Proyectos

En este proyecto, se busca general nuevas tecnologías que permitan mejorar el manejo de recursos hídricos en la sexta región. Director de línea "Gestión de Riego Intrapredial con Inteligencia Artificial"

El aumento de los recursos tecnológicos y la automatización de los procesos agrícolas ha contribuido en gran medida al desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías que permiten caracterizar y evaluar el fenotipo de las plantas. Específicamente, las tecnologías de fenotipado de plantas son muy importantes para acelerar los programas de mejoramiento en cultivos agronómicamente importantes, y contribuyen en el proceso de selección para el desarrollo y posterior lanzamiento al mercado de nuevas variedades y cultivares. Los sistemas de visión unidimensionales (1D) y bidimensionales (2D) han sido una parte integral de la implementación exitosa de la automatización agrícola y la robótica en los procesos agrícolas. Sin embargo, las técnicas basadas en imágenes en 2D son insuficientes para investigar las estructuras espaciales de las plantas. En este sentido, la reconstrucción por medio de imágenes 3D de plantas y la adquisición de su información espacial es una forma alternativa eficaz para resolver estos problemas. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente proyecto es obtener de forma automática la estructura tridimensional del sistema de arquitectura de raíces de una planta e identificar parámetros morfológicos asociados con dicha estructura. Para ello se propone construir un prototipo, a partir de cámaras de bajo costo, para la reconstrucción automatizada de la estructura 3D de plantas, junto con la posterior detección y medición de los rasgos morfológicos de esta misma.

El objetivo general de este proyecto es caracterizar la composición química y el poder antioxidante del AE-O y evaluar su efecto sobre la alteración inducida por AP en la vía PI3K/Akt en adipocitos humanos SW872. Para ello, los objetivos específicos de esta propuesta son: i) caracterizar la composición fitoquímica y el poder antioxidante del AE-O, ii) evaluar la citotoxicidad in vitro del AE-O sobre adipocitos SW872, y iii) evaluar el efecto in vitro del AE-O sobre la alteración de la vía de señalización de la insulina PI3K/Akt inducida por AP en adipocitos SW872. Para realizar estos objetivos, primero se obtendrá el AE-O a través de destilación por vapor, y a continuación se determinará la concentración total de polifenoles mediante el método Folin-Ciocalteu y su capacidad antioxidante analizada mediante el ensayo de DPPH, para luego estandarizar el aceite según su composición fitoquímica evaluado por técnicas cromatográficas. Para estudiar la citotoxicidad in vitro del aceite, se evaluará la viabilidad celular en adipocitos SW872 diferenciados in vitro tratados con distintas concentraciones del aceite. Para estudiar el efecto protector in vitro del AE-O contra la alteración en la señalización metabólica de la insulina inducida por AP, se evaluará la activación de la vía PI3K/Akt por Western blot y la captación de glucosa (análogo fluorescente) inducida por insulina en adipocitos SW872 incubados o no con el AE-O.

El objetivo general de este proyecto es caracterizar la composición química y el poder antioxidante del AE-O y evaluar su efecto sobre la alteración inducida por AP en la vía PI3K/Akt en adipocitos humanos SW872. Para ello, los objetivos específicos de esta propuesta son: i) caracterizar la composición fitoquímica y el poder antioxidante del AE-O, ii) evaluar la citotoxicidad in vitro del AE-O sobre adipocitos SW872, y iii) evaluar el efecto in vitro del AE-O sobre la alteración de la vía de señalización de la insulina PI3K/Akt inducida por AP en adipocitos SW872. Para realizar estos objetivos, primero se obtendrá el AE-O a través de destilación por vapor, y a continuación se determinará la concentración total de polifenoles mediante el método Folin-Ciocalteu y su capacidad antioxidante analizada mediante el ensayo de DPPH, para luego estandarizar el aceite según su composición fitoquímica evaluado por técnicas cromatográficas. Para estudiar la citotoxicidad in vitro del aceite, se evaluará la viabilidad celular en adipocitos SW872 diferenciados in vitro tratados con distintas concentraciones del aceite. Para estudiar el efecto protector in vitro del AE-O contra la alteración en la señalización metabólica de la insulina inducida por AP, se evaluará la activación de la vía PI3K/Akt por Western blot y la captación de glucosa (análogo fluorescente) inducida por insulina en adipocitos SW872 incubados o no con el AE-O.

Identificación de bacterias de ralves de la región de O'Higgins para el estudio de posibles funciones biotecnológicas.

Participación en el rol de académica- Investigadora experta en entomología dentro del Comité de coordinación regional (no está el rol definido por eso aparece como co-inv)) Objetivo general del proyecto Diseñar e implementar una estrategia transdisciplinaria de vinculación entre los apicultores de la región y la Universidad de O’Higgins, que permita construir una “Hoja de Ruta” para resolver las brechas existentes en el sector y definir las líneas de invesDgación aplicada a desarrollarse

Participación en el rol de académica- Investigadora experta en entomología dentro del Comité de coordinación regional (no está el rol definido por eso aparece como co-inv)) Objetivo general del proyecto Diseñar e implementar una estrategia transdisciplinaria de vinculación entre los apicultores de la región y la Universidad de O’Higgins, que permita construir una “Hoja de Ruta” para resolver las brechas existentes en el sector y definir las líneas de invesDgación aplicada a desarrollarse

Mining activities have discharged large amounts of wastes or mine tailings to the environment, which represent an important environmental issue. Mine tailings are mainly characterised by poor physicochemical properties that limit the plant establishment and development. The most negative property in these mine wastes is the high content of metals and metalloids [metal(loid)s], which are often highly toxic due to acid pH that increases metal(loid) bioavailability. This negatively affects living organisms and ecological functioning since soil microorganisms are pioneer colonisers that mediate the plant establishment. Also, mine tailings are usually deposited in abandoned locations of large land cover; from where, due to their physical characteristics, they can be transported by air and water, affecting communities and the environment in surrounding areas. There are several industrial strategies focused on the physical and chemical management of mine tailings, but these are highly expensive and occasionally not effective. These strategies have not been suitable techniques to reduce negative impacts of mine tailings on the environment. In this context, biological approaches, such as phytoremediation, have been proposed as more appropriate strategies due to low cost, easy applicability, and promising results. Nevertheless, most of the studies focused on phytoremediation of mine tailings, especially Chilean studies, have been performed in laboratory conditions. Although these studies show promising conclusions, in many cases unsuccessful results are obtained at field conditions, mainly due to laboratory experiments do not consider the dynamic field variability and potential ecological interactions. Based on the above, the proposed research aims to evaluate the effect of the initial addition of organic-mineral amendments and the bioaugmentation of microbial communities with “core microbiome” from the root-zone of native herbaceous on the growth and development of native plants and microbial communities at copper mine tailings. We hypothesise that the growth and development of native plants in mine tailings will be promoted by the improvement of physicochemical properties of modified mine tailings (incipient technosols) through the addition of organic-mineral amendments, and the bioaugmentation of microbial communities with “core microbiome” involved in plant fitness obtained from copper mine tailings and surrounding soils. To evaluate the mentioned hypothesis, this study will be executed in three phases: 1) Initial field characterisation: this will be done for mine tailings and soils under sclerophyllous forest; 2) Collection and recruitment of “core microbiome”: this will study the composition, function, and interactions of “core microbiome” obtained from the root-zone of native herbaceous established on mine tailings and soils under sclerophyllous forest, by which a laboratory-scale assay it is needed to produce inoculum of such ecological units (cores); 3) Restoration field experiment: this consists on the field establishment of native herbaceous species by bioaugmentation with “core microbiome” from root-zone mine tailings and root-zone soil on incipient technosols produced by the addition of organic-mineral amendments on mine tailings. These phases are designed to be performed in three years. This study can provide insights of the promotion of ecological process and natural resilience on microbial communities of mine tailings and surroundings, which can allow the initial plant establishment a development for later possible plant recruitment from the native sclerophyllous forest. This would also evaluate whether mine tailings can be in situ managed instead of been totally removed, which implies high costs and workflow to enterprises. Additionally, this study would represent the first approach of the evaluation of the biological functioning and composition of microbial communities from root-zone mine tailings in Chile, from its current state to the subsequent restoration process.

Mining activities have discharged large amounts of wastes or mine tailings to the environment, which represent an important environmental issue. Mine tailings are mainly characterised by poor physicochemical properties that limit the plant establishment and development. The most negative property in these mine wastes is the high content of metals and metalloids [metal(loid)s], which are often highly toxic due to acid pH that increases metal(loid) bioavailability. This negatively affects living organisms and ecological functioning since soil microorganisms are pioneer colonisers that mediate the plant establishment. Also, mine tailings are usually deposited in abandoned locations of large land cover; from where, due to their physical characteristics, they can be transported by air and water, affecting communities and the environment in surrounding areas. There are several industrial strategies focused on the physical and chemical management of mine tailings, but these are highly expensive and occasionally not effective. These strategies have not been suitable techniques to reduce negative impacts of mine tailings on the environment. In this context, biological approaches, such as phytoremediation, have been proposed as more appropriate strategies due to low cost, easy applicability, and promising results. Nevertheless, most of the studies focused on phytoremediation of mine tailings, especially Chilean studies, have been performed in laboratory conditions. Although these studies show promising conclusions, in many cases unsuccessful results are obtained at field conditions, mainly due to laboratory experiments do not consider the dynamic field variability and potential ecological interactions. Based on the above, the proposed research aims to evaluate the effect of the initial addition of organic-mineral amendments and the bioaugmentation of microbial communities with “core microbiome” from the root-zone of native herbaceous on the growth and development of native plants and microbial communities at copper mine tailings. We hypothesise that the growth and development of native plants in mine tailings will be promoted by the improvement of physicochemical properties of modified mine tailings (incipient technosols) through the addition of organic-mineral amendments, and the bioaugmentation of microbial communities with “core microbiome” involved in plant fitness obtained from copper mine tailings and surrounding soils. To evaluate the mentioned hypothesis, this study will be executed in three phases: 1) Initial field characterisation: this will be done for mine tailings and soils under sclerophyllous forest; 2) Collection and recruitment of “core microbiome”: this will study the composition, function, and interactions of “core microbiome” obtained from the root-zone of native herbaceous established on mine tailings and soils under sclerophyllous forest, by which a laboratory-scale assay it is needed to produce inoculum of such ecological units (cores); 3) Restoration field experiment: this consists on the field establishment of native herbaceous species by bioaugmentation with “core microbiome” from root-zone mine tailings and root-zone soil on incipient technosols produced by the addition of organic-mineral amendments on mine tailings. These phases are designed to be performed in three years. This study can provide insights of the promotion of ecological process and natural resilience on microbial communities of mine tailings and surroundings, which can allow the initial plant establishment a development for later possible plant recruitment from the native sclerophyllous forest. This would also evaluate whether mine tailings can be in situ managed instead of been totally removed, which implies high costs and workflow to enterprises. Additionally, this study would represent the first approach of the evaluation of the biological functioning and composition of microbial communities from root-zone mine tailings in Chile, from its current state to the subsequent restoration process.

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