Category: Latin America

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Chile creates science ministry, ancient surgical techniques in Peru, and studying the DNA of the papaya.

ARGENTINA Researchers at the National University of Córdoba developed in rats a method for assessing the exposure of fetuses to moderate consumption of alcohol by their mothers. They found that the fetus familiarizes itself with flavors and odors in the amniotic fluid and that newborns recognize the smell of alcohol, even if the mothers have … Continue reading Chile creates science ministry, ancient surgical techniques in Peru, and studying the DNA of the papaya.

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Ethnobiological drug discovery in Latin America

In the 1530s, the French seafaring explorer Jacques Cartier noticed that indigenous slaves did not die from the debilitating disease that was spreading through the ranks of his sailors. Upon inquiry, Cartier learned from Dom Agaya, one of the Huron natives, that the use of decoctions from the ameda tree protected them against scurvy. This … Continue reading Ethnobiological drug discovery in Latin America

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Using satellites to find kidnapped people in Mexico, thirty-five species found in Ecuador since 2008, and Argentina beats out China in oilseed production.

MEXICO Students of Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute are hoping to facilitate the rescue of kidnapped or missing persons using a satellite navigation system. The system won first prize for Latin America in the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013. UNAM, the Juárez Hospital and the National Institute of Genomic Medicine are collecting indigenous genetic data for studies … Continue reading Using satellites to find kidnapped people in Mexico, thirty-five species found in Ecuador since 2008, and Argentina beats out China in oilseed production.

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New ‘Game of Thrones’ slug found in Brazil, the ‘sponge effect’ of Latin America’s tropical forests, and Peru’s scientific cruise sails for Antarctica.

BRAZIL Brazilian scientists have discovered a slug that lives on the northwest coast of the country which they dubbed Tritonia khaleesi in honor of the character from the renowned television series “Game of Thrones.” The slug can grow up to 12 mm long and has a white stripe along the body that resembles the braid … Continue reading New ‘Game of Thrones’ slug found in Brazil, the ‘sponge effect’ of Latin America’s tropical forests, and Peru’s scientific cruise sails for Antarctica.

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Paraguay’s capital still without a wastewater treatment plant, Mexico City’s warmer winters and Latin America’s smartest cities.

PARAGUAY The Paraguay river–which flows through and supplies water to four Latin American countries and is a major commercial waterway–is polluted by millions of liters of wastewater every hour, reports EFE. Paraguay’s capital alone spews 3.2 million liters of untreated residential and commercial sewage each hour, admits Osmar Sarubbi, president of Paraguay’s sanitation services company … Continue reading Paraguay’s capital still without a wastewater treatment plant, Mexico City’s warmer winters and Latin America’s smartest cities.

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Weekly digest: An in-depth look at Belo Monte dam, the threat of a fungus on Latin America’s bananas and exporting the Galapagos model to Chile.

BRAZIL In mid-2011, construction started on Brazil’s Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on a southeast tributary of the Amazon started and by early 2015 should supply 18 million people with its 11,200 MW capacity. Of course, that’s when the Xingu river is flowing at full strength. The average capacity will generate 4,500 MW. Folha de Sao … Continue reading Weekly digest: An in-depth look at Belo Monte dam, the threat of a fungus on Latin America’s bananas and exporting the Galapagos model to Chile.

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State-of-the-art soccer ball for the 2014 World Cup, a new variety of stevia in Peru, and combating dengue in Argentina.

ARGENTINA Researchers at the University of Buenos Aires are using applied mathematics to track mosquito populations and generate growth and development models in hopes of controlling the insects. The researchers hope to avoid the spread of the virus that causes dengue. The science magazine Ciencia Hoy turned 25 with its 135th edition. This bimonthly publication is … Continue reading State-of-the-art soccer ball for the 2014 World Cup, a new variety of stevia in Peru, and combating dengue in Argentina.

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New rodent found in Patagonia, algae help double eucalyptus production in Chile, and Nicaragua commits to science.

ARGENTINA Scientists in Patagonia have discovered a new species of rodent in the province of Chubut. The rodent belongs to the genus Tympanoctomys and it was dubbed T. kirchnerorum as a tribute to Nestor and Cristina Kirchner for “their efforts in promoting science.” A prehistoric common ‘latrine’ was found in La Rioja in northern Argentina where … Continue reading New rodent found in Patagonia, algae help double eucalyptus production in Chile, and Nicaragua commits to science.

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Fewer monarch butterflies in Mexico and important paleontological finds in Chile and Uruguay.

MEXICO There has been a reduction in the number of monarch butterflies migrating this year from the U.S. and Canada to Mexico and also a 10-day delay in their arrival to Michoacán. This is due to unusually wet weather and a reduction of the weed called “algodoncillo” where the species lays its eggs. Using corals … Continue reading Fewer monarch butterflies in Mexico and important paleontological finds in Chile and Uruguay.

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Why it’s worth saving the Amazon rainforest: A market-based solution

How investing in Ecuador’s Amazon could be a boon for the pharmaceutical industry while accelerating the country’s scientific and technological growth.   Imagine this: A country gushing with biodiversity delays oil exploitation in exchange for $3.6 billion from the international community. Ecuador had that idea with the Yasuni-ITT initiative, but it was halted this year … Continue reading Why it’s worth saving the Amazon rainforest: A market-based solution

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Peru’s disappearing glaciers, a state of emergency in Brazil due to a caterpillar, and Rio de Janeiro’s sewage problems.

BRAZIL Brazil has declared a state of emergency in Mato Grosso, its main crop growing state, due to an infestation from an invasive caterpillar in corn, soy and cotton crops. Last summer, the pests caused $4.7 billion in damage. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”via @LatAmSci”]Rio de Janeiro is having sewage problems at the site of its … Continue reading Peru’s disappearing glaciers, a state of emergency in Brazil due to a caterpillar, and Rio de Janeiro’s sewage problems.

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Studying leishmaniasis ‘on the cloud’ in Brazil, top Argentine scientists awarded, and the collapse of Venezuela’s healthcare system.

ARGENTINA Scientists from Rosario, Argentina are using scanning electron microscopy to detect gunpowder residue to help police fight crime. Rosario is one of Argentina’s major scientific and technological centers. The Argentine geologist Victor Ramos won the 2013 Mexican Science and Technology Prize for his studies on the formation of the Andes. The physicist Juan Martin … Continue reading Studying leishmaniasis ‘on the cloud’ in Brazil, top Argentine scientists awarded, and the collapse of Venezuela’s healthcare system.

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Argentinosaurus walks, 1.5 million-year-old Antarctic climate data, and scientists find the first poisonous crustaceans.

ANTARCTICA Certain regions of Antarctica could be storing climate data dating back to more than 1.5 million years, according to recently published Swiss and German scientists. Ice cores have small air bubbles and thus function as an “archive ” of the composition of the atmosphere of the time they were formed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1OP-fKcjHc ARGENTINA Scientists at INTA … Continue reading Argentinosaurus walks, 1.5 million-year-old Antarctic climate data, and scientists find the first poisonous crustaceans.