Bioeconomy theme of Brazil’s Science and Technology Week

The 16th National Science and Technology Week—Brazil’s biggest event for scientists who want to showcase their work—starts next Monday (21) with the theme Bioeconomy: Diversity and Wealth for Sustainable Development. According to the country’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications, the event, slated to end on 27, will include thousands of activities throughout Brazil.

This year’s installment of the event will discuss the potential for the sustainable use of biodiversity. “Promoting awareness in science and technology will expand the reach of public knowledge about natural resources and their preservation, and make the work of researchers and related institutions well known.”

In Brasília, an exhibit will bring together all agencies linked to the ministry to showcase scientific work conducted in Brazil through more than 180 exhibitors. Visitors will get a glimpse of the everyday lives of scientists, including reproduced experiments, the equipment of the Armed Forces for show, and radio and television studios. Rocket construction and robotics workshops are also among the attractions.

Project Sirius

Electron accelerator of Project Sirus, at the CNPEM campus – CNPEM

This week, Brazilian Science Minister Marcos Pontes said $43 million will be released for Project Sirius, involving an electron accelerator considered the biggest enterprise in Brazilian science. It is located in Campinas, São Paulo.

Some $310 million has been invested in the initiative in all, the minister reported. The first stage of the construction of the accelerator was inaugurated in November last year. Sirius is expected to be functional sometime by the end of next year. Pre-salt oil is among the topics covered by the project’s research.

The accelerators in the project generate synchroton light, which is extremely bright and capable of revealing the structures of organic and inorganic materials—like proteins, viruses, rocks, plants, and alloys—in high resolution.