CNPEM takes part in the National Science and Technology Week (SNCT) with activities in Brasília and Campinas

Simultaneous science popularization events mark this edition of SNCT with the theme of oceans and climate change

From October 20th to 26th, CNPEM participated in the Brazilian National Science and Technology Week (SNCT), bringing to the city of Brasília an interactive exhibition about its outstanding projects, such as Orion, a laboratory complex for the study of pathogens, and other impactful scientific developments, following the Week’s proposed theme on oceans. Traditionally organized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), the SNCT also included local activities from its affiliated units, including visits to the CNPEM campus in Campinas.

With the theme “Planet Water: Ocean Culture to Face Climate Change in my Territory,” National Science and Technology Week invited the population to reflect on the relationship between the marine environment, climate change, and the country’s different territories. The opening ceremony, held on Monday evening, October 20th, was attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, and from Tuesday 21st on, an audience of more than 100,000 people was expected to visit the stands of the MCTI research units and other invited institutions.

From the sea to the molecule: a dive into CNPEM research

Visitors to SNCT Brasília were able to explore the CNPEM exhibition space, which demonstrated how the Center combines biotechnology, nanotechnology, and synchrotron light techniques to understand the functioning of materials and seek new technologies to protect Brazilian terrestrial and aquatic biomes.

Within the proposed theme, some research projects carried out with Sirius were listed to demonstrate its interdisciplinarity. Using techniques that employ high-brightness light, researchers and users of the Sirius stations have already been able to detect, for example, microplastics in the intestines of marine animals. In other lines of research, in turn, groups analyze rocks from different geological formations, using advanced tomography, with atomic resolution. An interactive model was present at the stand to demonstrate how Sirius works and enables these researches.

Through a “scientific fishing” activity, those who visited CNPEM in Brasília also had the opportunity to learn about the B.A.R.B.I.E. project, in which CNPEM researchers and Ilum students created a biological filter to capture microplastics. The project name is an acronym for Bioengineered Aquatic Pollutants Removal and Biosensing through Integrated Eco-filter. The B.A.R.B.I.E. project was also responsible for the first victory of a Brazilian team in the Latin America iGEM Design League, in 2023.

The emergence of new pandemics and epidemics also has a strong link with environmental imbalance. In the case of global warming, for example, rising temperatures can alter habitats, forcing species to migrate and change their behavior, which alters ecological relationships and can expose humans to new infectious agents. In this scenario, the Orion project is being developed at CNPEM to enable advanced research on pathogens, as an open facility available to the national and international scientific community. At the stand in Brasília, visitors found more information about Orion’s research lines and, in particular, saw a little about its building in an illustrative model.

Local SNCT

As part of the National Week activities, CNPEM also made local programming available on its campus, located in Campinas. The visits, which are usually held on Wednesdays, have been extended to the other days of this week of science celebration.

From Monday to Friday, October 20th to 24th, groups of students from Campinas and the surrounding region had the opportunity to visit the building that houses Sirius’ accelerators and research stations. The itinerary included a guided tour of the experimental hall of what is the largest scientific project ever built in Brazil, designed and developed by Brazilian professionals.

The groups were organized into up to 40 people, in two periods, morning and afternoon, following the duration of the traditional visiting program. Learn how to visit CNPEM on our Visit Program page.

About SNCT

The Brazilian National Science and Technology Week is the largest science popularization event in Brazil. Created in 2004, it reaches its 22nd edition in 2025, celebrating two decades of history in which it has already had more than one million participants throughout the country and one hundred thousand visitors per edition in Brasília. With in-person and digital events in all states, from October 20th to 26th, SNCT promotes democratic access to knowledge, stimulates scientific curiosity, and integrates schools, universities, research institutes, museums, companies, governments, and civil society.