BRICS scientists meet in Brazil to prioritise joint research in neuroscience and biotechnology

The sixth meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Biotechnology and Biomedicine, covering health and neurosciences, was held within the framework of Brazil's BRICS Presidency. It was attended by delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. This is reported by the official website of the Brazilian Government.

During the meeting, key topics discussed included multi-centre clinical trials, preparedness for new pandemics, mental and cognitive diseases, technologies against new pathogens, bioethics and neuroethics, agro-biotechnology and food security.

The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Brazil, Luciana Santos, sent a video greeting to the participants, emphasising that for Brazil, cooperation within the BRICS framework remains one of the most dynamic areas of international science diplomacy.

Finally, all countries present signed an official summary of the meeting, which will be sent to the Ministries of Science and Technology of the participating countries and presented at a high-level meeting with ministers from the region in the coming months. Among the main outcomes was the development of a group project on neuroscience, led by Russia.

Among the results of the discussion was the agreement on priority topics for the next BRICS STI Framework Programme competition, including neurotechnology, advanced medicine, combating emerging diseases and agro-biotechnology in the context of climate change.

Special attention was paid to proposals to create a digital platform for the exchange of scientific information between countries and the formation of a working group of regulatory authorities to harmonise ethical and regulatory standards in clinical trials.

The Biotechnology and Biomedicine Group was established in 2016 and since then has been actively promoting scientific projects between BRICS countries, fostering cutting-edge research and innovative solutions.