The new center of the Faculty of Engineering and Science has been presented during an international seminar.

The recent work in research, training of human capital and community outreach that has been developed at the Mycorrhizae Laboratory of the Department of Chemical Sciences and Natural Resources at the Universidad de La Frontera led to the installation of a new space for science and technology: the Research Center for Micorrhizae and Agro-environmental Sustainability (CIMYSA).

It is put together by a multidisciplinary group of experts with acknowledged experience in soil microbiology, waste management, healthy food and mining technology, among others, and an outstanding participation in national and international projects, combined with a high scientific productivity. This way, CIMYSA aims at contributing to the knowledge on mycorrhizal symbiosis by approaching topics from the biological bases to its agro-environmental and industrial use.

Another aim is the training of highly skilled human capital that is capable of working on the search of innovative solutions for different problems that are affecting natural resources, with a local, regional and global approach.

The director, Dr. Pablo Cornejo, assures that this organization joins the efforts of national and international positioning. “We will turn into the main unit in Latin America that is dedicated to research on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and start a new era of outreach towards the productive sector, as it has been the case with the recent formation of the company MYCONATIVA by researchers of the center.” This is the aim: “We want to consolidate a center of excellence that increases its indicators and will be a strong pillar for scientific development in our Department, Faculty and University,” he added.

In its implementation, apart from contemplating academic activities linked to high-level scientific research and the training of advanced human capital of excellence, CIMYSA will also establish different outreach actions with the productive and promoting medium, as it is the case with the realization of the IV. International Seminar on Rhizosphere Organisms and their Biotechnological Applications. This event brought national and international researchers together at the UFRO and reflects this interaction.

One of the speakers at the international seminar was Dr. Alexander Valentine of Stellenbosch University (South Africa), who is doing an internship within the framework of the project MEC-CONICYT 80170023, as well as Dr. Yasna Tapia of Universidad de Chile who is the director of the Research Ring project ACM 17002, and the postdoctoral FONDECYT researchers Silambarasan Sivagnanam (UFRO) and Daniel Chávez (Universidad de Concepción) who are doing their research work together with CIMYSA.

The new center starts to work within the established work plan which is based on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis for the development of innovative solutions in local agriculture, as well as on the training of advanced human capital, the generation of high-quality scientific production and a strong promotion of its activities.

CIMYSA collaborators: academics of the Department of Chemical Sciences and Natural Resources of the Faculty of Engineering and Science and BIOREN-UFRO, postdoctoral researchers with external financing (FONDECYT) and participants in the doctoral programs in Natural Resource Sciences and in Agri-food Sciences and Environment. Also researchers of INIA (Institute for Agricultural Research) are included, as well as a collaboration network with foreign researchers.

Written by: Daphne Bormann
Faculty of Engineering and Science