Investigación

Dr. Tomás Herrera Valenzuela is an academic at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Santiago de Chile, a specialist in sports science and leader of a line of research that crosses sports performance with the health impact of martial arts and combat sports. With more than ten years of research experience and international collaborations with renowned researchers in the field, his work has recently been recognized in two bibliometric studies published in indexed scientific journals.

In Chile, around 6.6 million tires are thrown away every year, according to data provided by the Ministry of the Environment. Of these, only 17% are managed in an environmentally responsible way, while the rest end up in illegal dumps or disappear from the records, creating a serious environmental problem. 

The Gill Health International Conference is the place where academia, industry, technology and research laboratories come together to discuss gill health in salmon. Its purpose is to discuss the results and solutions, and to share knowledge and new practices that are generated in the country regarding the management of the most prevalent and important gill pathology in Atlantic salmon in Chile. This is known as Proliferative Gill Disease (PGD) and has been present in our territory since 2012.

Agricultural crops are permanently exposed to infections caused by dangerous phytopathogenic agents, which can seriously damage plants and even cause losses of vegetable crops. 

One of the most harmful phytopathogenic bacteria for agriculture is the species Pseudomonas syringae, which affects kiwifruit, cherry, plum, tomato and bean plantations, among others. As a result of this infection, there are considerable losses in production and harvests, implying millions of dollars in economic losses for the industry.

With the aim of developing a mechanism that can predict faults in mining fans, a group of researchers from the University of Santiago de Chile, led by Dr. Sebastián Pérez from the Department of Mining Engineering (Dimin) Usach, are working on a Fondef R&D project, which has now begun field tests to prove its effectiveness in real operating conditions.

Audiological diseases due to continuous exposure to noise at work are among the main occupational pathologies in our country, according to data from the Superintendence of Social Security.

The WHO recommends a limit of 65 decibels to ensure good health and well-being of people, while Chilean regulations allow up to 85 decibels in eight-hour workdays, which is not always complied with.

Chile is one of the leaders in the world salmon industry, occupying second place in salmonid production, after Norway, and supplying 25% of the global supply. At the national level, this product is the largest exporter, after copper.

The sector faces several challenges, however, including the spread of diseases that threaten the stability and quality of production. One of the most common and dangerous is salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis.

The revaluation, understood as the net increase in the monetary value of a property in a given period of time, is mainly driven by two factors: a significant increase in demand over the existing supply and the characteristics of the environment of the property.

Burner or ignition systems are essential for the operation of industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and energy, as they facilitate the ignition of fuels to generate heat, energy or perform key processes. Their use in mining, manufacturing, construction and transportation, among others, ensures the continuity of operations. 

The Universidad de Santiago de Chile was recently awarded the Structural Research Fund for Universities (FIU), an initiative of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (CTCI), aimed at strengthening Research, Development and Innovation (R+D+i) capacity in higher education institutions in our country. This funding will allow Usach to develop and consolidate strategic lines of research during the next ten years.