The faculty of the PPGBA plays an important role in social actions at the local and regional levels. Some actions of the Program also impact the economy at various levels, including nationally.
Recently, a product of the Program was registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply. This product is a serological diagnostic kit for Glanders. Through cooperation with a private company (Biovetech) and international partners such as laboratories from the World Organisation for Animal Health in France, this product has been refined and is now being used to track equids positive for glanders throughout the national territory, thus contributing to the control of this important zoonosis. Furthermore, it has generated an important public policy at the national level, as this product is included in the law that regulates the diagnosis of this disease in the country.
The researcher involved in this topic, Professor Rinaldo Mota, is also part of the collaboration network among national and international researchers in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply to advance strategic topics such as improving diagnostic methods and immunoprophylaxis for this disease. Recently, he has begun research work at UFRPE for the development of an immunogen (vaccine) for animal immunization, employing Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) technology. Additionally, a new serological technique will be standardized to discriminate between vaccinated animals and those with natural infection using Burkholderia mallei mutants.
In 2019, Professor Ana Lúcia Figueiredo Porto established a partnership with the Instituto de Pesquisa Agronômica (IPA), conducting research activities together with students from the PPGBA at this State Research Institution, in a project titled: Production and application of a biolarvicide by Bacillus thuringiensis BT370 for controlling the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in sweet corn.
In 2019, two PhD students from the Program conducted part of their experiments at the São Paulo State University in the area of immunology and mammary gland health in cattle, while another student was at the Federal University of Viçosa-MG, also working on a project in partnership with faculty from the School of Veterinary Medicine in the area of One Health, specifically concerning antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms and biofilm formers. In this sense, we already have an intense collaboration with faculty from the Experimental Epidemiology and Veterinary Clinical programs at USP. This partnership culminated in two theses in our Program with highly significant results regarding One Health. For the first time in the country, we identified the circulation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones in the agricultural environment in Latin America, employing cloning techniques and bacterial genome analysis. These results have a significant impact on both animal and human health and may also lead to public policies in the region.
A result of the partnership between the PPGBA and the Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine at the Federal University of Viçosa was the approval of CNPq Call No. 1/2019, supporting the training of doctors in strategic areas within the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. The project title is: The Role of the Veterinarian in Unified Health: Establishing Potential Routes of Antibiotic Resistance Transmission Between Animals and Humans and Controlling Zoonoses. This project foresees joint research actions with social impact in both Graduate Programs, specifically training five doctors from PPGBA to work in the area of Public Health. We believe that this action will have a strong social impact, especially on the collective health of Recife. The proposal is being worked on in two action plans: (1) verifying the relationship of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria causing infections in animal-derived foods, humans, and animals from samples collected from primary healthcare units in the SUS, covered under the Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Recife, and nearby businesses, and (2) establishing zoonosis control actions in primary healthcare units of the SUS, covered under the Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Recife. This project aims to raise awareness among the populations in the regions served by the Family Health Strategy about zoonoses, their importance in public health, and control measures, thus promoting animal and human well-being. Necessary data to support the development of awareness programs also included studying the profile of pet owners in the municipality and potential hoarders. Concurrently, clinical studies were conducted using molecular epidemiology tools to identify zoonotic agents, proposing measures to control urban zoonoses along with the Family Health Strategies (FHS) and Urban Health Strategies (UHS) within the Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Recife.
In 2020, a partnership was established with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte to implement a DINTER proposal to qualify the faculty of this institution. This project represents an important action in consolidating UFRN's policy, ensuring academic quality and administrative efficiency. It has full support from the management of the Macaíba Unit (UFRN), which spares no effort in strategically expanding technical, undergraduate, and graduate courses in line with national inducement policies and regional demands.
In 2020, a groundbreaking research project was approved in the country to investigate the risks of COVID-19 transmission between humans and domestic animals. Free tests, both swab and serological, will be conducted on dogs and cats belonging to owners positive for SARS-CoV-2 in five Brazilian capitals: Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Campo Grande, Recife, and São Paulo. In Recife, the study has the collaboration of the Laboratory of Epidemiology and is coordinated by Professor Daniel Brandespim. This longitudinal, exploratory, and multicenter study brings together various national and international teaching and research institutions and is funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Ministry of Health. The initiative is part of the International Nosaïs Project and is already in an advanced testing phase with dogs from the Amarante do Brasil institution, which funds the materials and trains the animals. The Secretary of Health of the municipality of Paudalho is also collaborating with the project, providing members of its health team to collect samples from users with respiratory syndrome. Following prior guidance to the patients, swabs are collected for PCR testing and identification of positive and negative cases. Simultaneously, sweat samples are collected using cotton balls in each armpit. One sample of cotton remains at UFRPE for identifying molecular biomarkers, while the other is sent to the Amarante Detection Dog Training Center. Based on samples from patients with positive or negative results, the dogs receive training for identification. In laboratories of the Departments of Morphology and Animal Physiology and Veterinary Medicine at UFRPE, researchers identify the biomarkers, that is, the molecules present in the reaction of the virus with human sweat, through gas chromatography and HPLC, in addition to sophisticated and precise technology being utilized in a similar study in France. According to the project coordinator in Pernambuco, Professor Anísio Soares, at a time when social isolation is being reduced, having dogs that can early identify people infected with the new coronavirus will protect environments with a large circulation of people. As soon as the properly trained dogs identify these individuals, they will be notified and directed to social isolation or treatment, thus preventing further waves of the disease. This work is similar to what happens at airports in detecting drugs and explosives, as well as diseases like malaria and cancer. With this solution, it will be possible to facilitate the screening of travelers carrying COVID-19 at border posts—ports, bus stations, and airports—and assist in the safe resumption of professional activities.
This research project is also connected to other social actions carried out in 2020 related to COVID-19, such as the extension project: Digital Media in Health Education in Response to COVID-19. The world has been receiving news about COVID-19 infection since December 2019, when the epidemic caused by the emerging virus SARS-CoV-2 was reported in Wuhan province, China, detected in November 2019. It was observed worldwide, especially where the disease first began, a mobilization of people to adopt animals and even greater attention to their pets. However, early in April, an article from a group in China brought concerning news regarding the possible infection of dogs and cats with the COVID-19 virus and considerations about its transmission to humans. New information emerges daily about research and discoveries regarding COVID-19, and the need for reliable news sources about prevention measures and disease transmission between humans and animals is necessary to minimize the deleterious effects that much of the misleading information can have on animal populations and public health. Therefore, this proposal aimed to create channels for reliable news and information within Virology and Animal Health for the population, both in our local community and nationally, considering the reach of social media. This project positively reached many people with important information that guided the population about the role of companion animals in the epidemiology of COVID-19 and minimized some deleterious effects of fake news circulating in the digital space that, especially during this period, has significant prominence.
The coordination of the Veterinary Medicine Area of CAPES has been fostering a network of solidarity among graduate programs in the country. In this sense, we are carrying out various actions, contributing to other graduate programs with lower grades, assisting in the consolidation of these programs, especially in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions. A classic example is the actions that the Infectious Diseases Laboratory frequently conducts with students from the Graduate Program at the Federal University of Alagoas to carry out practical classes and case discussions, in addition to providing the structure and supplies to conduct experiments in the area of Equine, Caprine, and Ovine Health. Additionally, during this quadrennium, we also received students from other programs in the country, such as the Federal University of Paraíba, the Federal University of Campina Grande, the Federal University of Piauí, the State University of Maranhão, the Federal University of Goiás, the Federal University of Viçosa, and the Federal University of Pará, among others, to develop part of their experiments.
The Infectious Diseases Laboratory also produces antigens for serological diagnosis of Neosporosis and Toxoplasmosis, resulting from a partnership with a Spanish group, and provides these antigens free of charge to students from other graduate programs in the country that have this demand. It also holds all the molecular diagnostic technology for paratuberculosis in ruminants and provides supplies or receives students for sample processing.
The PPGBA has been strongly involved in collaborating for the training of students in the graduate program in the area of Veterinary Medicine (grade 3) at the Viçosa campus, Alagoas, during this quadrennium. In 2018 and 2019, we received two students to develop their thesis experiments. We received students from the Federal University of Goiás and the Federal University of Paraíba, Patos campus, as well as students from the Federal University of Piauí and the Federal University of Campina Grande, Areia campus, to benefit from our program's laboratory infrastructure. We are effectively contributing to the nucleation of new research and teaching groups, especially in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions of the country. Faculty members of PPGBA are working on nucleating research involving undergraduate students from other universities, as well as with researchers working in laboratories located in State Reference Schools.
Undergraduate students from UFAL (Penedo unit) have been developing research activities in the Biotechnology laboratory at UFRPE in Garanhuns. Various research projects involving undergraduate students and conclusion work have already been developed through this partnership. PIBIC-EM students from PPGBA graduate Osmar Soares have been conducting part of the research at the Biotechnology laboratory of UFRPE in Garanhuns. These students are from the Azarias Salgado Reference School, which has four ongoing projects in partnership with UFRPE.
Professors Rafael Ramos and Gilcia Carvalho developed extension activities during this quadrennium in three different projects applied in the Agreste region of Pernambuco. We describe the following actions: Title: Sanitary education for the prophylaxis of zoonotic parasites in rural communities of São João, PE (Extension Project – BEXT 2017 Notice); Duration: 01/2017 to 01/2018. Objective: To assess the knowledge of residents of rural communities in São João, PE, about parasites with zoonotic potential and to educate them through sanitary education regarding the transmission risks and prophylaxis methods against zoonotic parasites. Summary: Parasitism in domestic animals is of great importance due to economic losses as well as the proximity of humans and animals. Among domestic animals, dogs can be sources of infection and pose risks to human health through the transmission of zoonotic parasites. Animals infected with zoonotic parasites, such as the helminths Ancylostoma spp., Toxocara spp., contaminate the soil through their feces, leading to human infection. In Brazil, the incidence of these helminths is high in several states. In Pernambuco, analyses in the municipality of São João allowed for the recording of zoonotic parasites in dog feces, exposing the human population to infection. A survey was conducted of residences that own dogs and schools in the communities of Freixeiras, Volta do Rio, and Taquari. The parasites Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma sp., Toxocara sp., Taenia sp., and Cystoisospora sp. were detected. The findings demonstrated the need to educate the population regarding the prophylaxis of zoonotic parasites. Target audience: 250 people were served during the execution of the extension project (resident population in the communities of Freixeiras, Volta do Rio, and Taquari, rural area of São João, PE = residents, students, teachers, and school staff). Title: Educational activities for raising awareness about zoonotic parasites in rural communities of São João, PE (Extension Project – BEXT 2018 Notice); Duration: 01/2018 to 12/2018. Objective: To expand awareness-raising efforts through educational activities for all residents of the communities of Freixeiras, Volta do Rio, and Taquari, Rural Area of São João-PE, about the risks of transmission of parasites with zoonotic potential, as well as to emphasize the importance of adopting prophylactic measures against intestinal parasites causing zoonoses. In the municipality of São João, PE, there is a high incidence of zoonotic parasites in dog feces, exposing the human population to infection. In 2017, children with cutaneous larva migrans were also detected in rural communities of São João. Awareness activities for residents were carried out in homes, schools, and health posts. The human population received information related to prevention against these parasites through playful educational activities. Target audience: 410 people were served (resident population in the communities of Freixeiras, Volta do Rio, and Taquari, students, teachers, and school staff). Title: Health education for raising awareness about cryptosporidiosis in urban and rural areas of Garanhuns, PE (Extension Project – BEXT 2019 Notice); Duration: 02/2019 to 12/2019. Objective: To raise awareness among the urban and rural population of Garanhuns, PE, about cryptosporidiosis, to clarify the risks, transmission, and prevention against Cryptosporidium spp., as well as to emphasize the importance of adopting preventive measures against the spread of the parasite. Educational/informative activities were developed to raise awareness in the school community, as well as among rural producers, to prevent cryptosporidiosis. Playful-educational materials were produced, such as folders, pamphlets, activities, educational games, and lectures. The project was developed in a state school and a municipal school. Investigative questionnaires were applied to the students, and lectures on the topic were conducted, as well as discussion circles with rural producers. The results showed that 100% of rural producers were unaware of the topic addressed and that 93.45% (157/168) of students did not know the disease. Thus, it is important to continue activities in schools as well as in other sectors. Target audience: 740 people were served during the execution of the extension project (students, teachers, school staff from urban and rural areas of Garanhuns, and rural producers from the municipality).
The faculty members, veterinarians in the program, participate in social actions in the Sertão of Pernambuco, which has a low Human Development Index. In these properties, undergraduate and graduate students learn about the main hygienic-sanitary management systems of livestock and the diseases that affect these herds. They discuss strategies for controlling and prophylaxis against diseases in the caatinga environment. Subsequently, they discuss with community leaders and breeders' associations the main transmission routes of diseases and their strategic control. This social program has already brought impactful results in the productive indicators of herds in the municipalities served in the state of Pernambuco.
Several social actions are carried out among students and faculty. Professor Leucio Câmara Alves conducts technical visits to rural properties to meet the demand for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases in the state of Pernambuco. Additionally, he provides continuing education to rural producers to clarify the best practices for herd management and control of economically important parasitic diseases. The professor also conducts outpatient and laboratory care for domestic animals and promotes models for preventing parasitic diseases in the state of Pernambuco. He works with students in the program on the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis in a specific outpatient clinic for these cases at the UFRPE Veterinary Hospital. He launched the Cão ρζλ (Cão Lazar) project, which can be accessed at: https://projeto-cao-rzl.webnode.com/, aimed at training veterinary medicine students and veterinarians in the safe diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.
Professor Rinaldo Aparecido Mota, along with undergraduate and graduate students, conducts seroepidemiological surveys of various bacterial zoonoses such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, glanders, among other infectious and non-zoonotic parasitic diseases in ruminants and equids on rural properties to meet diagnostic demands and promote control actions. He also strongly focuses on controlling mastitis in cattle, goats, sheep, and buffalo throughout the northeastern region, providing information on hygienic milk production and its derived products, including producing educational materials on various topics. Furthermore, he carries out continuing education for rural producers to provide information on disease transmission chains and disseminate prophylaxis and control actions for economically and socially significant transmissible diseases. He provides outpatient care for large and small animals, collects biological material, and performs laboratory diagnostics such as serology and the isolation and phenotypic identification of bacteria, viruses, and fungi to meet the demands of the Veterinary Hospital. He contributes to the guidance of residents in the field of veterinary medicine in laboratory diagnostics for infectious diseases and teaches courses for residents. Additionally, he performs laboratory care for large and small animals, collects biological material, and conducts laboratory diagnostics, including serology and the isolation and phenotypic identification of bacteria, viruses, and fungi to meet the demands of the Veterinary Hospital. He also undertakes intensive work on the diagnosis and control of the feline sporotrichosis epidemic in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, including health education projects in this area.
Professor Fabrício Bezerra de Sá has been responsible for ophthalmic care at the UFRPE Veterinary Hospital since 2000.
Professor Valdemiro Amaro is responsible for histopathological diagnostics in the Pathology Area of the DMV at the UFRPE Veterinary Hospital. He contributes to the hospital's routine, in addition to supporting students and other faculty members in research and extension projects.
Professor Fábio Mendonça also visits rural producers to collect epidemiological data and guide farmers on controlling deficiency diseases, metabolic diseases, and intoxications in ruminants.
Professor Mércia Barros is responsible for avian disease care at the Veterinary Hospital and introduces postgraduate students under her guidance to this clinical and laboratory diagnostic routine, along with undergraduate veterinary medicine students. Additionally, she conducts health monitoring of poultry farms in the state of Pernambuco.
Professor Elizabeth Sampaio de Medeiros conducts technical visits to slaughterhouses and food industries to guide food producers on good practices for food production and handling to reduce the risks of transmitting foodborne diseases. She approved a project under the Bext/2019 call from the Pro-Rectory of Extension and Culture at UFRPE entitled: "Socio-educational and sanitary actions: a public health proposal for the milk basin region of Pernambuco."
Social actions have been developed in conjunction with small rural producers neighboring the studied properties. Actions are being implemented in all research projects of our group to support the communities involved, aiming for the implementation of a feedback process between the University and Society. The social actions developed by the multidisciplinary team of the extension project have provided relevant information to the assisted producers, directly contributing to animal health, welfare, quality milk production, and the prevention of zoonoses, thus collaborating with local public health. Actions such as lectures and workshops on milk processing; Care for offspring; Hygienic management of milking; Sanitary management of herds, among other topics, along with the development and distribution of educational materials, were conducted throughout 2019 and the beginning of 2020.
A pamphlet addressing the topic "Zoonotic Tuberculosis" was also finalized and is the first of the "Veterinary Almanac in Comics." In October 2019, the 1st Food Day at UFRPE was held; this event featured participation from professors from UFRPE, UFPE, UPE, and other public and private institutions, discussing topics related to food quality and safety. The event partnered with private companies and attracted approximately 200 attendees. It involved collaboration from faculty and students, PIBIC, Extension, and Monitoring scholarship holders, as well as volunteer students.
Additionally, in 2019, the "Café no Campo" program was created through the participation of postgraduate and undergraduate students, where dialogue circles with milk producers from the Pernambuco Agreste were held, aiming for knowledge exchange and uniquely providing rural residents access to the socio-educational activities of the Program.
Students of the PPGBA also participated in 2019 in the 78th Northeastern Exhibition of Animals and Derivatives of Lamb Products with social actions alongside rural producers. They presented the visiting public with actions and results from research projects, emphasizing the veterinarian's role in public health. Visitors to the UFRPE/PPGBA booth had access to multidisciplinary educational/scientific materials for free, in addition to daily offerings of lectures and workshops during the 10-day event. The estimated public at the Park was approximately 300,000 people, and the UFRPE booth had more than 170,000 visitors throughout the exhibition. This event serves as a unique platform to present the actions developed in the Program to Pernambuco society, broadly disseminating the courses and their respective teaching, research, and extension actions.
It is important to highlight that several professors in the PPGBA also supervise students in the multidisciplinary residency and connect these activities with graduate students in a multidisciplinary learning environment.
Another notable social inclusion action carried out by two doctoral students from the Program is the project developed by PPGBA faculty and students: validation of sustainable milking management with goat milk producers, carried out with rural producers of dairy goats in the state of Paraíba. The project aims to validate a milking methodology that is an alternative to what is currently recommended by Brazilian legislation, with a focus on better water usage in the milking environment while ensuring proper hygiene of the teats and milk quality. It also seeks to spread this knowledge to milk producers in the city of Bananeiras and other regions of Paraíba.
Started in 2018 and continued in 2019, the extension project entitled: "The Animal Bioscience Graduate Program embracing the community" was launched. In this project, master's and doctoral students from the Program work with elementary and high school teachers from the communities surrounding UFRPE and also in the municipality of Garanhuns, in the interior of Pernambuco. The activities are focused on classes at the Animal Bioscience Program headquarters, where students receive information on basic microbiology, basic parasitology, basic zoonosis control, and some best practices for producing quality food. This first experience, carried out this year, was a great success, and new actions are already planned for the next year, with the expectation of participation from other schools in other municipalities in the state. This is a continuing project, and other actions were carried out in 2019. University extension actions, involving the production of educational materials for undergraduate students and rural producers, involving students from the Program, are being encouraged by the coordination for the creation of brochures addressing important topics such as zoonoses with economic and social impacts. Some have already been completed, and others are in the process of being developed.
Faculty and students from PPGBA also carried out social inclusion activities at the Basic Health Unit in the Community Health Agents Program in Garanhuns, PE. A presentation was given on the importance of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, the inherent risks, how transmission occurs, and finally, prevention. In this way, pregnant women were able to clarify their doubts and share their experiences on the topic, along with other health professionals present. In addition to the conversation, pamphlets explaining the disease were distributed to help reinforce the information and serve as a reference in case of further questions. At the end of the activity, we applied a questionnaire exclusively for the pregnant women to determine their knowledge about the disease and its consequences. On this occasion, through an investigative questionnaire for the pregnant women, when asked if they were aware of toxoplasmosis and the problems it can cause during pregnancy, 50% answered yes, they knew about toxoplasmosis and its risks during pregnancy, while 50% said they did not. When asked about the mode of infection of Toxoplasma gondii, 33.33% said they knew the main modes of infection, while 66.67% did not. Regarding prevention methods, 33.33% knew them, 50% did not, and 16.67% knew some prevention methods. 100% of the pregnant women responded that the discussion on toxoplasmosis was significant.
Other social impact projects in 2019 and 2020 at PPGBA, coordinated by Professor Ana Lucia Porto with the participation of doctoral students and PNPD fellows: Title: Extension Course on Protein Biochemistry from Aquatic Sources and Their Biotechnological Applications. Type/Description of Target Audience: Undergraduate students from the Fisheries Engineering Course at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (main campus and Serra Talhada) and open to other members of the academic community. Title: Biotechnological approaches to utilizing artisanal fishing waste through the promotion of laboratory and recreational activities in biochemistry, 880 hours, Call: BEXT 2019, Modality: Extension project. Type/Description of Target Audience: Undergraduate students from the Fisheries Engineering Course at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, artisanal fishermen, and their school-aged children from public schools in Recife, Olinda, and Paulista, Pernambuco. Title: Fishing and Reusing: extraction of collagenase from organic solid waste generated by the filleting process in the colony of artisanal fishermen of Janga, Paulista-PE, 62 hours, Modality: Extension project. Type/Description of Target Audience: Undergraduate students from the Fisheries Engineering course, 2nd semester, taking Biochemistry I. Title: I Symposium on Technology for the Recovery of Bioactive Products, 92 hours, Modality: Extension event. Other extension actions were carried out in 2020: Creation of an E-book on Applied Biochemistry Practices in Fisheries and Aquaculture; Collaborative Learning Actions in Science for Elementary Education and the creation of an E-book as a Pedagogical Tool; Biotechnological approaches to utilizing artisanal fishing waste through the promotion of laboratory and recreational activities in biochemistry; Metabolic Quiz: learning biochemistry and physiology in elementary school through question-and-answer games; Fishing and Reusing: extraction of collagenase from organic solid waste generated by the filleting process in the colony of artisanal fishermen of Janga, Paulista-PE); Extension Course on Protein Biochemistry from Aquatic Sources and Their Biotechnological Applications; Extension Course on Aquatic Organism Proteins and Their Physiological Applications; Organization of six remote events (I Webinar on Industrial Waste: Treatment and Sustainability; I Webinar on Biotechnology Applied to Fisheries and Aquaculture; Webinar on Proteins and Their Physiological Applications; Junior Webinar: Working with Bioprocesses in Elementary Schools of Recife’s Municipal Network; II Symposium on Technology and Recovery of Bioactive Products (II SIMTERBIO) and the I International Biotechnology Webinar; Biocontrol Seminar of IPA); The II SIMTERBIO & I INTERNATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY WEBINAR virtually brought together all partnerships. The event was held in December 2020.
With the participation of Prof. Lorenzo Pastrana, Dr. Miguel Cerqueira, Dr. Ana Isabel Bourbon, and Dr. Sara Oliveira from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal, the PPGBA faculty have carried out a large number of complementary activities outside the scope of PPGBA. These activities include participation in Advisory Committees in other UFRPE Graduate Programs and other Universities; advising undergraduate students on their final papers (Thesis and Mandatory Supervised Internships) and Veterinary Medicine residency at UFRPE; supervising undergraduate students from UFRPE courses in the Institutional Program and FACEPE Scientific Initiation Programs (PIBIC-PIC); supervising multidisciplinary residency students in Veterinary Medicine and extension students in projects approved by UFRPE’s Extension Pro-Rectory; and participating in editorial boards and acting as reviewers for national and international journals in the areas of Veterinary Medicine, Basic and Applied Sciences.
Additionally, among the permanent faculty of this Program, we have the Coordinator of the Technological Innovation Center NIT-UFRPE (Prof. Pabyton Cadena), who participated in 2017 in the working group that developed UFRPE's Intellectual Property Policy, resolution 034/2017 of CONSU, aimed at encouraging technological innovation. After the implementation of this policy, NIT-UFRPE increased its number of patent filings and software program registrations by more than 100%, reaching over 140 patent filings by the end of 2020. This professor also coordinated the Institutional Program for Initiation Scholarships in Technological Development and Innovation (PIBITI) until July 2020, with an average of 25 undergraduate fellows participating annually in innovation projects at UFRPE. In the last PIBITI call (2020-2021), R$106,000 in scholarships were approved by CNPq.
PPGBA recorded 13 new patent filings in 2017, 13 in 2018, 8 in 2019, and 19 in 2020, standing out among programs in the country in this category. The reduction in the number of filings in 2019 was due to changes in some rules that delayed several patent applications, but in 2020, the number of patents increased. Of the total patents filed at UFRPE, PPGBA accounted for 54.54% of the University's technical production during this period, with 53 patents filed. Additionally, of the 53 patents filed by PPGBA during the four-year period, 38 involved the participation of students or alumni, corresponding to over 70% with student involvement. The patent PI1104941-3 was granted in 2020, related to a nanotechnological product, and in October 2020, negotiations began for licensing with the pharmaceutical company Hebron. We also highlight patent BR102020004277-7 from 2020, which involves the development of a low-cost nanotechnological product applied to veterinary medicine and linked to a project approved by CNPq, UFRPE, and CAPES. The product was developed as part of a PGBA dissertation by Ester Quinova, a student from Mozambique enrolled in the ProAfri program (Program for the Training of Higher Education Teachers from African Countries), which assists in training human resources in peripheral countries. Therefore, this is related production. The development of this technology for tilapia farming is expected to help in the production of low-cost animal protein. This is a social patent that can contribute to reducing hunger in Africa. The student has already returned to her country to apply the knowledge gained in the PGBA. The patent also involved another student and a PGBA professor during its completion. We also highlight patent BR102020004629-2, which relates to a nanotechnological product that can be incorporated into feed additives in commercial fish feed to induce sexual reversal. It has direct application in aquaculture to obtain all-male monosex populations of tilapia. Additionally, the development of this product aims to reduce contamination for rural producers who handle the hormone directly and its disposal in the environment. In aquaculture, tilapia is the most cultivated fish species in Brazil, but the market does not yet offer such a product. This project was funded by CNPq, UFRPE, and CAPES, and after the patent filing, it was approved in the CATALISA-ICT call by SEBRAE, which aims to train and interact with companies for technology transfer. The patent is related to the master’s dissertation of Amanda Santos from PGBA and involved three more students and two PGBA professors. Finally, we highlight industrial design BR302018055774-3, granted in 2019 to a PGBA student (Tiago Bittencourt), which concerns an incubator for toxicological tests with fish. This equipment reduced by more than 10 times the cost that the Aquatic Animal Facility incurred with BOD maintenance and expanded the operational capacity of the Facility by at least five times.