Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the body’s proper functioning, obtained through sun exposure, diet, and supplements. Its main function is to facilitate calcium absorption, which is key to maintaining strong bones and preventing diseases such as osteoporosis. It also plays an important role in muscle function and in the transmission of signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
During his stay, the Argentine researcher visited the Laboratory of Molecular Magnetism and Molecular Materials (LM4), led by Dr. Diego Venegas Yazigi, with whom he maintains academic ties through international conferences and scientific meetings.
“We have been working for some time on topics related to molecular materials that exhibit magnetic properties. Now, we can begin to discuss these topics, exchange results and knowledge, and from there plan for closer collaboration between our two laboratories,” the researcher commented.
In the face of scenarios marked by shifts in demand, logistical difficulties, and challenges in coordination among suppliers, new ways of organizing production have emerged, such as the Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) model, which allows different companies to share production capacity through digital platforms.
In Chile, wildfires have become one of the country’s main environmental challenges. According to data from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), more than 99% of these fires are caused by human activity, whether through negligence or intentionally. Beyond the visible damage to the landscape, the smoke generated by these events contains highly irritating and toxic substances that can spread across vast urban and rural areas.
After two years of work, the closing event for the Fondef project “CuBacti, a feed additive to combat infections caused by marine pathogens affecting the salmon industry” was held. The initiative was led by Dr. Brenda Modak and researcher Dr. Mick Parra, along with a research team from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.
One hundred and thirty thousand years ago, Earth entered a warming transition period, from an ice age to the beginning of the Eemian Interglacial Period. While Neanderthals were recolonizing northern Europe and Homo sapiens were exploring routes beyond the African continent, the planet was home to an impressive megafauna, including mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed tigers, during a period when global temperatures were higher than they are today and sea levels were several meters higher than they are now.
Early in the morning, silence still fills the hallways of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology at the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach). At the far end stands Dr. Francisco Cubillos’s lab—a vibrant, bright space filled with flasks, test tubes, and cutting-edge biotechnology equipment where groundbreaking yeast genetics research takes place.
The Chilean aquaculture industry faces ongoing productivity challenges, including emerging viral diseases that severely impact fish health and cause significant production losses.
To provide innovative solutions, the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach) executed the Fondef IT project: “Validation of a Prototype Vaccine Against Piscine Reovirus 1 (PRV-1)", demonstrating a pilot recombinant vaccine's protective potential in Atlantic salmon. The study was led by researchers Dr. Marcelo Cortez (Faculty of Chemistry and Biology) and Dr. Yesseny Vásquez (Faculty of Medical Sciences).
Plastic has become an omnipresent material in daily life—found in food packaging, water bottles, and utensils—yet scientific researchers warn that toxic chemical components in these plastics pose significant long-term health risks.
A primary example is bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical compound linked to severe disruptions in immune, neurological, and endocrine systems. Due to these health risks, BPA regulations and usage restrictions have been implemented internationally, including in Chile.
Every year, millions of metric tons of plastic end up as waste, making plastic pollution one of the world’s major environmental challenges. According to global plastic waste statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), more than 408 million metric tons of plastic waste are currently generated each year, but only about 9% is effectively recycled; the rest ends up incinerated, in landfills, or improperly disposed of in natural ecosystems.