One of the differentials of the CNPEM as a science and technology institution is its capacity to develop and operate large-scale research infrastructure that offers complex and unique techniques to carry out a wide range of scientific experiments. Today, the Center is involved in structural projects that include designing sophisticated research facilities as well as initiatives for scientific outreach and dissemination and to firmly establish the Ilum School of Science.
Projects for the future
Sirius
Sirius, Brazil’s synchrotron light source, is the largest and most complex scientific infrastructure constructed in Brazil. This large-scale set of equipment utilizes particle accelerators to produce a special type of light that is used to investigate the composition and structure of all types of matter.
Sirius was designed to produce the brightest synchrotron light out of all the devices in its energy range, and the scientific research conducted with the help of this light has applications in various knowledge areas. Sirius is an open facility that is available to the Brazilian and international scientific communities, allowing hundreds of academic and industrial studies to be conducted each year.
Through these studies, Sirius contributes to finding solutions to major scientific and technological challenges such as developing vaccines, medications, and treatments for diseases, new fertilizers, plant species that are more resistant and adaptable, new agricultural techniques, and renewable energy sources, among many other potential applications with economic and social impacts. Throughout its development, Sirius has proved to be a defining project for Brazil.
Ten beamlines are currently in operation, welcoming researchers from various regions of Brazil and the world. Several other beamlines are at different stages in the development, assembly and commissioning process and will soon be available to the scientific and industrial community.
Industrial Biotechnology Platform
The Industrial Biotechnology Platform will encompass integrated R&D infrastructure rooted in the instrumentation and the unique competencies at the CNPEM in order to expand the capacity of industrial biotechnology in Brazil, and will be accessible to the academic and industrial communities. This platform will promote the discovery, design, and engineering of enzymes and microorganisms and the development of processes at technology readiness levels 3 to 5, supported by technical, economic, and environmental assessments of the sustainability of the biotechnologies developed in the CNPEM’s programs.
The objective of this platform is to support the competitive domestic development of microorganisms and enzymes, essential inputs for transforming biomass and producing biotechnological products for application in industrial processes; this process takes advantage of the potential offered by Brazil’s microbial biodiversity, one of the richest in the world. The platform also is intended to reduce the technological risk involved in biotechnologies developed in Brazil, and to create a bridge between scientific advances and demands for innovation among companies in various sectors, such as biofuels and food and beverages.
The platform has two crucial elements for implantation: a high-throughput infrastructure for developing industrially relevant enzymes and microorganisms, and an infrastructure to scale up processes.
Visitor Center
The remarkable growth and expansion of CNPEM and its research activities have led to a significant increase in public interest in the Center’s activities. As part of this, CNPEM is developing a project for a future Visitor Center, whose main goal is to create an immersive and educational environment that will stimulate society’s curiosity and interest in knowledge and science. This space is designed to strengthen ties between the scientific community and society, inspire civil interest in science among all ages, and promote greater appreciation of the research carried out at CNPEM and in Brazil. In addition to the scientific agenda, this project should also promote cultural and artistic activities, as well as the exchange of actions of this nature with other institutions.
For the conceptual phase, the project relied on an international consultancy that analyzed the best references and practices of cultural and scientific institutions in Brazil and abroad, aiming to incorporate them into this initiative. Currently, the basic architectural project is being developed with a Brazilian firm to design the physical structure and external living spaces to provide visitors with a memorable experience.
The Visitor Center initiative is based on a participative model involving different audiences and should include innovative exhibition spaces, laboratories equipped for practical activities aimed at school groups, as well as an auditorium for events and spaces for training teachers and students. This project reaffirms CNPEM’s commitment to scientific dissemination and public engagement, seeking to establish the Visitors’ Center as a national benchmark in education and popularization of scientific culture.