Brazil to have advanced pathogen research laboratory
On Thursday (Jun. 4), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in the laying of the foundation stone for the Orion Project in Campinas, São Paulo state. This laboratory complex will conduct advanced research on disease-causing pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It will be the most advanced in Latin America and one of the most important in the world.
The event took place on the campus of the National Center for Energy and Materials Research, which also houses the Sirius Project, a 68,000-square-meter particle accelerator—the largest research infrastructure ever built in Brazil. The Sirius structure will be connected to Orion, a groundbreaking development in pathogen research, as the particle accelerator can reveal intricate details of atomic structures.
"I want to leave my grandchildren and great-grandchildren a world that is infinitely better, more humanistic, healthier, and more democratic than the one I inherited from my parents. I believe this should be at the forefront of our minds: what kind of world do we want?," said president Lula.
"Orion will enable our country to monitor, isolate, and research biological agents to develop diagnostic methods, vaccines, and treatments for diseases," explained Luciana Santos, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Orion is part of Brazil's New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). By June 2024, BRL 240 million had been allocated to the project, according to official information. An additional BRL 760 million is expected by 2026, bringing the total investment to over BRL 1 billion.
"All countries need to prepare for new pandemics, and Orion is part of PAC's initiative to prepare for future health emergencies," noted Minister of Health Nísia Trindade, who also participated in the event.
