• “Universidad de Santiago has all the potential to be number one in most areas (of research in the country),” Dr Pablo Zamora, Scientific Director of University of California Davis in Chile, says. The institution opened its centre in Santiago last April, thanks to the CORFO’s Program Attraction of International Centres of Excellence. He adds that his institution is interested in the possibilities of research and development in biology, chemistry and agricultural management, among others.

Dr Pablo Zamora, graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago and current Scientific Director of University of California Davis in Chile, proposes a research model based on demand. Last April, this institution established a research centre in Chile thanks to the CORFO’s Program Attraction of International Centres of Excellence.

On April 21^st, President Michelle Bachelet opened the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Centre in Santiago, Chile, a worldwide example in the development of research and solutions in agriculture, forestry and life sciences.

The founding academic partners are Universidad de Tarapacá, Universidad de Talca and Universidad Andrés Bello, while the corporate partners are Viña Concha y Toro and Viña San Pedro-Tarapacá. Currently, Universidad de Santiago de Chile is in the process of ratifying its incorporation to UC Davis Chile.

Dr Pablo Zamora, graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago and PhD in Biotechnology, leads the scientific area of this initiative and is in charge of facing this new challenge of doing science form a perspective that strengthens the links between the corporate and the academic worlds.

Interest

“We are interested in Universidad de Santiago for its research and development capabilities in biology, chemistry, agriculture and agriculture management in the Technological Faculty. Another big advantage is the capability that the University has in engineering issues,” Dr Zamora says.

Universidad de Santiago will be represented by Dr Alejandra Moenne, professor at the Department of Biology of the Faculty. She will be the technical counterpart in the Scientific Board of US Davis Chile. She will be in charge of leading research proposals and representing the University in the projects managed in partnership by both institutions.

“We see Universidad de Santiago in different roles. For example, in the area of applied research, with its laboratories and also in development issues,” he says.

“The UC Davis Chile research model is different, but not original. It is based on the demand. In Chile, this has not been well developed because companies have little capacity to generate research. There is also a sort of dissociation between the companies’ challenges and the research conducted by universities,” he explains.

UC Davis Chile focuses its work on four large areas: wine making, post harvest and climate change technologies and genetic improvement.

“In order to make sure that research projects will really have an impact on industry, we will meet with companies, learn about their problems and analyze the knowledge and services offered by UC Davis and its national academic partners to formulate projects to solve those problems. This seems quite obvious, but it usually does not occur,” he says, regarding the way in which UC Davis Chile works.

“Not all companies consider scientific research as a tool that can make them more productive. UC Davis has a large experience in collaborating and generating solutions for the production problems that companies have. This allows them to start seeing research as a means to enable increased competitiveness,” he adds.

Back in Chile and at the University

For this graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology and current member of the staff of the doctoral program in biotechnology, collaborating with the University is not only a matter of being fond of the University; he thinks that Universidad de Santiago “has all the potential to be number one in most areas (of research) in Chile.”

“Being back at the Faculty is very gratifying. Its progress is evident and, for this reason, I have full confidence that Universidad de Santiago can be number one at a national level,” he says.

Ministry of Science

With regards to President’s Bachelet announcement of the creation of a Ministry of Science, Dr Zamora says: “It is valuable, because, in some way, it makes science visible, but it does not guarantee the development of better science in Chile. As a scientist, I think it is valuable, but I believe that there should be a focal point and clear guidelines, and because we are a country with little resources, some strategic areas should be clustered together and strengthened,” he says.

“I think that the State should make an effort in involving and building links with the productive sector. In turn, the private sector should commit itself to allocate more resources for research and development. UC Davis in Chile will contribute to strengthen the relation science-industry, together with other institutions. Is this happening? Yes, it is. Are we on the right track? I believe we are. Is all this happening at the speed the country requires? I think it is not, but things don’t happen from one day to the next,” he concludes.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•  Dr Claudio Laurido, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago, is studying the reduction of chronic arthritis pain by using drugs administrated via extended-release nanoparticles. “Currently, very strong injectable drugs are required, like morphine, with several undesirable side effects. The purpose of using these nanoparticles is to administrate lower doses of drugs, hopefully, with less side effects,” the researcher said.

According to the Chilean Ministry of Health, 1% of the population suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, mostly women between 45 and 75 years old.

Dr Claudio Laurido, professor at the Department of Biology of Universidad de Santiago, seeks to use drug-loaded extended-release nanoparticles to inhibit arthritis pain, by injecting them into the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid. 

“Currently, very strong injectable drugs are required, like morphine, with several undesirable side effects. The purpose of using these nanoparticles is to administrate lower doses of drugs, hopefully, with less side effects for patients,” the researcher says.

The study "Manufactura de nanopartículas de liberación prolongada de fármacos, caracterización y ensayo en ratas monoartríticas" (Development of drug extended-release nanoparticles. Characterization and testing in monoarthritic rats), will last for three years and is funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Department (Dicyt, in Spanish) of Universidad de Santiago.

The researcher says that there is evidence that chronic pain can kill a person. If pain is not controlled, it can affect the immune function, stimulate tumor growth, and cause depression, increasing the risk of suicide in patients.

“Common drugs are not the solution, as they relieve acute pain, which may be strong, but then it is reduced until disappearing. Chronic pain persists in time,” he adds.

For this reason, this study is focused on analyzing the neurobiological bases of chronic pain and identifying the cells involved in the processes that start, develop and maintain chronic arthritis pain.

Contributing to neurobiology

Dr Alejandro Hernández, co-investigator in this study, suggests the possibility of modulating spinal pain mechanisms by suppressing the communication between the glial system and neurons with drugs. For this purpose, the study will develop nanoparticles loaded with drugs that improve the cerebral blood flow.  

In this study, nanoparticles will be made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, like lipids and other products used in the food and cosmetics industry.

“These nanoparticles are used for their ability to encapsulate and release drugs over time. A common pill does not have this ability and lasts for a maximum of 4-6 hours. In this case, only one dose is totally effective,” Dr Laurido explains.

With this study, the researcher expects to contribute to the field of neurobiology. Extended-release nanoparticles allow to place drugs close to the area where the pain is generated (spinal cord), using much lower doses, reducing the administration frequency, reducing or eliminating undesirable side effects and increasing drug effectiveness. It will be a great contribution to the study of pain.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The work of the CESS Oxford-U de Santiago was evaluated by the Newton-Picarte Fund as one of the best projects.

The funding allocated by this program of the British Government will allow the Center to continue its path to become a hub of experimental research in Social Sciences in Latin America. It will allow promoting the training of PhD students and professors in experimental research, particularly in experimental methods for the analysis of public policies.

The Newton-Picarte Fund program is a partnership between the Chilean’s National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Conicyt, in Spanish) and the British Government to support scientific research in Chile, particularly in joint research projects involving Chilean and British scientists, technology transfer and innovation, advanced human capital development for research and innovation, and the generation of  challenges that provide innovative solutions for the development of our country. 

Funding allocation

Raymond Duch, Director of the Center for Experimental Social Sciences Oxford-Universidad de Santiago, explains that the most important contribution of this fund is that it will allow providing training to policy makers in Chile.

“This training will help them to apply experimental methods to design more effective and efficient policies in different areas. First, we will focus on Education, but in the long term, we will include other important areas of Chilean politics,” he emphasizes. Besides, the fund awarded will finance a workshop with renowned social scientists worldwide.

“It will be a unique opportunity for students in Chile to meet with policy makers and analysts and discuss the current policies faced by the Chilean Government and also give ideas on how to make policies that meet their goals. For example, a way of improving job opportunities for Chilean youngsters who have problems to enter the labor market,” he says.

The Newton-Picarte Fund will allow the Center to offer its training programs, research and educational possibilities to a wide variety of Chilean academics, the Government and the private sector.

“The training courses that we have developed for our partners in the Chilean Government will be available for ministries, students and teachers as well as decision-makers in the private sector,” Director Duch concludes.

The funds were awarded after a highly competitive process in which the CESS Oxford-U de Santiago was among the best evaluated projects.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• A study by Dr. Mario Tello, researcher at this center, establishes a previously unknown relationship between an infectious salmon anemia (ISA) genome segment and its virulence.

The study by this researcher at the Aquaculture Biotechnology Center and the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago de Chile, could provide important insights about how to predict salmon mortality by the ISA virus, a disease that affects Chilean aquaculture since 2007.

The research "Analysis of the use of codon pairs in the HE gene of the ISA virus shows a correlation between HPR bias in codon pair use and mortality rates caused by the virus" was published in the June issue of the Virology Journal, a specialized international publication.

The journal provides details of the investigation conducted by the University Of Santiago de Chile’s scientist who was able to identify the role and the relationship of a segment of the ISA virus by using bioinformatics tools and the existing literature.

According to Dr.Tello, the results of this study are one of the first hypotheses to explain why a highly variable region of the virus, called HPR (High Polymorphism Region), would be associated with the observed virulence.

 "Our results suggest that there is a region of the virus affecting its transmission and its ability to cause the disease. “That is to say, our analyzes suggest that there is a direct relationship between the mortality caused by the virus and the efficiency of its translation", Dr. Tello says.

According to the researcher, "the strain of the virus found in Chile would be one of the most efficient in the translation, and this would be directly related to an increasing mortality," and explain one of the possible reasons for the high mortality reported in our country.

Although the in vitro results have not been confirmed yet, the research is already an important step in deciphering the ISA virus characteristics, and it could provide solutions to the salmon industry. "Perfectly, these solutions could aim at generating a virulence predictor based on the analysis of the HPR region, a predictor in which we are working," the scientist says.

• Dr. María José Galotto, director of Universidad de Santiago’s Packaging Laboratory, was appointed as the National Contact Point for Horizon 2020 Framework Program in the area of nanotechnology. Horizon 2020 is a European program that provides funding for research and innovation in different fields. “This is in recognition of the University’s positioning in the area of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, reached through CEDENNA,” the researcher said.

The National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Conicyt, in Spanish) informed that Dr. María José Galotto, director of Universidad de Santiago’s Packaging Laboratory (Laben, in Spanish) was appointed National Contact Point for the Horizon 2020 Framework Program in the area of “Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing.”

Dr. Galotto said that her appointment “is in recognition of the University’s positioning in the area of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, reached through the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA, in Spanish), where nanotechnology is being applied to different areas of knowledge. This appointment will consolidate this new line of research and this positioning.”

According to Dr. Galotto, it is also in recognition of the constant work that Laben has developed over time, which results have been reflected in several research projects, publications in ISI journals and patents. This, in turn, results in a very close relation with the food and agricultural industry and food packaging industry at a national and international level.

The Laben was invited to be part of the International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI). This membership, awarded by invitation only, is proof of the international recognition that our University has received.

Dr. Galotto’s appointment is also important because this area has a great future in the Food Science and Technology field; therefore, being able to get in contact with other research groups in Chile and abroad, will strengthen the links between the University’s academics and other researchers.

Among her new responsibilities, she will have to promote and foster the participation of nanotechnology research groups in the Horizon 2020 Framework Program, in which Chile will be entitled the same benefits that the European Union member states enjoy.

Regarding this, Dr. Galotto said that “up to date, we have had the first work meeting at Conicyt and we have scheduled others for the second semester, both here in Chile and in Europe.”

Nanotechnology

According to the researcher, “nanotechnology will integrate with food and agricultural industry as an option for developing food with better sensory and nutritional properties, better quality, and useful life, and greater safety.”

Dr. Galotto specified that our University is well ahead in this area, since the Laben has been working several years in applying nanotechnology to food packaging.

She added that researchers at Laben have led studies, in which nanotechnology has been applied, for example, to the development of packaging with anti-microbial activity to extend the life of food like salmon, or to reducing the level of compounds that accelerate the ripening of climacteric fruits like kiwi or avocado, among others.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Researchers at the Food Science and Technology Research Center of Universidad de Santiago de Chile (CECTA- USACH, its acronym in Spanish) will participate in a Fondef project that seeks to improve enzymes’ ability to produce lactose-free milk in cold conditions, increasing the efficacy of the dairy products industry. In partnership with members of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH, its acronym in Spanish), they will search for enzymes in different microorganisms from the Antarctica that would allow working at low temperatures. In Chile, 60% of the population suffers from lactose intolerance.

 

Lactose intolerance is a condition that affects millions of people all over the world. It is estimated that 30 to 50 million people in the United States suffer, to some degree, from this condition. An estimated 90% of the Asian population has the same problem, just like 60% of the Chilean population.

Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. The body needs an enzyme called lactase to break down lactose. Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine cannot produce enough lactase. This is the reason why lactose content in milk has to be reduced, so that people suffering from this condition are able to drink it.

The project expects to detect an enzyme that allows breaking down lactose at low temperatures and at a better level of efficiency than the one of the enzyme currently used in the industry. Researchers will search for this enzyme in different microorganisms (fungi, yeasts and bacteria) that have been already isolated and brought from the Antarctic continent.

Once the efficacy at low temperatures of this “Antarctic enzyme” is described and tested, the project will be able to move forward to obtain the resources required for creating the conditions to transfer this biotechnological product to the industry.

In this way, finding enzymes which are highly effective in reducing the lactose content of milk at low temperatures will not only allow to optimize some of the current production processes, but it will also open new possibilities for the design of lactose-content reducing processes in cold conditions and for the production of lactose-free foods.

The project called “Antarctic enzyme with highly effective β-galactosidase activity to reduce lactose content of milk at low temperatures” (ID14I10098) will last for two years and will be funded by Fondef and Universidad de Santiago. It will be led by Dr Renato Chávez Rosales (Director), professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, and Dr José Luis Palacios Pino (Alternate Director), researcher at Cecta-Usach.

The experts will work in partnership with members of the Chilean Antarctic Institute in the search for the enzyme in different microorganisms brought from the Antarctica.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Plastic containers have caused an out-of-proportion environmental crisis all over the world. In this regard, Dr Alejandra Torres, professor at the Food Science and Technology Research Center is developing new containers with lower environmental impact through the Fondecyt Initiation Project (11140404,) “En la impregnación supercrítica de compuestos naturales en biopolímeros utilizados como envases de alimentos.”

The purpose of the study led by Dr Alejandra Torres is to inquire about new elements to produce new containers with lower environmental impact, by enhancing their properties through a novel process that involves the incorporation of substances that reverse the microbiological damage. Dr Torres is a professor at the Food Science and Technology Research Center (Cecta, in Spanish) and is member of the solid research team of the Packaging Laboratory of Universidad de Santiago (Laben, in Spanish).

The study was funded by the Fondecyt Initiation Project (11140404), ‘En la impregnación supercrítica de compuestos naturales en biopolímeros utilizados como envases de alimentos’.

According to the expert, through this initiative they will try to improve the production of food containers in three different areas: environment, new properties and new attributes.

The project addresses three essential aspects of research and development of new food packaging: the use of vegetal antimicrobial active compounds, the process to incorporate theses substances into the plastic material, and the material used to produce containers.

Currently, most of the plastic packaging used for food is made from petroleum-based raw materials. This causes a huge environmental impact for the plastic waste build-up.

“In the project, we will work with a biodegradable plastic material called polylactic acid, which is derived from renewable resources, such as corn. However, this type of material has some disadvantages. For example, it is highly permeable to water vapour, reducing the shelf life of products and/or increasing the risk of food-transmitted diseases,” Dr Torres says.

Incorporation of natural substances

A second important aspect addressed in this project is the incorporation of natural substances into packaging. These compounds come from essential oil extracts based on herbs, like oregano and thyme. They have antioxidant and/or antimicrobial properties that could extend the shelf life of the packed product and could keep its quality.

There are several ways of incorporating these substances into plastic containers. “One of the most common processes in food industry is the extrusion process. However, it usually requires high temperatures, resulting in the loss of the properties of the substances in the natural compounds,” the researcher says.

For this reason, this project intends to use the supercritical impregnation process as incorporation method.

This method has long been used in the field of medicine and one of its main advantages is that it does not require high temperatures, preventing the thermal degradation of the natural substances and, consequently, the degradation of its activity.

Regarding the expectations for this study, Dr Torres says that the results that they have obtained up to know are very interesting and promising for the development of new food packaging using more eco friendly materials.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• At the “Variabilidad Hidrológica en la Determinación del Caudal Ecológico” seminar held at Universidad de Santiago, Dr Matías Peredo presented a new model that allows small hydroelectric power plants to have a constant flow of river water.

​

During the “Variabilidad Hidrológica en la Determinación del Caudal Ecológico” seminar held at Universidad de Santiago, Dr Matías Peredo, professor at the Department of Civil Engineering in Civil Works, presented a new model that allows small hydroelectric power plants to have a constant flow of river water.

The method simulates a physical habitat that includes fish and also leisure time activities, like sport fishing. The purpose of this model is to provide a way of measuring how much water these small power plants require to keep constantly operating, without damaging the ecosystem and independently of rain shortages.

Current Chilean regulations establish that there always should be a specific water flow limit to preserve river ecosystems. However, Dr Peredo says that, just like flora and fauna vary according to dry and rainy years, water flow should change to preserve that ecosystem.

“If more water runs, the volume of water should be higher; and if less water runs, then the volume should be lower. What should not happen is to always keep the minimum volume of water stated by the national regulations, as this not sustainable,” he says.

He adds that the purpose of the model developed is to allow the possibility of bringing more water to generate hydroelectric power by means of variations in the ecologic water volume, and at the same time, to protect the ecosystem. “This is the reason why this is a sustainable energy development.”

The study results could propose more diverse ways of hydroelectric power generation, promoting the incorporation of small power plants.

“The goal is not to rely only on large power plants, but also on small plants, as they could contribute to meet energy demands during dry seasons,” he explains.

The study allowed to conclude that rivers naturally change their flows, as they are flexible. This is why in dry years, water volume should be reduced: to have a delta of water that could be used by small power plants.

For his part, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile highlights the importance of this study and the support that our university “gives to this type of initiative, through which professors can strengthen their academic and scientific networks to build knowledge at the service of our country.”

He said that the seminar “allowed to reflect on how to transfer the results and new knowledge to environmental assessment agencies and the market through training activities, seminars, conferences and the development of written material, among others.”

In this project, Dr Peredo worked in partnership with the Environmental Assessment Service (Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental, SEA), that requested and validated this work, and the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO, in Spanish), that funded the project through a public goods for competitiveness contest.

The Department of Civil Engineering in Civil Works of this university, together with a multidisciplinary team of 25 professionals including hydrologists, geographers, biologists and experts in rural development and environmental engineers, worked at this project.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•     Physical Review Letters (PRL) will publish an article about this important development in the control of chemical reactions using quantum optics. In simple terms, Dr Herrera, researcher at Universidad de Santiago, explains that they proved that these reactions or electron transfers can be accelerated or reduced.

At the end of the month, the renowned American journal of Physics, Physical Review Letters (PRL) of the American Physical Society (APS), will publish an important discovery in this field made by Dr Felipe Herrera, professor at the Department of Physics of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, and Dr Francis C. Spano, professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA.

The article (“Cavity-controlled chemistry in molecular ensembles”) will highlight the development made by these researchers in the control of chemical reactions by means of quantum physics. In simple terms, Dr Herrera explains that they proved that these reactions or electron transfers can be accelerated or reduced.

Graphically, the model consists of an optical cavity surrounded by two mirrors that do not allow light to go through, “so the amount of energy is the minimum possible in an electromagnetic field. That is to say, there is cero or one unit of light energy, which is also called photon,” Dr Herrera explains.

Dr Herrera remembers that, at a first stage, they asked themselves about “the effects that the optical cavity could have on chemical reactions or electron transfers: if the cavity would accelerate them, suppress them or if nothing would happen at all.”

In this context, the researcher says that they finally “found a mechanism through which this quantum optical cavity can dramatically accelerate the reaction and electron transfer in molecules.”

The basics

With regards to this theoretical discovery, Dr Herrera explains the process: “First, there are two players: the electron that is going to be transferred and the vibration of the molecules that, in a way, affect how this electron is going to be transferred from one place to another. If there is too much vibration, the electron will be disturbed and the transfer will be inefficient.”

“When you add another factor, like the optical cavity, there is a third player: the photon, which will now interact with the electron inside the cavity,” he says.  

“We discovered that quantized light plays a game in which the electron becomes a photon and the photon turns again into an electron and vice versa. The game only occurs inside the cavity and it makes the electron to stop interacting with the vibration, eliminating or blocking vibrations,” he explains. 

With regard to what material inside the cavity accelerates or reduces the electron transfer, Dr Herrera says that they have tested organic materials or organic molecules, like the ones that form the human body. “This organic material could also be a protein, according to the experiments conducted by other researchers that have based their studies on our discovery,” he adds.

Physical Review Letters

The article about this development was first published in the online edition of Physical Review Letters and, at the end of June, it will be published in the print edition. Dr Herrera says this is a great honor for them, as this journal is the most prestigious one in the field of Physics.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

Providing basic knowledge about human cerebral cortex development at embryonic and early fetal stage is the goal of the research project led by Dr. Lorena Sulz, which will be conducted during the next three years.

According to reports, some psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, begin during embryonic development. Most of the studies on this topic have been conducted on animal samples, due to ethical restraints and limited access to human embryos. This is the reason why the field of human embryology related to neurology is an area which has not been thoroughly explored.

In this context, Dr. Lorena Sulz, academic of Universidad de Santiago’s School of Medicine, will carry out the study “Role of nitric oxide in human cerebral cortex morphogenesis”, which intends to gather critical information about the mechanisms involved in the development of nerve cells during the first weeks of pregnancy.

The study will be conducted during the next three years and is funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Department (Dicyt) of Universidad de Santiago. It is a unique study as it is the first time that this branch of embryology involves human samples, which were obtained from de Institution’s Embryo-Fetology collection.

The idea is to gather basic knowledge about this topic in order to explain if the presence of nitric oxide is also essential for producing new nerve cells in human cortex, as it has already been proved in animal samples and in neuronal regeneration processes, both in human beings and mice. “We want to know if this molecule is expressed in the cerebral cortex being developed and identify in what areas and at what stages it is present. In this way, we can infer approximately the process in which it is involved,” the academic explains.

The study will be carried out in two stages. The first one will completely focus on the morphological analysis of cells and embryos being used. This stage, which is under execution at this moment, will allow describing the human cerebral cortex development process. After identifying each phase, the second stage will allow identifying cells that produce nitric oxide and the process in which it would be involved.

The study will be conducted at the Embryology Unit of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidad de Santiago, led by Dr. Jaime Pereda, the project`s co-investigator, M.S. Carlos Godoy and Dr. Sulz. The three professionals, experts in their areas of research interest, complement each other’s work in a way that has helped to a good execution of their projects. “In general, the three of us work together because we use very similar techniques: only the molecule and the body organ of interest are different. We have adjusted to each other very well,” Dr. Sulz adds.

However, the expectations are long-term. The research seeks to establish some theoretical basis for human cerebral cortex development, in order to develop new studies on this topic. The results will be presented in different papers in specialized publications and in different congresses and conferences.

Finally, Dr. Lorena Sulz expects that during the research, they will be able to prove that nitric oxide takes part in human cerebral cortex development, just like it does in laboratory animals. “As it is basic science, it only provides a knowledge base. But if nitric oxide is known to be significant in cerebral cortex development, further care should be taken so as not to interrupt this process during the critical period, preventing potential malformations. This additional knowledge could be a contribution to prenatal care,” the researcher concludes.

Translated by Marcela Contreras