CNPEM hosts discussion on the Orion project with the Steering Committee of Rede Vírus and Its sub-networks

Meeting at CNPEM promotes technical-scientific dialogue on Orion and its future use by the academic community

 

The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) hosted, on February 4, 2026, the first meeting of the Steering Committee of Rede Vírus/MCTI and its sub-networks dedicated to the technical and scientific follow-up of the Orion Project – a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research that will include maximum biological containment (BSL-4) facilities unprecedented in Latin America and the first in the world connected to a synchrotron light source, Sirius. The project is being implemented by CNPEM at its campus in Campinas, São Paulo.

The initiative consolidates the participation of the virology scientific community in monitoring the project and strengthens the role of Rede Vírus as an institutional bridge between virology researchers, government agencies, and the infrastructure that will support research on high-risk biological pathogens.

“Presenting the current status of the Orion project to representatives of Rede Vírus is important to ensure that Orion is developed in dialogue with the scientific community and that it provides the best possible conditions for advancing pathogen research in Brazil, both in terms of experimental capabilities and human resource training,” said Antonio José Roque da Silva, Director-General of CNPEM, during the opening of the meeting.

Throughout the meeting, participants reviewed the current status of the Orion Project, its technical guidelines, and the challenges associated with operating Biosafety Level 3 and 4 (BSL-3 and BSL-4) laboratories, as well as opportunities for national and international scientific cooperation. Rede Vírus was highlighted as a key framework for monitoring the project, strengthening dialogue with the academic community, and supporting the planning of Orion’s future use.

The entire agenda was accompanied by the Steering Committee of Rede Vírus, established within the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) by MCTI Ordinance No. 9,287 of July 31, 2025, which created the network, and whose composition is defined by SEPPE/MCTI Ordinance No. 9,678 of December 12, 2025. The Committee brings together representatives from MCTI, funding agencies, and researchers with recognized expertise in virology, surveillance, diagnostics, vaccines, clinical trials, and the operation of high-containment laboratories, serving as a technical-scientific advisory body to MCTI.

“The Steering Committee of Rede Vírus recognizes the advances of the Orion Project and the adjustments made over time by CNPEM teams based on contributions from the scientific community. Continuous monitoring of the project by Rede Vírus specialists is central to consolidating an infrastructure aligned with the country’s needs and those of its researchers, and it enables us to identify and address specific agendas, such as partnership opportunities, human resource training programs, and regulatory discussions,” said Thiago Moraes, member of the Rede Vírus Steering Committee and General Coordinator for Health, Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences at MCTI.

In addition to the Steering Committee, the meeting included representatives from the thematic sub-networks of Rede Vírus, established by SEPPE/MCTI Ordinance No. 9,531 of November 3, 2025, which aim to organize and articulate existing national expertise. Among them, the BSL-3 laboratory sub-network stands out, bringing together facilities distributed across different institutions and regions and playing a central role in articulating existing national capacities with the Orion project, contributing to scientific preparedness, knowledge exchange, and the qualification of future use of the new infrastructure.

Nipah Virus

The meeting took place in a context of heightened international attention to emerging viral diseases, such as the Nipah virus, recently reported in new cases in India. The topic was cited as an example of the importance of Brazil having advanced and coordinated scientific capabilities to monitor, study, and respond to high-risk infectious agents.

Recently, Rede Vírus issued a technical report evaluating the cases registered in India and classified the risk of virus dissemination to Brazil as low, based on current epidemiological evidence, the historical circulation of the pathogen, and its transmission characteristics.

Rafael Elias Marques, member of the Rede Vírus Steering Committee and head of the Virology Group at CNPEM, emphasized that despite the severity of the disease caused by Nipah, the risk of the virus reaching Brazil is considered very low.

“Nipah is a highly lethal pathogen, but its circulation remains restricted to specific regions of Asia. Human-to-human transmission is not highly efficient, which significantly reduces the risk of international spread,” he explained.

Monitoring emerging and re-emerging viruses is part of an already consolidated national strategy led by internationally recognized institutions such as Fiocruz and the Butantan Institute, in coordination with Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS). These institutions maintain technical, scientific, and human resource capacities that are fundamental for surveillance, diagnosis, and response to potential public health emergencies.

In this context, the Orion project is presented as a strategic reinforcement of existing capacities, expanding national conditions for safe research on Risk Group 4 pathogens, specialist training, and the development of frontier scientific knowledge.

The meeting reinforced that the consolidation of Orion relies not only on its physical infrastructure but also on institutional coordination, in which Rede Vírus plays a central role by connecting science, public policy, and preparedness for health emergencies.