Antofagasta Bioinnovation Center
Scientific dissemination activities
Here you'll find the scientific dissemination activities we've participated in, such as national and international visits to our facilities, scientific outreach fairs, and much more.
Visit from Kyoto´s University
The Bioinnovation Center (CBIA) at the University of Antofagasta has welcomed Sota and Watari, from Kyoto University, Japan. They have come to our facilities to work on Sota's master's thesis, in addition to participating in the upcoming Ibero-American Congress on Algal Biotechnology (CIBAL), organized primarily by the Bioinnovation Center.
CBIA participates in the University of Antofagasta Outreach Week
The Bioinnovation Center (CBIA) of the University of Antofagasta joined the first version of the Week of Outreach, held in May 2025. This event was organized by the Outreach Unit of the University of Antofagasta with the aim of promoting the union and connection of the work carried out by the different laboratories of the university, both with the students of the university and also between laboratories, thus generating interdisciplinary work.
Interns visit from Colombia
As part of the cooperation agreement between the University of Antofagasta and the Astrobiology Institute of Colombia, the Center for Bioinnovation (CBIA) offered a guided tour in December 2024 to interns Ana María Niño, Esteban Puerto, and Ronald Cely. The purpose was to complement their learning and provide them with a practical insight into CBIA research.
Participation in Exponor 2024
Members of the University of Antofagasta's Bioinnovation Center (CBIA) actively participated in Exponor June 2024, showcasing the diverse research being conducted in their units at the University of Antofagasta's booth.
Visit of representatives from Nagaoka University, Japan
As part of the partnership between the University of Antofagasta and Nagaoka University of Technology, researchers Dr. Takairo Watari and Dr. Mami Katsumi visited the Bioinnovation Center (CBIA). During the visit, they advised on the implementation of downflow hanging sponge filters (DHS) for the treatment of nitrogenous waste in the ANID project "Integrated Mixed Cultivation of Sea Asparagus and Oysters for the Production of Gourmet Products" (ID23I10003). This technology, used in Japan for the treatment of cultivation water, seeks to optimize the cultivation system of the project being developed at CBIA. The images from left to right show the first visit within the framework of the project, carried out in February 2024 during the commissioning of the cultivation unit. The subsequent images show the researchers the progress of the project during the visit in March 2025.
Visit from Santo Nopal company
In May 2024, the Santo Nopal company, in collaboration with the ANID project "Integrated Mixed Cultivation of Sea Asparagus and Oysters for the Production of Gourmet Products" (code ID23I10003), visited the facilities where the research is being conducted. The main objective was to evaluate the project's progress on-site and understand the functioning of the different units that make up the cultivation system. During the visit, training was provided on the various techniques for obtaining cuttings.
Visit from the Minister of Agriculture
In August 2024, the University of Antofagasta's Bioinnovation Center (CBIA) received a visit from the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela. During his tour of the facilities, the minister, accompanied by Rector Marco Cikutovic, Regional Secretary of Agriculture Karina Araya, and the Mayor of Mejillones, Marcelino Carvajal, learned about the various research projects being developed at the CBIA.
In addition, an agreement was signed between Aguas Antofagasta and representatives of farmers' groups in the Bonanza sector of Mejillones. The objective of this agreement is to facilitate access to drinking water for community farmers in the area.
Visit of a representative of the CORFO committee of Antofagasta
The representative of the Antofagasta CORFO committee, Carla Quintrileo, visited the University of Antofagasta's Bioinnovation Center (CBIA), where she met with its director. During the visit, the CBIA's innovation projects were presented, focusing on desert agriculture, wastewater bioremediation, aquaculture, and nutraceutical production, among others.
Visit of the Director of CBIA to Hiroshima University, Japan
The director of the Center for Bioinnovation (CBIA) at the University of Antofagasta participated in the international seminar of the Seto Inland Sea Carbon-Neutral Research Center at Hiroshima University, Japan. His presentation, titled "Potential of microalgal biotechnology in the Atacama Desert," outlined the CBIA's progress and prospects to students and researchers at the university.
CBIA's participation in science festival activities
The University of Antofagasta's Bioinnovation Center (CBIA) joined the ninth edition of the Science Festival, held in November 2024. This annual event, organized by the university's Science, Technology and Society (S-T y S) team, had the motto "Antofagasta, a source of universal knowledge" and sought to strengthen the bond between the scientific community and citizens.
CIBAL 2025 Congress Coordination Meeting
The organizing committee of the Ibero-American Congress on Algal Biotechnology (CIBAL) 2025, hosted by the University of Antofagasta, met with the production company Econgress at the Antofagasta Hotel, the event's venue. The meeting aimed to define the logistics to be implemented at the hotel, among other things.