An educational event for schoolchildren and teachers in Quilimarí, Los Vilos (Coquimbo Region), marked the conclusion of the Fondef project, “Multifunctional biotechnological tool for adaptation to climate change.” This initiative was led by Dr. Claudia Ortiz Calderón, a researcher at the University of Santiago, Chile’s Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT), often referred to as “superwood,” is at the forefront of a new construction trend. In recent years, countries such as the United States, Canada, and several European nations have begun promoting its use in high-rise buildings. This system’s exceptional strength and stability come from its manufacturing process, which involves joining layers of wood at cross angles.
As the GWR Project approaches its final stage, scientific team leaders and members convened both in-person and virtually. The meeting served to review accomplishments, identify areas for enhancement, and consolidate lessons learned from this initiative focused on the treatment and reuse of domestic gray water, which constitutes over 60% of typical household water consumption.
Crucial to Chile’s innovation landscape, the Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development (Fondef) finances applied research, technological development, and innovation in strategic economic sectors. It actively promotes collaboration among academia, business, and government. In the highly competitive 2025 Fondef competition, Dr. Andrea Mahn Osses’s project stood out and received an award.
The project aims to validate the microencapsulation of sulforaphane, creating a functional ingredient with proven efficacy for the food industry.
In Chile, various bodies of water, such as the Mapocho River, receive agricultural and industrial waste, including organochlorine pesticides, chemical compounds used for pest control but which accumulate in the environment and affect health and biodiversity.
A total of eleven applied research projects from the faculties of Engineering, Technology, Science, Medical Sciences, and Chemistry and Biology at the University of Santiago de Chile were awarded the Fondef IDeA I+D 2025 competition, organized by ANID. Nationwide, 129 initiatives will receive this funding.
For our institution, this result represents an 8.5% increase in awards compared to 2024, when eight proposals received funding. Institutional participation also expanded, with three to five faculties involved, while the number of applications grew from 44 to 51.
Historically, Chile’s electrical system has depended on large, distant power plants that transmit energy across long lines to urban consumers. This model, however, is now under considerable strain. The increasing adoption of renewable energies, residential solar panels, domestic batteries, and electric vehicles highlights the urgent need for modernization.
For years, green hydrogen has emerged as a leading contender for driving the global energy transition. Its ability to generate clean energy without emitting pollutants has ignited worldwide interest in decarbonizing production and energy sectors. In this context, Chile has become an international leader in developing this technology, leveraging its abundant solar and wind resources and a strong national commitment to clean energy production.
Since mid-April, Danilo Átila, a master’s student in Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of Goiás (Brazil), has been doing a research internship at the Polymer Laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, under the guidance of Dr. Paula Zapata, thanks to full funding from his university.
As a guest student until September, his time at Usach is part of his master’s program in Chemistry. He chose Usach due to the prestige and proven track record of both the university and the academic overseeing his work in Chile.
As the world's top copper producer, Chile's output is significant, reaching 5.3 million metric tons in 2024 and accounting for over 20% of global production in 2023, per Statista.
To sustain its leadership, the national mining industry faces the imperative of increasing copper sulfide and oxide concentrate production. This demands optimizing current mineral extraction and processing systems.
A new production matrix for copper concentrates would incur a significant increase in water consumption during flotation, the key mineral separation process.