The Second International AlQui (Alginate-Chitosan) Workshop, held at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology during the last week of May, brought together the public sector and scientific researchers currently working in the field.
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.
The Annual Congress of the Pharmacological Society is a space whose purpose is to promote scientific exchange, update evidence, and foster collaborations that drive research in pharmacology.
In this context, and before the closing conference, the event organizers decided to recognize Dr. Juan Pablo García Huidobro, an academic from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, for his role in training undergraduate and graduate students, his career as a researcher, “and above all for his influence on many academics who now belong to the Pharmacological Society.”
Driven by high international demand, Chilean fruit growing has expanded steadily in recent decades. To maintain competitiveness, the sector has adopted intensive practices like higher planting density, aggressive pruning, and heavy fertilizer use.
Unfortunately, these practices have led to an increase in phytopathogenic fungal diseases, especially those affecting fruit tree wood. Such infections weaken the trees’ structure and significantly diminish their productivity.
Lactose, a natural carbohydrate abundant and inexpensive in mammalian milk, is a widely used sugar in the food industry. However, its high incidence of intolerance in a large part of the population limits its use. This widespread intolerance leads to global surpluses with few industrial applications and significant accumulation issues.
The Diploma in Artificial Intelligence Applied to Education offered by the University of Santiago is designed to provide up-to-date training on artificial intelligence, contextualized to the Chilean reality and consistent with the guiding principles of international organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD in the field of education.
The Chilean Association of Immunologists (ASOCHIN) awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Immunology to Dr. Mónica Imarai Bahamonde, a distinguished USACH academic at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology. This recognition, granted by her peers after consulting all association members, highlights the researcher's commitment to advancing immunology in Chile.
Researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology successfully designed a pyridinium salt molecule that is critical for molecular electronics. The molecule's key feature is its ability to perform reversible electrical switching even when immobilized on a surface.
Chile is actively positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production and export, a clean fuel that is essential for national decarbonization and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Thanks to its vast solar and wind energy potential, Chile is well-positioned to produce green hydrogen via water electrolysis. In this process, electricity from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, producing a fuel that only emits water vapor as a waste product.
From elementary school through university, Dr. Carolina Candia reflects on the powerful role the public school system played in her education. Her scientific vocation was profoundly marked by her time in the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, beginning with her undergraduate experience in Dr. Betty Matsuhiro's laboratory and continuing into her Doctorate in Chemistry at the University of Santiago, where she worked in Dr. Jorge Pavez's Surface Physical Chemistry Laboratory.