2015 – 2017 REPORT 1 BIOTA/FAPESP PROGRAM STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR CARLOS ALFREDO JOLY – Plant Biology Department, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas/UNICAMP MEMBERS ANDRÉ VICTOR LUCCI FREITAS – Animal Biology Department, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas/UNICAMP LUCIANO MARTINS VERDADE – Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Functioning, Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture/CENA, University of São Paulo/USP MARIANA CABRAL DE OLIVEIRA – Botany Department, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo/USP ROBERTO GOMES DE SOUZA BERLINCK – Chemistry Institute of São Carlos, University of São Paulo VANDERLAN DA SILVA BOLZANI – Chemistry Institute of Araraquara, University of the State of São Paulo/UNESP 2 THE BIOTA/FAPESP PROGRAM: KNOWLEDGE TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES The science of biodiversity is widely recognized as a priority area for scientific research in developed countries and those in development, particularly in Brazil, home of around 20% of the world species. Therefore, it was vital to establish a coordinated research program in order to promote the advancement of scientific knowledge, education and training of highly qualified professionals, as well as the knowledge transfer to public institutions, aiming to improve mechanisms and policies for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of Brazilian biodiversity. Created in 1999 as a ten year program, the Biota-FAPESP program came to bridge this gap, including, in its scope, terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, ranging from bioprospection and DNA bar-coding to landscape ecology at human dimensions of biodiversity conservation, restoration and the sustainable use. FAPESP, São Paulo Research Foundation, is one of the main Brazilian agencies for promoting scientific research. This important Research Foundation has playing a seminal role in providing scientific funding to map and understand the biological diversity and ecosystem services. In 2009, FAPESP renewed for another 10 years the Biota program, aiming to prolong and enhance the rewards of a coordinated research investment, combining biodiversity research, personnel training, bioprospection and public-policy impact. The Biota program brings together hundreds of scientists and students in a Virtual Biodiversity Institute. Scientific knowledge produced by the program is already being used by the state government to improve environmental conservation and/or restoration of native biodiversity and ecosystem services. Also important for the productive sector are the discovery of new processes and the identification of new molecules of economic interest for use in pharmaceutical, cosmetics or food industries. The BIOprospecTA sub-program has been established in order to achieve such results, aggregating value and ensuring the sustainable use of native biological species from São Paulo State. A significant number of projects on bioprospection are currently underway in the 3 BIOprospecTA program and several products and processes, originnary from the São Paulo State biodiversity, are under development. In 2001, the program has launched an open-access electronic peer- reviewed journal, the Biota Neotropica (http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br), to report original research on biodiversity from the Neotropical region. Currently, the journal is internationally recognized as a seminal reference on biodiversity data and it is indexed by Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge, Directory of Open Access Journals and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) & Global Biodiversity Heritage Library/BHL. BIOTA/FAPESP in numbers 1999-2017 ■ 30 ongoing research projects ■ 275 research projects concluded ■ 2.2 thousand papers published in journals with an average impact factor of 2.024 ■ 27 books published ■ 350 undergraduate students trained ■ 358 MSc ■ 288 PhD ■ 129 PD ■ Total investment by FAPESP US$71,106,961.00 4 Figure 1 - The most common words in the title of research projects within the BIOTA/FAPESP Program. Table 1 – Number of students (Undergraduates, Master, PhD and Post Doc) trained within the BIOTA/FAPESP Program in the period 01/Aug/2011 to 31/Jul/2017 Scholarship Undergraduate MSc PhD Post Doc FAPESP 58 46 86 75 CAPES/CNPq 71 150 117 49 Without Scholarship 66 14 14 8 Others 4 11 7 8 TOTAL 199 221 224 140 5 MAIN ACTIVITIES IN 2015 Workshops FAPESP-SCOPE: Release of the SCOPE Volume 72 Bioenergy & Sustainability SCIELO - Global Biodiversity Heritage Library (gBHL) BIOTA/FAPESP Welcome to new projects Report on Bioenergy and Sustainability launched EU Sustainable Energy Week Report on Bioenergy and Sustainability launched Washington COP 21: Sustainability Science at FAPESP First Meeting of the BRAZILIAN PLATFORM ON BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES/BPBES International Symposium Recent Advances on the Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Metabolites Participation in National Events NATURATINS – Tocantins State Secretary of Environment International Symposium David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies/Harvard Organisms and Earth Traditional and indigenous knowledge contribution to biodiversity conservation Participation in International Events IPBES Stakeholder Days, Bonn, Germany 3rd Session of IPBES Plenary, Bonn, Germany IPBES Joint Task Forces Meeting Bonn, Germany IPBES Americas Regional Assessment 1st Author Meeting, Bogotá, Colombia 6 SGA Regional Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bogotá, Colombia 25 a 28/07/2015 IPBES Global Assessment Scoping Meeting, Bonn, Germany MAIN ACTIVITIES IN 2016 The BIOTA ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONTEXT This was a context for MSc and PhD students linked to Universities and Research Institutes from the State of São Paulo. They had to present economically viable projects using Brazilian biodiversity in a sustainable way. The objective was to stimulate biodiversity based entrepreneurship by young researchers. Pitching day, when the 5 finalist presented their proposal to a jury composed by 6 experts (3 from the Innovation Agencies of USP, UNESP and UNICAMP, 2 from successful entrepreneurs, 1 representing BIOTA’s BIOprosoecTA), was the final step to define the Winner with the Project Selecting native trees with high phytochemical for restoration projects in the State of São Paulo, from a group of students from UNESP Chemistry Institute at Araraquara. The second place was won by a project focused on the use of native plant chemicals to avoid cattle contamination with ticks, developed by students from USP Ribeirão Preto (that, by the way launched a startup to produce this anti tick in early 2017). See more details at: http://agencia.fapesp.br/biotafapesp_premia_modelos_empreendedores_de_negocio_sobre_bi odiversidade_brasileira/23956/ 7 Publication of a Special Issue of the Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, dedicated to BIOprospecTA, BIOTA’s bioprospection network. This issue brought 12 papers based in research projects developed within the program See more details at: http://jbcs.sbq.org.br/imagebank/pdf/00b-indice_28- 3.pdf Business Round Event Aiming to close the gap between research and industrial innovation the BIOTA Program organized a first Business Round Event with Natura, the well- known Brazilian cosmetic factory that uses biodiversity and indigenous and local knowledge. Natura’s staff selected some of the projects within the BIOprospecTA Portfolio to discuss the possibility of join developing some of the possible outputs. Workshops SCIELO - Global Biodiversity Heritage Library (gBHL) Series of 4 meetings to promote a better integration among projects within the Program Workshop Environmental legislation and governance: advances and setbacks, in partnership with the Academy of Science of the State of São Paulo & University of São Paulo Workshop Biota-FAPESP e Naturalis Biodiversity Center Foundation (Holanda), FAPESP, São Paulo http://agencia.fapesp.br/pesquisadores_brasileiros_e_holandeses_ discutem_parceria_no_estudo_da_biodiversidade/24413/ Participation in National Events 68th Annual Meeting of The Brazilian Society/SBPB, Porto Seguro/BA 3rd Marine biodiversity dimensions, University Federal ABC, 8 Participation in International Events IPBES Stakeholder Days, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4th Session of IPBES Plenary, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia IPBES Capacity Building Task Force meeting, Budapest, Hungary 36th IAI Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, Palisades, USA IPBES 2nd Capacity Building Forum Meeting, New York, USA MAIN ACTIVITIES IN 2017 Workshops Launching of the 2 first assessments of IPBES – Pollination and food production & Scenarios of Biodiversity Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: interface between science and police makers Workshop Biodiversity and Biobank 2º Workshop Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Natural Products Workshop Research applied to native fauna management Participation in National Events Pint of Science Brazil, Campinas/SP 69th Annual Meeting of The Brazilian Society/SBPB, Belo Horizonte/BH Brazil – France Biodiversity Symposium, organized by the Brazilian Academy of Science, Rio de Janeiro/RJ UNESCO meeting of Creative Cities – biodiversity and gastronomy, Belem/PA 9 Participation in International Events IPBES Stakeholder Days, Bonn, Germany 5th Session of IPBES Plenary, Bonn, Germany IPBES Capacity Building Task Force meeting, Trondheim, Norway IPBES Regional dialogue meetings of National Focal Points and assessment experts, Cartagena, Colombia IPBES Americas Assessment third authors meeting, Cartagena,