Internship at MELISA Institute enriches the training of PhD students at UdeC

At MELISA we are committed to opening spaces that strengthen scientific collaboration and train new generations of researchers!

Raydan Lemus, a doctoral student in Analytical Science and Technology at the University of Concepción, completed an internship at the MELISA Institute as part of a research project focused on studying samples associated with different biological conditions. His work seeks to leverage advanced proteomics tools to deepen the understanding of cellular mechanisms linked to cancer and contribute to the development of personalized medicine strategies.

The project involves the analysis of samples obtained through laser microdissection, which are processed using high-precision proteomic methodologies. The objective is to determine mitochondrial proteomic and metabolomic profiles, identify differentially expressed proteins, and correlate these findings with biological mechanisms that could contribute to cellular protection. In the future, these results will be complemented with spatial analyses to search for potential biomarkers associated with the disease.

For Raydan, his internship at MELISA was a very positive and fruitful experience, as “I learned analytical techniques I hadn't used before, and that has given me a much broader background, not only for defining the project but also for analyzing samples later on, whether they are cancer samples or other types of samples.”

He also highlighted the collaborative work done with the staff at our research center: “So far, I have the best impression, a great satisfaction from having shared more than six months with the entire technical staff. They were incredibly kind and responsible, always available to answer any questions I had and always supportive of our project.”

At MELISA Institute, we believe that training advanced human capital is fundamental to driving the country's scientific development. Therefore, we deeply value opportunities like this internship, which strengthen collaboration between institutions, enhance the learning of new generations of researchers, and contribute to the advancement of science through teamwork.