Researchers from Brazil and abroad working in biochemistry, redox biology, and photochemistry gathered for the joint congress organized by the Brazilian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SBBq), the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM), and the Inter-American Photochemical Society (IAPS). The meeting took place from May 16 to 19 in Águas de Lindóia.

Alicia Kowaltowski, president of the SBBq, said that holding the three meetings simultaneously represented “a boost of energy for Brazilian science.” According to her, the joint program expanded international participation and strengthened opportunities for scientific collaboration. “We tripled the number of international invited speakers. This elevates the level of science, scientific exchange, and collaboration opportunities, while brining enormous energy,” she said. Kowaltowski also highlighted the increased participation of Brazilian students and researchers. “We had more Brazilian students and more society members participating than in recent years,” she added.

For Francisco Laurindo, who coordinated the SfRBM program alongside Andres Trostchansky, the integration among the three societies expanded interactions across different fields and particularly strengthened smaller research communities. “The combination of the three societies was tremendously successful because each one enhanced the others,” he said. The strong engagement of participants in scientific activities, with “a lot of discussion and interaction” and large attendance at poster sessions, was another aspect emphasized by the researcher.

The program brought together researchers in conferences, symposia, courses, and poster sessions. According to the organizers, the congress hosted 1,120 participants, received 815 posters, and featured 130 speakers, including 64 from abroad and 66 from Brazil.

Among the speakers were young researchers from Redoxoma, who presented their work in different sessions of the meeting: André Lopes, Bianca Dempsey, Débora Santos Rocha, Júlia Souza, Isadora Medeiros, Livia Teixeira, Manuel Alejandro Lopes, Maria Soares, Mikaela Pinz, Sophia Cozzo, and Stella Jayme.

Maurício Baptista, chair of the IAPS congress, said that the meeting “exceeded expectations in every aspect, from the quality of the organization to the scientific lectures.” According to Baptista, international guests were impressed by the thematic diversity and scientific level of the event. The meeting featured 8 conference lectures and 33 symposia, as well as 6 courses that brought together 334 participants. Kowaltowski, Laurindo, and Baptista are members of the RIDC Redoxoma, the CEPIx Redoxoma, and the INCT Redox Med.

The opening and closing conferences were among the highlights of the congress. Mario T. Murakami, from the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), opened the program with the lecture Illuminating microbial ‘dark matter’: a novel class of metalloenzymes boosts biomass conversion.

The closing lecture was delivered by Chinese researcher Nieng Yan, from the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) and director of the Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, titled CryoSeek: a structure-first paradigm for discovery.

Posters and awards

For Alicia Kowaltowski, poster sessions remain “the heart of SBBq.” “It’s high energy, noisy, bustling, but it’s a group of students and young scientists passionately defending their science,” she said. “I love the SBBq poster session. I think it keeps me energized for the rest of the year.“

The congress presented 30 poster awards, in addition to other scientific distinctions. Researchers and students affiliated with Redoxoma were among the awardees and finalists.

Manuel Alejandro Herrera Lopez was one of the finalists for the Young Talent Award in Life Sciences, presented by the SBBq in partnership with Cytiva.

Recipients of the SfRBM Young Investigator Award included Amanda Pinheiro, Bianca Dempsey, Dimitri Peixoto Menezes, Júlia Martins Felipe de Souza, Rebeca Candia, and Tiphany de Bessa.

Livia Teixeira and Gabriele Verônica Gabriel received the SfRBM Travel Award.

Nayrob Pereira and Mariana Akemi Marques Yokoyama received the SBBq Best Poster Award.

Expo SBBq 2026

The event also included Expo SBBq 2026, a space dedicated to technical exhibitions and the presentation of new technologies, equipment, and solutions for scientific research. According to Alicia Kowaltowski, the exhibition helps connect researchers with companies developing tools and technologies used in laboratories. “It is a very important space to learn about what our partners are bringing to science,” she said.

At the closing ceremony, the Expo SBBq 2026 Destaque and Innovation Awards were also presented, which recognized initiatives and technologies showcased during the event.