• In the context of a research work on isolated microorganisms in the Chilean Antarctica, the research team led by Dr Claudio Vásquez, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago, discovered that glutathione reductase is one of the enzymes able to reduce tellurite, a compound which is highly toxic to almost all microorganisms.

Tellurium, a chemical element with symbol Te and atomic number 52, seems to be non-toxic. However, when combined with other elements like oxygen, it produces tellurite, which is very harmful to living organisms.

A research team led by Dr Claudio Vásquez studied the mechanisms that bacteria use against high concentrations of toxic metals. The results of the study were published in the American Society for Microbiology’sjournal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, USA.

This study is part of the Regular Fondecyt Project N° 1130362 “Tellurite-resistant Antarctic bacteria: Unveiling new toxicant resistance mechanisms,” which also inquired into how oxygen is partially reduced with the concomitant generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells exposed to a toxicant. Organisms that depend on oxygen to breath live in an oxidative environment that affects their cells. Therefore, to prevent the cell’s structure and chemical composition from being damaged, they have an inner reductive environment,” he explains.

In the Antarctica

To collect the required samples, Dr Vásquez and Dr José Manuel Pérez of Universidad Andrés Bello, went to the Prat and Escudero Antarctic Bases; they visited Deception Island and Fildes Peninsula and travelled on the Almirante Óscar Viel ice-breaker of the Chilean Army.

“As the Antarctic laboratories are well equipped, we were able to process part of those samples. We wanted to isolate the Antarctic microorganisms resistant to the toxic salt tellurite that we had studied years ago at the university laboratory,” Dr Vásquez says. In the samples that they studied, they were able to isolate several tellurite-resistant bacteria.

Tellurite reduction

Dr Vásquez and his team were able to prove that glutathione reductase is responsible for reducing tellurite and, therefore, for the cell’s resistance to this toxicant.

“We purified proteins as of crude extracts of resistant bacteria and we found that a particular enzyme, glutathione reductase, was largely responsible for reducing the toxicant, as it changed it to its non-toxic metallic form,” he says.

“We tested these nanoparticles and we found that they have antibacterial properties, so they can be used to fight pathogenic bacteria that cause disease,” he adds.

It is worth to mention that the studies conducted by Dr Vásquez are eco-friendly, as he uses biosynthesis: He reduces metals by using proteins or cells and not chemical substances. In this way, it is possible to lower expenses and work at environment temperature, avoiding negative impacts on the ecosystem.

Dr Vásquez says that as tellurite is rare in the environment, it has been poorly studied and its properties are not well understood.

The research team is made up of the following members: Dr Benoit Pugin, Fabián Cornejo and Pablo Muñoz-Díaz (biochemists), Claudia Muñoz-Vilagrán, Joaquín Vargas-Pérez (biochemist) and Dr Felipe Arenas.

To read the full paper, search “Glutathione reductase-mediated synthesis of tellurium containing nanostructures exhibiting antibacterial properties” on the web.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The study “Application of nanotechnology to develop a new ethylene adsorber oriented to the production of packaging for climacteric fruits,” successfully concluded. The new mechanism will allow delaying the ripening process of Chilean horticultural products exported to countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Chile is a leading exporting country of horticultural products. As its most important buyer countries are in Europe, North America and Asia, shipping distances pose a challenge with regard to keeping the quality of these products.

In 2012, in order to contribute with a solution to this problem and because of Universidad de Santiago’s vocation to serve the country, the project “Application of nanotechnology to develop a new ethylene adsorber oriented to the production of packaging for climacteric fruits” was started, with the support of the Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development (Fondef, in Spanish).

Dr Francisco Rodríguez, professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology, the Packaging Laboratory (Laben, in Spanish) and at the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Cedenna, in Spanish) of Universidad de Santiago, has led the research team.

Ethylene gas control

After four years, the results confirmed the study’s hypothesis to use a packaging system that includes a mechanism to control ethylene gas and delay the ripening process. Ethylene gas controls plant growth and accelerates the maturation process.

“Our goal was to develop ethylene active films based on modified aluminum silicates and polyethylene in order to produce a material that can be used when shipping these products to distant markets,” the researcher said.

In the study, researchers used climacteric fruits like banana, plum and avocado. They had a positive response to the incorporation of an active plastic material based on zeolite, which structure was modified with some metals. “Modified zeolite showed an ethylene removal capacity five times higher than the capacity of non-modified zeolite,” Dr Rodríguez said.

Project closing seminar

The final results of the project led by Dr Rodríguez were presented at a seminar held in Hotel Plaza San Francisco. Representatives of some of the collaborating entities participated in the activity, like Maderas Bravo, Clariant and San Jorge Packaging

In this regard, Sergio Carrillo, Coordinator of the Department of Technology Management of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, said: “The focus now is on technology transfer, but for a long time, it was on research, and the market was out of the university scope. Fortunately, this has changed lately.”

For his part, Dr Rodríguez mentioned the possibility of continuing with this work so as to see the study results in the market, i.e, the use of the film in fruit exports. Up to now, the system works well, but it requires some adjustments to obtain a better product before going to market.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The research, led by Dr. Miguel Maldonado, professor at the Metallurgical Engineering Department, intends to optimize this process through new on-line air measurement equipment.

During the last couple of years, we have heard about a decline in copper production, and according to experts this is one of the reasons why the quality of the mineral has been reduced. One way to revert this situation is improving mining procedures, which is a priority for mining industry.

One of these processes is flotation, a method used to separate valuable minerals like copper from others. The process starts once the rock is ground and mixed with water to form a pulp. Some reagents that modify the mineral surface are added to this mixture. In this way, when bubbles of air are forced up through the pulp, they collide with particles and the ones containing copper, for example, go up to the surface making a froth rich in valuable mineral, ready to be removed.

This is the method studied by Dr. Miguel Maldonado, professor at the Metallurgical Engineering Department. “Although today improvements have been made to flotation process- by means of devices that measure the air flow forced into a flotation equipment or the use of cameras that continuously monitor de physical properties of the froth- we still do not have a full knowledge of how air dispersion in the bubbles affects the metallurgical performance of the process,” the researcher said.

This encouraged the academic to do a research project called “Estimating on-line air concentration in flotation systems,” funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Department (Dicyt) of Universidad de Santiago.

“We believe that this variable is important when determining the process performance, as it is related to the surface area available to collect the particles containing valuable mineral and, therefore, to the complete recovery of copper,” the researcher explained.

The researcher said that the project was born while he was doing his postdoctoral research in Canada, at McGill University, considered a pioneer institution in proposing ways of measuring this variable. At that time, while he was studying this technique, he found out a problem with the interpretation of Maxwell’s equation, which would lead to a measurement error.

For this reason, the academic decided to insist on seeking new techniques in order to solve the problem; this time, with a better knowledge of the system.

At the first stage of the research, essential aspects of the error made will be studied. For this purpose, experiments to get a better understanding of the Maxwell’s equation will be performed. McGill University will also take part in this research by sending a flotation column to support the study and by developing papers together about this topic.

At the second stage, new techniques will be explored to find a method that estimates the air concentration in real time, in order to control and optimize the process.

In the academic’s opinion, “the efficient recovery of valuable minerals like copper is very important, and this measurement method could provide significant information for optimizing the process. This will have all kinds of benefits, such as reducing the reagents added or reducing the water used. This fact is also important if we consider that in most mining operations the water resource is scarce.”

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Paula Zapata, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, developed a fungicidal plastic film that degrades in a maximum of three years. This innovative product seeks to solve a common problem in food industry: the contamination by microorganisms produced between the production stage and the acquisition of the product by consumers.

   

  Dr Paula Zapata, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago developed a double function package that seeks to solve a common problem in food industry: the contamination by microorganisms produced between the production stage and the acquisition of the product consumers. The project has been funded by the Fundación para la Innovación Agraria (FIA) and the Metropolitan Regional Government.

  According to the project’s principal investigator, in comparison to other existing products, this new packaging is a contribution, “first, for its fungicidal properties, and second, as it is made up of an eco-friendly polymer, it is environmentally sustainable.” 

  To develop this film, the research team sought non-toxic natural agents and nanoparticles in order to keep food innocuousness and human safety.

  Transfer to the market

  Dr Zapata explains that this technological development can be used in different types of industry, then she thinks that the product’s transfer to the market is very achievable. For this reason, on December 06^th, they presented the results of their work before several companies like Soprole, Multi Sport and Agrosuper, among others.

  “I expect the technological transfer process to be successful. The transfer involves different difficult stages, but with work and a good communication with the companies, and learning what they want and what they need, we will be able to achieve it,” she says.

  According to Juan Pablo Castro, Corporate Manager of the Flexible Packaging Division of Bo Packing, this project means a great contribution to the market, as they have been looking for a solution to the problems mentioned above for years.

  “I think the relation between the university and the companies is of great importance. I am a chemical engineer, so I feel involved in this research projects. Our doors are open to innovation, as it is the only way in which a country can develop 

  During the meeting, Osvaldo Quiroz, who is responsible for Networks and Outreach and Engagement at the Department of Technology Transfer of the Vice Presidency of Research, Development and Innovation, offered the company representatives the possibility of working in partnership with Universidad de Santiago.

  Undergraduate and graduate students at the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology participated in the project, which also had the collaboration of Dr Franco Rabagliati, professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences.

   

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• In order to develop more tolerable therapies, a research team at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile studies the use of biodegradable nanoparticles to increase the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) circulation time in the body to combat cancer.

In order to develop more tolerable therapies, a research team at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile studies the use of biodegradable nanoparticles to increase the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) circulation time in the body to combat cancer.

The study is led by Dr Patricia Díaz, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology and is being developed in the context of the 2016 Fondecyt Post Doc Project (3160837) "Uso de nanopartículas con circulación prolongada para la administración de ATP en tratamientos anticancerígenos." Dr Díaz and her team will test new nanotechnology-based applications to deliver cancer-fighting drugs into the body.

She explains that any drug delivered in the body for therapeutic purposes requires a circulation time to play its therapeutic role.

Some molecules, like ATP, are quickly degraded, so high constant drug doses are required to be therapeutically effective and this is not beneficial for patients.

“As drugs are encapsulated in nanoparticles, the enzymes that metabolize them cannot bind to them. This is why they are protected against degradation. Consequently, drugs’ half-life is increased, prolonging its therapeutic efficacy,” she explains. 

Improved treatments

The advantage of using ATP as a cancer-fighting drug is that it has minor side effects if compared to other drugs. But ATP degrades very quickly when it is recognized by the enzymes in the body. Therefore, different drug administration methods are required, like the use of nanoparticles with biodegradable and biocompatible properties.

“For this reason, we want to encapsulate ATP into biocompatible nanoparticles to increase its half-life. We will also use other strategies to make them invisible to the immune system, so that they can circulate longer. The idea is to prevent them from binding to the cell and to avoid extracellular release of ATP. In this way, we expect to have a higher amount of drug available in the body for a prolonged anti-cancer effect,” she explains.

According to Dr Díaz, the main objective of the study is to test the effectiveness of ATP-carrying nanoparticles in cancer treatment. “I expect to demonstrate that nanoparticle-encapsulated drugs increase their bioavailability when compared with conventional administration methods. Besides, we also expect to analyze the potential synergistic effect of administrating ATP in combination with other drugs frequently used in cancer treatment.”

“This synergistic effect could destroy a higher number of cancer cells, benefiting patients with advanced cancer,” she adds.

Another advantage of this type of treatment is that, as it allows a sustained release of drugs in time, patients could receive the treatment once a week or every two or more weeks, depending on the drug encapsulation capacity and its circulation time,” she concludes. 

Dr Juan Pablo García-Huidobro, researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, is also participating in the study, which is being conducted at the Pharmacology Laboratory.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• With a space of 2,755 m², the five-floored building will be home to the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Aquaculture Biotechnology Center and the Soft Matter Center. The cost of the building construction amounted to about CLP 5,000 million.

In a context in which Chile only invests 0.39 of its GDP in research, the President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, highlighted the importance of this new space that will contribute to research and development in the country.

“This is one of the state-of-the arts buildings in Chile with regard to university research and it is an incentive for new researchers to continue innovating in key areas for the development of Chile,” he said. He added that Universidad de Santiago de Chile is a leader in technology transfer.

Senator Guido Girardi, who heads the Challenges for the Future. Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of the Upper House, valued the work done by public universities.

“These universities take charge of basic sciences on their own. Particularly, Universidad de Santiago has had the wisdom to connect basic sciences to the problems of the country and to generate innovation to solve these problems,” he said.

A few months ago, Dr Girardi visited the Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Cedenna, in Spanish) where he met with professionals in this significant research field. After the opening ceremony he congratulated the university on the new facilities.

The centers

Representatives of the centers that will occupy the new facilities expressed their satisfaction with the architectural configuration of the building that facilitates research development.

Dr Francisco Melo, Head of the Soft Matter Center that gathers together scientists in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering, said that the new space will offer endless opportunities for a better science development and for positioning the university at an international level.

For her part, Dr Dora Altbir, Head of the Cedenna, said that the possibility of bringing together scientists from different fields will allow a more active collaboration than the one that the university has now.

Eugenio Spencer Ossa, Head of the Aquaculture Biotechnology Center (CBA, in Spanish) said that the new building will allow to further scientific research and contribute to improve domestic industrial production, like salmon farming.

Architecture

The Rector Eduardo Morales Santos Research Building, with a total surface of 2,755.15 m², is located in the central campus of the university. Its design is a geometric reinterpretation of the heritage buildings of the institution designed by the architects Héctor Valdés, Fernando Castillo Velasco, Carlos García Huidobro and Carlos Bresciani and built between 1957 and 1967. The building’s name is a tribute to the first democratically-elected university president after the dictatorship.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The project led by Dr Silvia Matiacevich, professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology of the Technological Faculty, seeks to renew food industry by developing a compound with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to prolong shelf life of dairy products. The project is funded through a Fondecyt Regular project 2016.

Nowadays, fresh, healthy and natural food consumption has increased, particularly, the intake of dairy products. According to the Chilean Bureau for Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA; in Spanish), in 2013 the intake per capita was 146.5 liter, a national record in the country. 

However, these products require additives for their preservation that are not always natural and that do not allow a balanced and healthy diet.

In this context, Dr Silvia Matiacevich, professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology of the Technological Faculty; Dr Rubén Bustos, professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering, and students at both units formed an interdisciplinary research team that will work on the study “Prolonged release of natural active compounds for improving shelf life of a dairy food matrix: Effect of structure obtained by different encapsulation process”. The project is funded by a Fondecyt Regular project (1160463) and it seeks to find a new active compound to preserve dairy products by means of nanotechnology. 

“We want to develop a new active ingredient with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties for dairy foods, in such a way that the compound has a prolonged release during storage, extending the product’s shelf life,” Dr Matiacevich says.

With this in mind, the researchers intend to study how the structure generated in this active ingredient- a powder developed through two different techniques- modifies its prolonged release in time in a real matrix,” she adds.

Food innovation and collaborative work

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of the structure obtained through “different encapsulation processes in prolonged release during storage of an encapsulated active agent,” in order to prolong the shelf life of a milk-based food matrix.

“By using encapsulation processes it is possible to obtain nanometric-sized particles, so the principles of nanotechnology are involved in this development,” favoring the compound prolonged release,” Dr Rubén Bustos, co-researcher of this study, says.

Food innovation research has increased worldwide. In Latin America, there are several research groups. For example, there are centers in Argentina, Colombia and Brazil, which professionals will collaborate in this project.

According to Dr Matiacevich, the main contribution of this study lies in that they will work directly with foods, so the study will not only provide basic knowledge but it will be applied to a real matrix.

For his part, Dr Bustos stresses the importance of their work with nanotechnology by saying: “At some point, microencapsulated ingredients were the greatest breakthrough, but now we will work with nanoencapsulated compounds, with much smaller and innovative structures.”

For the research team, the most important fact in relation to this project is that it involves the collaborative work of two departments of two different faculties of Universidad de Santiago de Chile. They also value the support of the Vice Presidency of Research, Development and Innovation, and the collaborative work with national and foreign universities. 

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Daniel Serafini and Dr Álvaro San Martín, both professors at the Department of Physics, have developed an innovative solution that allows to store energy as hydrogen. One of the advantages of this technology is that it is not intermittent as current non-conventional energy sources (NCES), like solar and wind energy. This project is a contribution of Universidad de Santiago de Chile to the energy industry.

An innovative technology to store energy as hydrogen is being developed by Dr Daniel Serafini and Dr Álvaro San Martín, both professors at the Department of Physics of Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

According to Dr Serafini, one of the advantages of this technology is that it is not intermittent as current non-conventional energy sources (NCES), like solar and wind energy.

Hydrogen is generated during off-peak periods via water electrolysis. Then, depending on the needs, electric power is generated using the hydrogen stored in an electrochemical device called fuel cell. This system is very efficient and is environmentally friendly, because hydrogen combustion only generates water vapour, free of greenhouse gases and particulate matter.

Storing energy as hydrogen is a better solution in comparison to lithium batteries. “We compete with lithium batteries and they are much more expensive and heavier and they have technological problems regarding their size, i.e., at equal size, they have a more reduced capacity,” Dr Serafini says.

According to the expert, with current battery technology, lithium reserves in the world “are enough to cover only 40% of the cars in the Unites States.”

It is also worth to mention that this solution is particularly attractive to settlements in remote areas that do not receive power supply from the interconnected grid system.

The researchers implemented a demonstration module at the Minera San Pedro mining camp, in Til Til (at the north of the Metropolitan Region), where the pilot project has been working since mid-2015.

The CLP150 million project has been funded by the Innova Chile program of the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CLP132 million) and Minera San Pedro.

Greater involvement of the private sector

For his part, Dr San Martín stresses that the project has been well received by the Government and that now, a greater involvement of the private sector is required. “In developed countries, different public and private programs to develop hydrogen technologies have been funded with millions of dollars for a long time,” he says.

State-run bodies in Chile have already recognized the importance of hydrogen in the future for a clean non-polluting public transport. Both researchers agree that this is an essential starting point. 

Target market

One of the benefits of implementing this type of technology in Chile is that we have enormous ENCS resources of all kinds (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and tidal power), but they are intermittent, so the use of hydrogen would be highly convenient. 

The researchers say that this project “is not targeted at large companies for now, but remote places, like small settlements or fishing villages away from interconnected grid systems, little mine sites and road construction zones, etc.”

They expect to fully implement the project by mid-2016. Although they acknowledge that it is necessary to make this technology more price competitive, they say that costs have significantly fallen in recent times due to the huge development of fuel cell vehicles.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Erick Saavedra Flores, researcher at the Department of Civil Works Engineering of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, is studying new mathematical techniques to computer simulate the performance of wood at extreme ranges of deformation, cracking and ductile processes and its possible progressive collapse.

Wooden structures in a seismic country like Chile require constant inspection to check on its resistance in case of critical events such as earthquakes.

Dr Erick Saavedra Flores, researcher at the Department of Civil Works Engineering of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, is studying new mathematical techniques to computer simulate the performance of wood at extreme ranges of deformation, cracking and ductile processes and, eventually, in a progressive collapse.

Dr Saavedra explains that failures in wooden structures are divided into two groups: brittle and ductile failures. Both will determine the time before wood collapses. “Usually, structures fail abruptly, without previous notice. This type of failure is classified as ‘brittle’. However, at a local level, close to metal joints or fittings, wood fails in a “ductile” manner, i.e., it fails gradually in time. This latter type of failure is very common in very high buildings made of wood,” he says.

With the resources provided by a Fondecyt Regular project, Dr Saavedra will present a new model based on a mathematical technique called “homogenization”, which seeks to detect cracking and irreversible deformation processes at different spatial scales.

Worldwide efforts

“Achieving this goal will be a big challenge, because we require to extend the existing theory to incorporate the damage factor, i.e., degradation, loss of material stiffness and cracks into the multi-scale mechanical response of the material. In the past few years, big efforts have been made worldwide; however, predicting the mechanical performance of materials in this context remains to be a problem without a solution that is fully accepted by the scientific community,” he says.

He explains that he intends to incorporate this new material model to the advanced analysis of large-scale structures, because the big challenge posed by this goal is to computer simulate the progressive collapse of structures during seismic events.

In this regard, modeling this problem is extremely difficult as it involves extreme deformation processes, the interaction of elements that fall during the collapse process and their consequent fragmentation.

The project also considers experimental testing to validate the numerical predictions obtained during the study. Running these tests will be possible with the acquisition of a vibrating table for the Department of Civil Works Engineering.

As a final result of this study, the researcher expects to have material advanced models able to capture extreme deformation processes that allow to calculate ductility measures.

“I believe that the major impact my project may have is in the area of design and construction of buildings and large-scale structures. In the case of wood, particularly, it is possible to promote the use of radiata pine to construct tall buildings if we have a more precise knowledge of its performance during failures or eventual structural collapse,” Dr Saavedra explains. 

The study will be conducted in the context of the Fondecyt Regular project 2016 (1160691), “Advanced Modelling of Ductility and Damage in Mass Timber Structures by Computational Homogenization.”

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• With the funding of a Fondecyt Postdoctoral Project 2016, Dr Baptiste Darbois, professor at the Faculty of Science of Universidad de Santiago, will be able to accurately determine how lizards move in granular soils in order to produce results that allow to create a robot able to move easily in different types of soil.

With the funding of a Fondecyt Postdoctoral Project 2016, Dr Baptiste Darbois, professor at the Faculty of Science of Universidad de Santiago, will be able to accurately determine how lizards move in granular soils in order to produce results that allow to create a robot able to move easily in different types of soil. This would mean a significant contribution to robotics.

Based on previous research that found that once lizards dive in the sand, they move by wriggling their bodies and not by using their legs, Dr Darbois will study the interaction between a vibrating elastic structure and the granular environment.

The Fondecyt Postdoctoral project (3160167) is called “Locomoción ondulatoria de nadadores suaves dentro de los medios granulares.”

Experimental challenge

The experimental challenge of the study is to control the movement of grains and the forces they undergo when lizards move. This would help to establish guidelines for developing robots able to adapt themselves to different environments. The way of moving of different animals has inspired engineers in this field.

“We expect the compression produced by lizards’ undulating movements in the desert’s sub-surface to help us to develop efficient robots by incorporating this mechanism,” Dr Darbois explained.

Likewise, professor Darbois intends to develop, in the long term, a robot based on the best features lizards show when moving in a granular environment.

“Through this project, we expect to define the optimal conditions: the dimensions, elasticity, frequency and amplitude of vibrations to move forward in waves through a granular environment,” the researcher said.

The relationship between lizards and the development of robots is not odd; on the contrary, it can benefit technological development and improve people´s quality of life. For example, it can be used in critical situations.

“With regard to its applications, developing robots able to efficiently move in granular environments could help to detect anti-personnel mines in the deserts and find people trapped under avalanches,” Dr Darbois concluded.

Translated by Marcela Contreras