The Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) achieved one of the country’s strongest results in the 2025 Joint Research Projects Call launched by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), securing two of the eight projects selected nationally. Together with the Universidad Andrés Bello, UFRO became the sponsoring institution with the highest number of funded projects, reinforcing its leadership in internationally collaborative research.
Promoted by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the call supports research projects jointly undertaken by Chilean and Brazilian teams. Its objective is to strengthen scientific research, foster innovation and knowledge transfer, and promote collaboration between institutions in both countries in strategic areas of scientific and technological development.
Commenting on the outcome, Dr. Nicolás Saavedra Cuevas, Vice Rectorate for Research and Postgraduate Programs, said: “Securing two of the eight projects funded nationwide reflects the strength of the research carried out at the Universidad de La Frontera and our capacity to lead high-impact scientific initiatives in collaboration with international institutions. Being one of the sponsoring universities with the highest number of funded projects in this call reaffirms our commitment to research excellence, addressing global challenges and generating knowledge with both scientific and societal impact”.
Along the same lines, Dr. Teresa Balboa Castillo, Director of Research, stated: “This result also demonstrates the value of building long-term scientific collaborations. The Universidad de La Frontera has maintained sustained partnerships with Brazilian institutions and, in particular, with research teams supported by FAPESP. This has enabled the consolidation of research networks based on trust, complementary expertise and scientific excellence. Calls such as this strengthen those relationships while creating new opportunities for researcher mobility, advanced human capital development and the joint generation of knowledge”.
Photosynthesis and climate change: the contribution of Antarctic plants
One of the funded projects is led by Dr. León Bravo and aims to understand how the Antarctic vascular plants Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis regulate one of the key enzymes involved in photosynthesis: Rubisco, which is responsible for carbon dioxide (CO₂) fixation. The research will examine the different genetic variants of its small subunit to determine whether some variants improve carbon capture efficiency and how their expression changes in response to rising temperatures and increased atmospheric CO₂ associated with climate change.
The knowledge generated will deepen understanding of the mechanisms that enable these species to adapt to extreme environments while providing evidence with potential biotechnological applications. Among its possible impacts, the findings could contribute to the development of crops with more efficient photosynthesis and improved resilience under future climate scenarios. The project also includes validating these genetic variants in a model species, tobacco, to evaluate their effects on Rubisco function.
Dr. León Bravo noted that the award strengthens the collaborative work his team has developed with national and international institutions. “For me and our team at UFRO, this project undoubtedly represents an excellent opportunity for both national and international collaboration. We work closely with colleagues from the Universidad Autónoma and the Universidad de Concepción. Internationally, we collaborate not only with our Brazilian counterparts at the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ-USP), but also with colleagues from the INAGEA at the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Spain”.
He added: “This project also represents an important opportunity for advanced human capital development. For example, doctoral programmes with research areas in Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology will be potential beneficiaries, as the project will fund research undertaken by doctoral candidates. In addition, some students will be able to make use of funding to support international research mobility”.
Antarctic microorganisms with therapeutic potential
The second project will be led by Dr. Cledir Santos and will investigate terrestrial and marine microorganisms from Antarctica and the southernmost regions of Chile. The research will examine bacteria and fungi collected from soils, marine sediments and marine invertebrates in locations including King George Island, the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn, with the aim of identifying molecules with antiparasitic and antimicrobial activity.
Using a range of chemical, genetic and microbiological analytical techniques, the research team will isolate and characterise compounds capable of acting against Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease, as well as bacteria and fungi resistant to multiple drugs. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the Instituto Butantan and the Universidade Federal do ABC in Brazil and aims to generate new evidence supporting the development of potential therapeutic alternatives to infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The research team includes Dr. André Tempone, Dr. João Lago, Dr. Daniel Carvalho Pimenta, Dr. Jéssica Souza da Costa and D.r Marjorie Reyes Díaz.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Cledir Santos said: “This project provides an opportunity to strengthen scientific collaboration between Chile and Brazil by bringing together complementary expertise in microbiology, chemistry and the evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of naturally derived compounds. We hope that studying organisms adapted to extreme environments will enable the identification of compounds with antifungal and antiparasitic potential while also contributing to the training of students and researchers in an area of growing importance for both health and agriculture within the One Health framework”.
