Research center will host BRICS Working Group meeting with scientific delegations from the five member countries
At CNPEM, research in the areas of health and biotechnology advances through the synergy between cutting-edge infrastructure open to the scientific community and multidisciplinary expertise in areas ranging from neuroscience to bioengineering, from pharmaceutical discovery to the study of complex diseases.
On Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15, Brazil will host the 6th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Biotechnology and Biomedicine, (Including Human Health and Neuroscience), one of the main forums for scientific cooperation between the countries that comprise this group. The meeting will be held at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, and will bring together representatives from ministries, research agencies, universities and centers of excellence in Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.
Organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) with technical and logistical support from CNPEM, this event will be entirely in-person and is part of Brazil’s official agenda as BRICS president in 2025. During the two days of activities, participants will review progress on joint activities, define future priorities and explore new possibilities for multilateral collaboration in strategic areas such as multi-center clinical trials, sharing of data and biological materials, bioethics and neuroethics, as well as technologies for addressing emerging diseases, innovations in advanced medicine and biotechnology applied to agriculture and food security.
“CNPEM is honored to serve as the host of the 6th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Biotechnology and Biomedicine (including Human Health and Neuroscience). This meeting is an effort of scientific diplomacy to encourage new collaborations and strengthen existing partnerships between member countries and guests. It also reaffirms the commitment by the BRICS scientific community to promote a healthier, fairer future through responsible research and innovation,” said Maria Augusta Arruda, Director of LNBio (the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory) at CNPEM.
The agenda includes sessions moderated by Brazil and Russia, the country that is serving as co-president of the group during the current cycle. Technical visits to CNPEM’s scientific facilities are also scheduled, and will include Sirius, one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron light sources, LNBio, the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), and the future home of Orion, Latin America’s first maximum biological containment facility and the first in the world integrated with a particle accelerator.
Created in 2016, the BRICS Working Group on Biotechnology and Biomedicine was founded to foster scientific partnerships to face shared challenges in the fields of health, innovation and sustainable development. Since its last meeting in Russia in 2024, the group has added activities on topics related to agricultural biotechnology, expanding its work in response to health and climatic crises.
The meeting is expected to strengthen cooperation between the member countries and contribute to the formulation of joint policies and projects with global impacts.
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).
