• Dr Leonor Huerta, physics engineer, Master’s in Astronomy and professor at Universidad de Santiago, says that the discovery of a new solar system with Earth-like planets should promote the creation of more research centers and the generation of more resources to take advantage of the astronomical potential of our country.

Scientists at the NASA informed about the discovery of a new solar system with seven exoplanets similar to the Earth in size and temperature. The system, Trappist-1, is about 40 light years from Earth and it contains three planets that are likely to be habitable, as their weather conditions would allow liquid water, and maybe, life. The telescopes in La Silla and Paranal observatories, both located in the north of Chile, took part in the discovery. 

Dr Leonor Huerta, physics engineer, Master’s in Astronomy and professor at Universidad de Santiago, said: “We need more astronomy and research centers to incorporate all the human capital generated in Chile. We have facilities available at no charge, as large foreign conglomerates have built telescopes in Chile for the quality of its night sky in the north.”

“We need more Chilean scientists to work on this, not only astronomers. If we are going to search for life in the universe, we also need astrobiologists and geologists,” she explained.

“Observatories also require “Hydraulic engineers and computer scientists, for example, to take care of the infrastructure. This is a multidisciplinary field. To explore the universe and to study the evolution of life, we will need a very strong multidisciplinary collaboration,” she added.

“From a scientific point of view, this finding is very interesting because there are three planets which are likely to have water somewhere on their surface in its three states: solid, liquid and gas.”

With regard to the next stage after this finding, she said: “Clearly, the next step is to know if these planets have atmospheres. This will happen when the next exoplanet program mission of the NASA is carried out.”

Although she recognizes that it is very likely that there is other life in universe, there is not any empirical evidence. “For a scientist- astronomer or biologist- it is very difficult to affirm that the conditions of our solar system are unique,” she says.

Translated by Marcela Contreras 

• The study will last three years and it will develop computational tools to optimize the equipment and processes in which energy is transferred by fluids using numerical simulation.

• The conference organized by the Chilean Senate’s commission Desafíos del Futuro is the most important instance for science promotion in the southern hemisphere. During its opening ceremony, President Michelle Bachelet announced a bill to create the Ministry of Science and Technology

Between January 09^th and 14^th, the 6^th version of the Congress of the Future was held in Santiago. The activity is organized by the Chilean Senate’s commission Desafíos del Futuro (Challenges of the Future) and every year it gathers renowned scientists, researchers and humanists from different countries to study and discuss on the problems and challenges that society will have to face in the future.

The conference was held in partnership with the Chilean Academy of Sciences, the Chilean Government, universities and scientific and academic institutions of the country, in a context of collaboration in which sciences get closer to people and connected to daily life. The opening ceremony was held at the Salón de Honor in the National Congress building, in Santiago.

New Ministry of Science and Technology

In the opening ceremony, President Michelle Bachelet announced that the Government would send to the Congress the bill to create the Ministry of Science and Technology.

President Bachelet referred to the need of creating partnerships to strengthen the dialogues that seek to open up to people’s interests and concerns. “The future is a space of possibilities for the life of all of us. The future will be built by common will and action,” she said.

In his presentation during the ceremony, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile highlighted the University’s interest in science and technology. “The joint efforts of the State and its universities are essential to have these renowned researchers here, who can contribute with their ideas of what the future will bring us in the field of science and technology,” he said.

He added that the Congress of the future has consolidated its position,” as it has become more important every day, with more people involved and more people interested to participate; therefore, we expect to have soon a conference at a Latin American level.”

For his part, Juan Carlos Espinoza Ramírez, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of Universidad de Santiago, besides saying that this conference is the most important scientific event in Chile, said that it is very important for our university to be a protagonist in activities of this type.

The Congress of the Future concluded on January 14th and it included activities both in Santiago and in ten different regions of the country.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•  According to Dr Leonel Rojo, researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, the use of Aristotelia Chilensis allows to reverse the problems caused by the use of psychotropic drugs, like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Leonel Rojo, researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, found that people using antipsychotic drugs for 6 continuous months exponentially developed obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.

According to the Chilean National Institute of Public Health, clozapine and olanzapine have been the most commonly imported psychotropic drugs in Chile in the past ten years for their low cost and effectiveness for the treatment of psychosis or schizophrenia in adult patients and the treatment of attention deficit disorder, autism, Asperger syndrome and bipolar disorders in children.

However, the side effects that they produce alerted Dr Rojo, as he found that antidiabetic drugs did not help patients to overcome their problem. He started looking for solutions, and after testing a Chilean product in laboratory, in 2012 he found an answer: Maqui berry (Aristotelia Chilensis), a small tree that grows in the center and the south of Chile.

“Descubrimos en Estados Unidos, que uno de sus compuestos es fuertemente antidiabético, así que pensamos que el maqui puede prevenir la obesidad que es causada por antisicóticos y descubrimos que previene la acumulación de lípidos en las células en pacientes tratados con estos fármacos”, explica el experto en toxicología.

“In the USA, we found that one of the maqui components is a strong antidiabetic compound, so we thought that maqui could prevent the obesity caused by antipsychotic drugs. We found that it reduces lipid accumulation in the cells of patients who are treated with these drugs,” Dr Rojo explains.

Research team

Dr Rojo has an extensive scientific experience. His work has been recognized by the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists and the American Society of Pharmacognosy, after he discovered an anti-aging technology based on Pouteria Lucuma bioactive compounds.

The project has the collaboration of Dr Ilya Raskin, of Rutgers University, New Jersey (USA); a research team of Universidad de Chile, led by Dr Pablo Gaspar; and the Hadassah Academic College of Jerusalem.

The study is called “Evaluation of Anthocyanins from Maqui Berry in the Prevention of Clozapine-Induced Hepatic Lipid Accumulation, Activation of SREBP1c Target Genes and Obesity” and it is funded by a Fondecyt Initiation Project in the field of psychotropic drugs and metabolism.

Current situation and expectations

Currently, Dr Rojo and his collaborators continue working in the laboratory at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago. At this stage, they are trying to elucidate how the natural maqui components (called anthocyanins) prevent lipid accumulation and the metabolic problem associated to the use of antipsychotics.

The researcher expects to conclude his work by the end of 2017 with a continuity project that allows using the product in patients. Dr Rojo says that this project will benefit the country, because he thinks that the product would not be expensive; and it would also be good for national economy, because people who collect and sell maqui are eager to find new uses for it.

Today, the product is considered as a super fruit and it is mainly commercialized in the United States. Besides, there are already companies interested in the project and in getting involved in it.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Francisco Zamora, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the School of Medicine of Universidad de Santiago, emphatically rejects the possibility of a dengue or Zika outbreak in mainland Chile, as the disease-carrying mosquito (aedes aegypti) lives only in tropical areas. After confirming 10 cases of dengue in Easter Island, the Chilean Health Authorities have taken a number of actions to prevent a major outbreak, like the careful waste handling and an information campaign among people in that island.

After confirming 10 cases of dengue in Easter Island, the Chilean health authorities have taken a number of actions to prevent a major outbreak, like the careful waste handling and an information campaign among people in that island.

The dengue and Zika carrying mosquito requires tropical environments for its proliferation; therefore, its presence in mainland Chile and a large scale outbreak of these diseases, even if there are citizens who got the virus abroad, are not possible, because “the infection is only caused by the mosquito bite,” Dr Zamora stresses.

“The mountains of the Andes provide an exceptional natural barrier to the possible spread of the aedes aegypti,” he adds.

In spite of this, the specialist believes that we have to be cautious, considering some studies conducted on Zika virus and its harmful effects on pregnant women, as some have delivered babies with hydrocephalus. 

Although research results are not conclusive, Dr Zamora believes that recommendations given by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministries of Health of the countries at risk are in accordance with the WHO’s mandate on protecting people. 

Dr Zamora explains that the alarm on Zika virus in Brazil was caused by a study that relates babies born with hydrocephalus and women carrying the disease.

But he says that although the study results are not conclusive and the number of cases reported is not representative, “we have to be cautious and advise pregnant women not to travel to areas were this mosquito lives, even if there is not absolute certainty over its relation with hydrocephalus cases.”

Dengue fever

“Dengue fever is a disease caused by a virus borne by the aedes aegypti mosquito, the same vector in yellow fever, Zika fever and chikungunya,” Dr Zamora explains.

“This insect abounds in tropical areas and it has spread from north to south over Latin American countries like Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, among others, and also in Easter Island, in our country. The mosquito is usually found in very humid environments and its bite causes fever, muscle and joint pain, and skin lesions,” he adds.

Those are the initial symptoms, but the disease development will depend on the patient, he says.

“Dengue fever has subsequent effects like hemorrhagic fever that, together with a temperature, can result in low levels of platelets and plasma and the consequent bleeding that can cause the patient’s death,” he says.

“People with dengue usually do not require special treatment and recover from it,” he adds. 

The reason why health authorities are concerned is that, when infected by dengue, “people do not develop immunity to the virus, so, any subsequent disease can be severer and cause death,” he concludes.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

Photo: The aedes aegypti mosquito is vector in dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika y chikungunya.

• 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.

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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

·         The amount awarded will be supplemented by institutional funds, through the Vice Presidency of Research, Development and Innovation. This will allow the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology to renovate and acquire new equipment for the important research work that they develop.

Universidad de Santiago was awarded 571 million 528 thousand Chilean pesos in the IV Scientific and Technology Equipment Fund (Fondequip) Grant Contest. Fondequip is a program led by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Conicyt).

The funds will benefit different research projects.

Dr Raúl Cordero, professor at the Department of Physics of Universidad de Santiago is leading the project “Characterization of Clouds in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Southern Ocean” that seeks to better understand the interrelation between clouds and polar climate.

“Through interactions with short wave and long wave radiation, clouds significantly impact the energy balance, contributing to warming (or cooling) the Earth surface. The clouds are the biggest source of uncertainty in global climate models and affect the forecast of future climate scenarios,” the researcher said.

Therefore, in a context of climate change, “a better understanding of the clouds over the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula is urgent,” the researcher said.

Thanks to the funds awarded, Dr Cordero will be able to acquire a Micro Pulse LIDAR (MPL), a high- tech remote sensing laser system that provides constant and independent follow-up of clouds profiles and properties. The equipment will be assembled on Universidad de Santiago’s Research Platform (62º 12’ S; 58º 57’ W), on San Jorge Island, located in the Austral Ocean, to the north of the Antarctica Peninsula.

To guarantee the access and dissemination of the measurements and data generated by the new equipment, it will be connected to the NASA’s “Micro Pulse Lidar Network” (MPLNET).

Confocal microscope

The Faculty of Chemistry and Biology was also granted funds for two projects. One of them is led by Dr Claudio Acuña Castillo, head of the Department of Biology. According to the researcher, they seek to “renovate the confocal microscope to keep our competitiveness and increase the number of papers published by the areas of Biology and Biomedicine.”

The third initiative that received funding was the project for updating and acquiring new accessories for a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer that will strengthen different research areas in chemistry. Dr Juan Guerrero of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology is leading this project.

Impact of new equipment

According to Dr Raúl Cordero, “by means of the acquisition of cutting edge technology, this contest allows Chile to strengthen the scientific instrumentation of the Universidad de Santiago’s Antarctic Platform and contributes to training advanced human capital, at an undergraduate and graduate levels, with an specialization both in the polar atmosphere and climate change.”

For his part, Dr Acuña says that having this type of funds available allow us to have the leading-edge equipment required to generate competitive research.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

Universidad de Santiago was awarded 900 million Chilean pesos in the V version of the Contest Anillos Research Projects in Science and Technology. The contest was announced by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research.

Universidad de Santiago was awarded 900 million Chilean pesos for the execution of two projects in the context of the V version of the Contest Anillos Research project in Science and Technology 2014.

Thanks to the Associative Research Program (PIA, in Spanish), 17 projects will be funded nationwide, all of them top-class studies with international scope.

Dr Óscar Bustos Castillo, Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation, said that he was very pleased with the results, adding that “this type of project allows developing cutting-edge research that goes beyond our borders, and this is highly significant to contribute to our university’s internationalization.”

Dr Bustos highlighted that two of the projects that were awarded funding belong to consolidated research groups that, in the short term, could become research centers.

“These study projects will be executed over three years and will allow us to face issues of national interest and global challenges, restating the role we play as a state and public university,” he said.

The projects

One of the projects is led by Dr Maritza Páez and Dr María Victoria Encinas, researchers at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, and Dr Jenny Blamey, researcher at Fundación Biociencia, who will address the problems generated by the spontaneous and undesirable damage of materials, known as corrosion or biocorrosion. The name of the study is “Functionalized surfaces: protection against corrosion and biocorrosion.”

They have the goal of replacing the anti corrosion procedures that involve chemical compounds of high toxicity, like chromates, and provide effective and eco-friendly solutions.

Dr Francisco Melo (surface mechanics), Dr José Zagal (electrochemistry) and Dr Manuel Azocar (bioinorganic chemistry) will participate in the project.

Dr Marcela Urzúa (polymers) and Dr Marco Flores (surface physics), both researchers at Universidad de Chile, will take part in the project too, as well as Dr Jenny Blamey and Dr Freddy Boehmwald (microbiology), of Fundación Biociencia, and Dr Mamie Sancy (corrosion-electrochemistry), of the Chilean Air Force.

The second project is led by Dr Raúl Cordero, researcher at the Department of Physics. This is the second time that he leads an Anillo Project (the first time was in 2010). This time, he seeks to better understand the effects of black carbon at the Andean cryosphere. 

Black carbon or soot is a pollutant generated by the use of fossil fuels in the cities that is carried by the wind over the Andean snow, changing its reflectivity and its melting speed. 

According to Dr Cordero, the study “is mainly focused on measuring the content of black carbon in the snow on the west side of the Andes.” For this purpose, they will conduct campaigns to collect samples and analyze their carbon content across the country, from Putre to the Patagonia.

With this data, “we expect to generate a map that shows the black-carbon content in the Andean cryosphere, highlighting the areas of impact. This information will be useful to evaluate the effect of black carbon on glaciers melting,” the researcher explained.

The project is really important, because the country’s long-term sustainability depends on the availability of water resources coming from the Andean snows. However, just like many cold regions of the planet, the Andean cryosphere has doubled the global warming rate. “Although green-house gas emissions seem to be the main cause of this problem, black carbon may be playing a role too,” he added.

“Universidad de Santiago is a leader in interdisciplinary studies that address different aspects of sustainability, what largely explains the successful results of our applications. This project involves an interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, glaciologists and engineers of six renowned Chilean universities. Besides, ten international institutions will collaborate with the project, like the German Aerospace Center (DLR, in German) and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC),” Dr Cordero concluded.

Nationwide results

The other 15 projects that were awarded funds belong to the following universities: five to Universidad Católica de Chile; four to Universidad de Chile; two to Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and one to Universidad de La Frontera, one to Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, one to Universidad Andrés Bello and one to Universidad Autónoma de Chile.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•  Universidad de Santiago de Chile made a significant contribution to Expo Food Process 2015, a technical and business platform that brought together different productive sectors related to food industry, facilitating the access to new technologies and solutions in different production processes. 

Universidad de Santiago de Chile had an outstanding participation in Expo Food Process 2015, a technical and business platform that brought together different productive sectors related to food industry, facilitating the access to new technologies and solutions in different production processes.

The activity was held at Espacio Riesco, Santiago, between November 04^th and 06^th. Researchers at the Food Science and Technology Research Center (Cecta), the Department of Food Science and Technology, and the Department of Chemical Engineering of our university participated at the exhibition and led two specialized seminars. One of them was focused on biotechnological research and development for the food and beverages sector, and the other, on food packaging.

The university delegation was led by Dr Oscar Bustos Castillo, Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation. He told the attendees that Universidad de Santiago has strongly been related to the development of the country since its beginnings, what has led it to incorporate new lines of work.

“Today, our society is more aware of improving its quality of life by means of healthy food; therefore, the university considers the food sector a priority area,” he explained.

The scientific productivity in this field of research concentrates 10% of the total number of publications of the university and the 17% of the projects awarded funds from different sources.

Research with impact

Many researchers at Universidad de Santiago participated in the two seminars.

During the first day, Dr Laura Almendares gave the presentation “Generación de Productos Innovativos para la Empresa Alimentaria” (Generating innovative products for Food Industry) and Dr Julio Romero presented his work “Tecnología de membranas y solventes alternativos: ejemplos de transferencia y adaptación tecnológica” (Technology of membranes and alternative solvents: examples of technological adaptation and transfer).

Dr Claudio Martínez, Cecta’s director, presented his work “Mejoramiento del vino a través de la microbiología, una tecnología aplicable a otras bebidas fermentadas” (Improving wine production through microbiology: a technology that can be applied to other fermented drinks), and Raúl Ciudad, member of the I+D Committee of the Social- Business Development Council of Universidad de Santiago, gave the presentation “Desafíos I+D+i Universidad-Empresa” (University-Business I+D+i Challenges).

Gonzalo Jordán, Executive Chairman of CORFO’s Food Strategic Program gave the presentation “La Especialización Inteligente de la Industria Alimentaria: Nuevos Espacios de Competitividad” (Smart specialization in Food Industry: new spaces for competitiveness).

On Friday 06^th, Dr Abel Guarda Moraga gave his presentation “Envases de Alimentos. Requerimientos y Necesidad de desarrollo” (Food packaging. Requirements and need for development, and Dr María José Galotto, “Innovación en el área de envases de alimentos. La nanotecnología como herramienta para el desarrollo” (Innovation in food packaging. nanotechnology as a development tool).

For his part, Dr Francisco Rodríguez talked about “Envases para productos hortofrutícolas” (Packaging for fruit and vegetables) and Dr Julio Bruna, about “Envases y Biodegradabilidad: Realidades y Mitos” (Packaging and biodegradability: myths and facts). Finally, Dr Alejandra Torres closed the presentations with “Requerimientos de Innocuidad en envases plásticos para alimentos” (Innocuousness requirements for plastic food packaging).

Translated by Marcela Contreras

•  In the context of the second IDeA en Dos Etapas Contest of the Fondef Program of Conicyt, four projects of Universidad de Santiago with potential economical and social impact were awarded about US$800,000. 664 projects applied for the funding nationwide, but only 50 were selected.
• For Dr Luis Magne, Head of the Technology Transfer Department of Universidad de Santiago, “The projects that were awarded funds represent the efforts made by our university to develop applied research projects that respond to the main problems of the country.”
• Particularly, the funds will support the following projects: “Proyecto sensores Hall ultrasensibles para detecciones varias de la industria minera” (by Dr Dora Altbir); “Bases científicas-tecnológicas para generar una propuesta de regulación de envases plásticos reciclados post-consumo para su uso en contacto directo con alimentos” (by Dr María José Galotto); “Plataforma de apoyo a la gestión de emergencia y aplicaciones” (by Dr Mauricio Marín) y la “Investigación para la optimización de la producción de pellets hidrofóbicos de alta densidad energética a través de la carbonización hidrotérmica de diferentes mezclas de biomasa de relevancia nacional” (by Dr Luis Díaz).

Universidad de Santiago was awarded 551,662,728 Chilean pesos (about US$800,000) for the execution of four projects in the context of the second IDeA en Dos Etapas Contest of the Fondef (Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development) Program of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (Conicyt, in Spanish). These funds will contribute to scientific and technological research with potential economic and social impact.  

Khaled Awad, Director of the Fondef Program, highlights that in this second version, the IDeA en Dos Etapas Contest consolidates itself as a strong tool to support projects in different regions of the country.

“Fondef works to promote technological development based on scientific knowledge in all areas. This contest shows us this diversity and contributes to science and technology research work conducted all over the country,” he says.

For his part, Dr Luis Magne, Head of the Technology Transfer Department of Universidad de Santiago, says: “These results show, in the first place, the high competitiveness of local science.” “The projects that were awarded funds represent the efforts made by our university to develop applied research projects that respond to the main problems of the country,” he adds.

The funds awarded to the university will support four projects.

One of them is led by Dr Dora Altbir, who will develop ultra-sensitive HALL sensors for different detection works in mining industry.

Another project is led by Dr Mauricio Marín, who will develop a support platform for emergency managing and apps.

For her part, Dr María José Galotto leads a research group who will work on the scientific-technological bases to generate a proposal for regulating the use of post-consumer recycled plastic containers for direct food contact applications. 

Dr Luis Díaz will lead a study for optimizing the high-energy-density hydrophobic pellet production through hydrothermal carbonization of different biomass blends of national importance.

In this contest’s second call, 644 projects applied for the funds, almost 200 more than in the first version, but only 50 were selected nationwide. The projects are distributed in the following areas: Food (8), Fishing and Aquaculture (8), Energy (7), Manufacturing (6), Health (6), Social Sciences and Education (5), Mining Industry (3), Infrastructure (3), ICT (2) and Environment (1).

The selected projects will go into the Applied Science Phase, where I+D (Innovation and Development) projects are funded to validate proofs of concept, models or prototypes at small scale or under lab conditions.

Translated by Marcela Contreras