholarships and 10 post-doctoral scholarships in this first call and, in the second call, another 20 and 10, for a total of 60 scholarships. In this first call, 64 projects competed.
The selected projects cover areas of scientific and technological relevance, such as earth and exact sciences, engineering, agricultural sciences, biotechnology, environmental sciences, biological sciences and health sciences. Each proposal will be developed in collaboration between research groups from both institutions, with a focus on generating impactful knowledge and developing new talents.
Antonio José Roque da Silva, CNPEM general director, highlights the program’s importance for the advancement of national science. “The selected proposals incorporate challenges that are important not only for the development of fundamental science, but also for solving our country’s problems. This concern is already a very important and present component in CNPEM’s day-to-day activities and I am happy that it has naturally been repeated in these projects”, he says.
USP’s rector, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, reinforced the role of the partnership in boosting scientific production in the country. “With this initiative, we are leaving a huge legacy for Brazilian science. By putting to work together USP and CNPEM, which is one of the largest research laboratories in the country, we are integrating our researchers and increasing our ability to ask disruptive questions and answer them with the appropriate methodology”, he declares.
The PhD scholarships are worth R$5,520 per month, for up to 24 months, with the possibility of renewal for the same period. The postdoctoral scholarships are worth R$12,000 per month, for up to 24 months, and are also renewable for the same period.
Contemplated projects
The 15 approved projects cover different areas of knowledge and innovation. Among them are:
- Molecular architecture of filamentous complexes of Glutaminase C with GLS2 and P5CS and supercomplexes with ANT2/MICOS by electron cryomicroscopy
- Tomographic alignment without reconstruction
- Microphysiological devices with smart electrochemical sensor arrays for analyzing the viability of cells from breast cancer patients
- Design and nanofabrication of plasmonic platforms for the control of nonlinear properties in two-dimensional materials
- Terahertz spectroscopy in quantum materials
- Exploring oxidative enzymes from thermophilic fungi with the aim of optimizing the OpEn enzyme cocktail developed at CNPEM for Brazilian biorefineries
- Treatment of inflammatory diseases via inhibition of NET formation and degradation
- Effects of overproduction of high-value aromatics on cell wall nanostructure in sugarcane
- Brazilian biodiversity in focus: bioprospecting of new microorganisms and enzymes through multi-omics approaches
- Biophysical study of the molecular mechanisms of co-condensation of stress granule proteins
- Ecological and metabolic interactions in the rhizosphere under diversified systems: effects on the soil microbiome, carbon sequestration and N₂O emissions
- Electrolytic transistors for monitoring pesticide residues
- Chemical transformations of solid-state materials and interfaces: from mechanochemical synthesis to electrochemical application monitored by time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy
- Nanolignins from different plant sources applied to the production of biomimetic hydrogels
- Internalization of tumor extracellular vesicles: a correlative cryotomography investigation
*With information from USP
Antonio José Roque da Silva (right), CNPEM general director, during the event at USP
Photos: Marcos Santos/USP
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
