Workshop held on preserving vulnerable species and agricultural resilience

Scientific knowledge and contributions in areas such as microorganisms, endangered species, and sustainability in desert conditions, among other topics, were included in the workshop “Biotechnological strategies for the preservation of vulnerable species and agricultural resilience,” held today at the headquarters of the Catholic University of the North (UCN) in Antofagasta.

The meeting, which brought together leading researchers specializing in biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and applied biotechnological innovation, was organized by the UCN in collaboration with Aguas Horizonte SpA and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV).

The event included presentations and a panel discussion aimed at facilitating dialogue and opening up new opportunities for collaboration and exchange that benefit the community and contribute to the search for alternatives and solutions to various problems in northern Chile.

At the opening of the event, UCN Academic Vice-Rector Dr. Martha Hengst López contextualized the relevance of the Atacama Desert region when it comes to biodiversity and conservation. "It has a very particular and unique biodiversity, with high levels of endemism, both at the macro and, above all, at the micro level. In other words, life in the desert is fundamentally microbial," she explained.

She added that the more this ecosystem is studied, the more it becomes clear that it is not only diverse and rich, but also has great potential for obtaining various biotechnological by-products. She added that another unique feature of the desert is its ecosystem services, which are not very obvious, such as the beauty of the natural landscape. “There are few places in the world today that can boast of having unspoiled nature, just as evolution has developed it,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of having this diversity at the service of humanity, and emphasized that researchers from different disciplines, such as biotechnology, can contribute to promoting activities such as agriculture in the desert.

JOINT WORK

The importance of joint work between academia and the private sector was highlighted on this occasion by the general manager of Aguas Horizonte SpA, Álex Miquel, who emphasized the relationship between his company and the UCN.

He gave as an example the work that both entities are doing to conserve the Rimacactus laui cactus, a species unique in the world that is critically endangered. This work, which has been underway for almost two years, seeks to protect and preserve this form of life found in northern Chile, specifically between the coastal hills of Mejillones and Tocopilla. “We are developing a desalination plant project that will supply Codelco's Northern District, and it is in this context that we encountered this endangered species,” added the executive, who noted that this gave rise to the need to make efforts to conserve and improve the species' habitat.

“It has been a very good experience. Both parties have complemented each other. We are providing resources such as transportation and professionals in the field who are monitoring the presence of cacti in the area, in addition to all the research carried out by the University,” he emphasized.

PRESENTATIONS

The workshop included top-level presentations developed by research teams that took into account specific aspects of the territory.      

Specifically, the first presentation of the day referred to the protection of an endemic species in the area with the theme “Conservation strategy for Rimacactus laui in the Northern District Desalination Plant project,” by Dr. María José Correa-Solís, scientific advisor on biodiversity at Aguas Horizonte.

This was followed by the presentation “ThermoGro: Wide-range thermal biofertilizer for resilient agriculture,” by Dr. Johanna Cortés, director of the project “Reformulation of bacterial consortium for biofertilizer” of the Desarrolla TIM program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV).

UCN academic Dr. Francisco Remonsellez, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Environment, director of the Doctorate in Sustainable Engineering, director of the Anillo Talackutur Lithium Bio-R Project, and researcher at Ceitsaza and the UCN Lithium R&D&I Center, continued with the presentation “PB interaction: Agriculture in desert conditions.”

Another highlight was the presentation by Dr. Mariam Charifhe, who spoke on “From nodule to leaf: Biological control of phytopathogens using endophytes from native legumes.” The PUCV researcher is a member of the Aguas Horizonte company project, focused on the study of the endangered Rimacactus laui cactus, and is director of the GROWING UP – Ejecuta tu Idea 2025 project, entitled “Validation of the biocontrol activity of endophytic strains of Bacillus velezensis for the control of Xanthomonas arboricola in European hazelnut trees.”

For his part, Dr. Fabián Cuadros Segura (PUCV) gave a presentation entitled “Extreme bacteria as allies for more sustainable agriculture in the face of drought.” The researcher is currently focusing on the search for bacterial polymers as a strategy to mitigate water stress in agricultural crops and minimize the impact of droughts. He is also working on a complementary line of research on the conservation of endemic species in the Antofagasta region, in coordination with local actors seeking microbial strategies for the conservation of Rimacactus laui.

Meanwhile, UCN academic Dr. Bárbara Fuentes, a researcher specializing in environmental microbiology and ecological restoration, and a collaborator with Aguas Horizonte SpA and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso in the conservation of Rimacactus laui, continued with the presentation of the topic “Soils affected by salts in the Antofagasta Region”; while Dr. Carolina Yáñez, who heads the Rhizosphere Microbial Ecology Group (EMRI) and leads Fondecyt and Conaf projects focused on the regeneration and propagation of cacti through rhizobacterial consortia, closed with the presentation “Biotechnology of beneficial microbial association in the conservation of Rimacactus laui, an endangered species.”

Details of the presentations and the content of the workshop are available at this link.

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