Funding announced in July 2015 by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) will enable WISB researchers to develop existing collaborations with the Biomass Systems and Synthetic Biology (BSSB) center in Brazil. The funding will facilitate research exchanges and workshops between the two Centres over the next 2 years. The project is one of 21 to receive funding under the FAPESP ‘Sao Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration’ funding call.