Development and application of techniques focused on environmental traceability

• Grant number: 24/18384-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: April 23, 2025
• End date: June 06, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Tsai Siu Mui
• Grantee: Rafael Keiichi Nagashima
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In response to the increasing demands of the global market for certification of environmental quality at the origin of products as a means of adopting sustainable practices, along with the challenge faced by national authorities in tracking criminal evidence related to smuggling and/or illegal extraction of various raw materials, the INCT "Forensic Metrology and Traceability in Agro-Environmental Quality - MRFor," coordinated by Luiz A. Martinelli and Siu Mui Tsai (both from ABC), brings together researchers from the fields of isotopic ecology, microbial and molecular ecology, georeferencing, and spatial modeling. The aim is to conduct innovative and robust basic and applied research on significant issues of scientific traceability in support of the sustainability of modern agriculture and the environment. To disseminate knowledge and technology transfer to society, the PAPL-ABC encompasses the current scientific initiation internship plan, granted by FAPESP - ABC, to undergraduate student Rafael Keiichi Nagashima, enabling him to gain insights into and deepen his understanding of forensic analysis methodologies at CENA/USP. In the initial weeks, the student will have the opportunity to engage with the four subprojects proposed by the INCT and develop his expertise in two specific subprojects during the final weeks, relating to environmental sciences. (AU)