{"id":60297,"date":"2025-04-23T09:34:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T12:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnpem.br\/sbmt-and-cnpem-strengthen-ties-in-search-of-new-ways-to-fight-tropical-diseases\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T14:37:22","slug":"sbmt-and-cnpem-strengthen-ties-in-search-of-new-ways-to-fight-tropical-diseases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnpem.br\/en\/sbmt-and-cnpem-strengthen-ties-in-search-of-new-ways-to-fight-tropical-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"SBMT and CNPEM strengthen ties in search of new ways to fight tropical diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Delegation from SBMT and researchers from FIOCRUZ visit Project Orion and highlight potential for partnerships to accelerate responses to public health emergencies<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Group comprised of SBMT directors and representatives from FIOCRUZ was received by CNPEM Director General Antonio Jos\u00e9 Roque da Silva, who presented details of Project Orion to the delegation. (Photo credit: Outreach\/CNPEM)\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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On March 26, a delegation comprised of directors of the <\/span>Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (SBMT) <\/span><\/b>and researchers from the <\/span>Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ)<\/span><\/b> toured the facilities at the <\/span>Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)<\/span><\/b> and the future site of <\/span>Project Orion<\/span><\/b>, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Orion will include Latin America’s first maximum biological containment (BSL-4) labs, the first in the world connected to a synchrotron light source, Sirius.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The group was able to get a closer look at CNPEM\u2019s scientific infrastructure and understand how the Center can contribute to effective responses to public health emergencies related to the tropical diseases that affect Brazil. These include annual outbreaks of dengue fever, which account for more than 2 million cases in epidemic years, and emerging threats such as the Oropouche virus, which has advanced in the Amazon region.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“SBMT’s visit to Orion is very significant, since this society brings together a large number of specialists in emerging and re-emerging diseases. It is important for these professionals to know about this new structure that will be available to Brazil\u2019s scientific community\u2014and where SBMT members should play an important role in the future,” said physician Maur\u00edcio Nogueira, a professor at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), advisor to CNPEM and consultant on the Orion laboratory complex.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Since its conception, the project has fostered dialogue among various stakeholders, strategic partners, and members of the academic community, addressing demands, core premises, and the experimental capabilities of Orion. The exchange of technical and scientific knowledge is one of its pillars,” adds Antonio Jos\u00e9 Roque da Silva, Director-General of CNPEM.<\/p>\n

During the meeting, SBMT president Dr. Ros\u00e1lia Torres stressed that the visit reinforces the importance of bringing basic science closer to the real demands of public health in Brazil. She emphasized CNPEM’s potential to accelerate the development of solutions for diseases that still lack effective treatments, and defined Orion as a future “technological accelerator for research ideas,” since the infrastructure at Orion (like the other CNPEM facilities) will be open to the domestic and international scientific communities, further expanding possibilities for its use.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Orion will provide countless opportunities to advance research, whether in diagnosis, treatment or vaccine development, as well as in the study of structures and ultrastructures. It opens up a vast spectrum of scientific investigation. I would say that Orion will be a real technological accelerator for research ideas. The fact that it is an open infrastructure is fundamental so researchers from all over the country can submit proposals, collaborate with the Orion team, explore possibilities and conduct their studies here. This will be essential for the advancement of science in Brazil,” added Torres.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Jos\u00e9 Paulo Gagliardi Leite, a researcher at the Comparative and Environmental Virology Laboratory at FIOCRUZ, noted that Orion will be an unrivaled structure capable of expanding Brazil\u2019s presence in the international arena. “This project represents a unique opportunity for the country to advance in significantly impactful scientific achievements. As researchers, we have a great responsibility: it is essential for us to be able to ask relevant scientific questions that lead to equally significant answers, with the potential to benefit not only science, but also the population of Brazil and the world,” he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During their visit, the delegation took part in a presentation led by CNPEM\u2019s Director General. They next visited Sirius, the Brazilian particle accelerator, the construction site where the Orion building is being built, the National Biosciences Laboratory (LNBio), and the training laboratory that houses the High-Level Biosafety (BSL-3) Lab Training and Qualification Program, which is an accurate replica of BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories. The program ended with a visit to the National Nanotechnology Laboratory (LNNano).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SBMT<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (SBMT)<\/a> is dedicated to researching and combating tropical and neglected diseases. It brings together a diverse group of researchers working in different knowledge areas such as medicine, veterinary medicine and biology. This diversity is essential to broaden the topics addressed by the organization and strengthen incentives for the research it promotes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n