CNPEM connects synchrotron power to local science

CNPEM will soon host the world’s first Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory directly connected to a synchrotron light source, a unique infrastructure that will accelerate both pathogen research and new drug development. Established 40 years ago to build Brazil’s first synchrotron, CNPEM has evolved into a multidisciplinary research hub spanning health, materials science and bio-renewables. “The evolution from bench to market is CNPEM’s collective responsibility, not any single person’s,” says Antonio José Roque da Silva, Director-General at CNPEM, adding that this integrated model is what “makes this institution genuinely powerful.” The center’s expanded role is further solidified as the first anchor hub of Brazil’s national health innovation program, Projeto Âncora, providing dedicated infrastructure for pharmaceutical companies and startups. This connection, initially proposed as a response to a query from Brazil’s Ministry of Science and Technology, will allow scientists to study infectious diseases with unprecedented detail at the atomic level, according to Antonio José Rodrigues da Silva, Director-General of CNPEM. The integration of these two facilities positions Brazil as a global leader in pathogen research, offering capabilities not currently available elsewhere. This transformation was driven by the success of designing, building, and operating Sirius, a fourth-generation synchrotron…