Mobilized around the fight against Covid-19, Unicamp researchers have been working in a special task force since March. The investigations range from biochemical aspects of the virus and its action on the human body, to the social and economic impacts of the ongoing crisis. To record these efforts and provide society with reliable information about the progress of the research, Unicamp's Dean of Extension and Culture (Proec) launched this Tuesday (5) series Extension 48 - Coronavirus. Through videos recorded by the researchers themselves or images captured in the laboratories by the Communication Directorate (DCom) team, the series will seek to show the process of building science, with its doubts and discoveries.
"It is important to highlight the speed and effort of more than a hundred teachers from different areas to directly contribute to facing this challenge", highlighted Fernando Hashimoto, vice-rector of Extension and Culture. In addition to Unicamp's pioneering role in suspending face-to-face classes, Hashimoto emphasized the readiness with which teachers and researchers voluntarily turned their work to the search for emergency solutions. "We see the importance of extension in establishing dialogue with the community, companies and governments to try to resolve problems", he pointed out.
According to the dean of research, Munir Skaf, the E seriesxtension 48 - Coronavirus has historical importance. "In the future we will want to look back and ask 'what did we do?'. And there is a lot being done. It is a unique effort, in so many directions, within the university", he highlighted. "The union of all segments of the university in an attempt to save lives and mitigate the population's problems is extremely gratifying. This lesson needs to be learned by us. Each one saw their role in this context and is doing their best", he added.
The first video features five research studies that are ongoing at the Biology Institute (IB) at Unicamp. From different perspectives, researchers seek to uncover the mechanisms of action of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in the human body. "Understanding how the virus enters the cell and how it uses cellular machinery to replicate is essential for us to find ways to inhibit the replication of the virus" explained Marcelo Mori, who also coordinates the Unicamp Task Force against Covid-19 (http://www.ftcovid19.unicamp.br).
TV Câmara de Campinas
A série Extension 48 - Coronavirus It also marks the consolidation of a partnership between Unicamp and TV Câmara de Campinas, which provides for the showing of videos made by DCom on the channel. "This partnership is the result of an effort made by DCom to take the content produced outside the University. This is our mission as communicators and as extension workers", highlighted Marilisa Rossilho, director of DCom.
For the president of the Campinas City Council, councilor Marcos Bernardelli, the transmission of content produced by Unicamp reinforces the role of the two institutions in serving the public. "We are public television. It is our duty to provide the population with safe information, especially in this time of crisis, and Unicamp is one of the best research centers in the country and in Latin America. Since we created the University Direct Program, we have opened up space to the best that is produced by the academy and we are very pleased to be able to showcase the production of the State University of Campinas in this program as well”, he stated.
The Legislative channel reaches the entire city of Campinas (400 thousand homes) in an open 39.3 digital signal, via channel 4 on the Net and 9 on Vivo Fibra, in addition to reproducing its content on the Chamber's official Facebook, on the streaming of the Legislative portal and on your YouTube page.
next episodes
The impacts on the economy, the circulation of fake news and advances in the search for pharmaceuticals are some of the topics that will be covered in the next episodes. Follow Unicamp Extension and Culture on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.
A série Extension 48 - Coronavirus It is part of the Extension 48 program, which since 2018 has been publicizing actions by Unicamp groups with society. Find out more about the extension practiced at Unicamp in our Youtube channel.
