Brazil launches advanced pathogen research laboratory Orion

In July, the Brazilian government laid the foundation stone for constructing Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced research into pathogens, which received special coverage from AgroPages. 

The infrastructure will be the first in Latin America with a biosafety level 4 (NB4) laboratory, providing unprecedented facilities for maximum biological containment. Orion will be a 20,000 m² structure scheduled for completion in 2026. The National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) will invest BRL1 billion in the Orion project. It will be one of the first in the world connected to a particle accelerator, Sirius.

It will also feature NB2 and NB3 spaces, laboratories for basic research, analytical techniques, and advanced skills for biological imaging, such as microscopies. The activities at Orion will promote the advancement of knowledge about pathogens and related diseases. Orion's research will be used to develop diagnostic methods, vaccines, and disease treatments. The idea is that synchrotron light can see the structure of pathogens in detail.

Gustavo Spadotti, General Manager of Embrapa Territorial, stated that the Orion and Sirius projects could lead agricultural research to make even more significant leaps forward. He envisioned the potential for scientific collaboration between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM).

″Within the various possible research fronts, agriculture will be one of the biggest beneficiaries. There is potential for partnership in studies to strengthen zoophytosanitary defense, promote new molecules, or work with soil remineralizers. All of this could boost agricultural research to levels not previously reached,″ Spadotti said.

Sirius phase 2

The FNDCT resources for phase 2 of Sirius include the construction of ten new research stations, in addition to the optimization of facilities. At Sirius, ten research stations have already been opened to the scientific community, and another four are in the final testing phase, thus concluding Phase 1 of the Project.

With phase 2, Sirius' service capacity will be expanded with new analysis techniques that will benefit society in various fields of knowledge, such as health, agriculture, environment, renewable energy, and sustainable materials, among other possibilities.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Luciana Santos attended the launch ceremony.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)