The most-used method for essential oil extraction is steam distillation due to its simplicity and low investment requirements. Due to the importance of this extractive method, technological updates represent an immense opportunity for improving this component of essential oil production. In order to evaluate how such updates have been applied to essential oil production, in this study, we conducted a technological prospection. A total of 490 patent documents were retrieved and indicators were evaluated, which included publication trends, main applicants and inventors of the prospected technologies, main depositing countries and potential markets for the inventions, and classification codes assigned to the patent documents. The results indicated that steam distillation is used by different sectors and that it is an important industrial process that has been growing in recent years. In terms of associated technological updates, we observed that only some patent documents referred to the application of technological updates, indicating that processes could still be investigated and incorporated into the technology. Thus, the advancement of studies to improve this process could contribute even more to its visible growth, increasing its application potential and process yield.

O₃ dissolved in water (or ozonized water) has been considered a potent antimicrobial agent, and this study aimed to test this through microbiological and in vitro assays. The stability of O₃ was accessed following modifications of the physicochemical parameters of water, such as the temperature and pH, with or without buffering. Three concentrations of O₃ (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 ppm) dissolved in water were tested against different microorganisms, and an analysis of the cytotoxic effects was also conducted using the human ear fibroblast cell line (Hfib). Under the physicochemical conditions of 4 °C and pH 5, O₃ remained the most stable and concentrated compared to pH 7 and water at 25 °C. Exposure to ozonized water resulted in high mortality rates for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. Scanning electron micrograph images indicate that the effects on osmotic stability due to cell wall lysis might be one of the killing mechanisms of ozonized water. The biocidal agent was biocompatible and presented no cytotoxic effect against Hfib cells. Therefore, due to its cytocompatibility and biocidal action, ozonized water can be considered a viable alternative for microbial control, being possible, for example, its use in disinfection processes.

To control infectious diseases such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (Covid-19) that caused the current pandemic, disinfection measures are essential. Among building measures, disinfection chambers can help to decrease the transmission rate through the sanitizing capacity of the disinfectant used, which can thereby clean surfaces or humans. Out of existing biocides, ozone is considered one of the safest for humans, but one of the most powerful oxidizers, making the substance a better alternative as the biocidal solution in disinfection chambers. Analyses were carried out by using all patented documents related to disinfection chambers that used ozone as a disinfectant. A Derwent Innovation Index (DII) database search was undertaken to find these patents. Patent prospecting resulted in 620 patent documents that were divided into 134 patent families. There was no technology related to protective barriers for individuals, and the majority of patents in the retrieved data aimed at sterilizing medical devices and surfaces. Given that the specific Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) code for ozone dissolved in liquid was used in the methodology search, but not included among the 10 most used codes in the patents, the use of ozonized water may be an innovative approach in the technology landscape of sterilization chambers.

Biopharmaceuticals are innovative solutions that have revolutionized the treatment of important chronic diseases and malignancies. The approval of biosimilar products has become a complex and balanced process, and there are versions of drugs with established biosimilarity that can offer a more accessible treatment option to patients. The objective of this work was to identify the advancement of these technologies by means of patent and article analysis based on technological and scientific prospection. In patent document recovery, Derwent Innovation Index (DWPI) and PatentInspiration databases were used. The research was based on the search of the selected terms in the title, summary, and claims of the documents through a search strategy containing IPC code and keywords. In articles recovery, the Web of Science tool was used in the search of scientific publications dated from the last 5 years. The search resulted in a total of 2295 individual patent documents and 467 families using DWPI database, 769 individual patents and 205 families using PatentInspiration, and 2602 articles using Web of Science database. Additionally, this work describes the number of organizations that contribute to this area, where they are, how much development they have undergone, and the inventors/authors involved. Based on the number of publications registered, there is an important prominence for scientific research in mAbs. In terms of innovation, it is expected that several therapeutic drugs are already under regulatory review, which will allow drugs to be approved over the next few years and will thus generate a continuous flow of new products based on immunotherapies, mAbs, and biosimilar drugs. These drugs have become essential weapons for the treatment of significant diseases, and the increasing trend in the number of related scientific and technological publications contributes to making these therapies available to the greatest number of people.

Background: Cancer is caused by mutations in oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressor activity. Despite the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to fight cancer, it is necessary to investigate new methods to enhance the action against this disease. In this scenario, liposome technology has emerged as a drug delivery system for cancer treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of liposome technology in the treatment of cancer through analysis of patent documents. Methods: We analyzed prospective documents in the Derwent Innovation Index database. Results: A total of 203 patent documents were related to the area of interest, published between 2000 and 2020, and the USA and Japan were shown as countries with the largest number of publications. Moreover, most of these publications came from companies, however, also with the representation of important universities, mainly the University of California. According to the International Patent Classification, the codes most applicable to the documents were in the areas of human necessities and chemistry. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the study and application of liposomes for the development of cancer treatment tended to grow, along with the number of related patents.

BSL‐3 laboratories are fundamental for the safe handling of infectious microorganisms that require high‐containment measures. Through a literature review, this work was aimed at highlighting the importance of these laboratories in supporting research and public health responses, especially during health emergencies. The review presents an overview of the global distribution of BSL‐3 facilities, the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on laboratory investments, and future perspectives on their role in national development. It was observed that the pandemic exposed limitations in laboratory capacity, leading many countries to operate in suboptimal environments, underscoring the need for strict biosafety standards and preparedness infrastructure. This review also identifies disparities in global BSL‐3 capacity—particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries—and examines the Brazilian context, where the absence of a unified regulatory framework hinders progress. By synthesizing international trends and Brazil’s recent initiatives, including the development of its first BSL‐4 laboratory, this work contributes to understanding the challenges and opportunities for strengthening biosafety infrastructure in support of equitable pandemic preparedness.