Six Unicamp projects were covered by the “Rapid Implementation Supplements against COVID-19” notice, from the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp). O called from Fapesp, which is open until June 22nd, is intended for research aimed at combating the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus.
The projects approved so far, at Unicamp, are from researchers from the Institute of Biology (IB) and the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM). The financing amount is up to R$200 thousand reais, which must be invested within 24 months. The resources are used for inputs, equipment and other materials needed for research.
“This funding from Fapesp is essential for us to be able to carry out this type of research. Federal and state governments have funded scientific research for decades. This means that we have a structured, qualified scientific body ready to respond to problems such as Covid-19. Fapesp, which is powered by taxes paid by the population of São Paulo, is instrumental for science in São Paulo, offering quick financing opportunities in times of crisis. This is an excellent moment to be accountable to the population of São Paulo for the funding they give to science”, says IB professor Daniel Martins-de-Souza, who coordinates one of the approved projects.
The researcher highlights that the dedication of Task force of Unicamp in the fight against coronavirus was essential for the rapid submission of relevant proposals to Fapesp. “The mobilization of the task force, which is led by professor Marcelo Mori and includes a series of Unicamp units, made it possible for us to have competitive projects. This is due to the organization of the group, which has been working day and night, in a coordinated manner,” he says.
For Daniel, it is important to highlight that, although the projects are coordinated, all work is being carried out as a team. Postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows are joining the efforts, which aim to bring quick responses to the population in the fight against the pandemic.
Furthermore, it shows that the Unicamp Teaching, Research and Extension Support Foundation (Faepex) is also investing in projects related to the coronavirus. At the moment there is a edict open emergency, which will allocate up to R$3 million for research into combating Covid-19.
“We, scientists, are able to write scientific projects with relevant questions because we are a team ready for it, and this is largely due to funding”, observes the professor.
Unicamp projects
At IB, approved projects are coordinated by teachers Daniel Martins-de-Souza, José Luis Módena, Marcelo Mori, Marco Aurélio Ramirez Vinolo and Pedro Manoel Mendes de Moraes Vieira.
The project coordinated by professor Daniel Martins-de-Souza aims to better understand how the coronavirus interacts with brain cells. To date, little is known about the role of Sars-Cov-2 (coronavirus that causes the pandemic in humans) in the central nervous system. However, as one of the symptoms associated with the disease is the loss of smell, it is estimated that there is an invasion of the virus into nerve cells. Thus, the research aims to find proteins that can help understand the infection and that can also indicate therapeutics that can be used in medicines.
Professor José Luis Módena is responsible for the project that aims to evaluate the circulation and genetic diversity of Sars-Cov-2 in Campinas, in addition to searching for biomarkers that help in the rapid diagnosis of Covid-19 (a disease caused by the new coronavirus) and identifying new antivirals that act to combat the disease, through computational screening assays and antiviral activity tests in cell cultures in the laboratory. The research team is multidisciplinary, involving several Unicamp units.
The project on the relationship between aging and infection with the new coronavirus is coordinated by Professor Marcelo Mori. The research aims to elucidate how aging constitutes the main risk factor for Covid-19, providing possible solutions to the pandemic. The research path will involve identifying candidate proteins and pathways that can predict disease susceptibility. Furthermore, the study aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms through which aging contributes to infection by the new coronavirus. The evaluation of drugs already approved for human use also incorporates the project.
Professor Marco Aurélio Vinolo coordinates research on the impact of the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites on Sars-Cov-2 infection, based on previous studies that demonstrate that microorganisms present in the intestine, and substances excreted by them, can help protect against the virus.
Aiming to elucidate mechanisms related to infection by Sars-CoV-2, so that better treatments are available to the population, the project coordinated by professor Pedro Manoel Mendes de Moraes Vieira will map metabolic pathways that need to be activated in the immune response against Sars- CoV-2. Furthermore, it intends to study the risk factors that are associated with the most serious manifestations of the disease.
At FCM, professors Licio Velloso and Maria Luiza Moretti are responsible for coordinating the research that aims to test the effectiveness of two drugs already approved for human use in the treatment of acute and rapidly progressing inflammation, which has led to the death of some of those infected with the new coronavirus. The study will be carried out through a clinical trial with 180 patients admitted to the Hospital de Clínicas (HC) with pulmonary edema.
