MELISA Institute and the Millennium Institute of Oceanography Strengthen Scientific Collaboration with New Agreement

The alliance seeks to promote joint research and innovation projects, human capital development, and new opportunities for technology transfer, integrating the capabilities of both institutions to study deep-sea ecosystems.

The launch ceremony for the framework cooperation agreement between MELISA Institute and the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO) was held at the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Development of the University of Concepción. This initiative establishes a framework for developing new lines of scientific and technological collaboration.

One of the agreement's main objectives is to strengthen collaboration in Chilean oceanographic research, generating new knowledge about Chilean water ecosystems, especially those associated with the deep ocean. It also includes the joint development of research, innovation, and development projects, human capital development activities, internships, professional placements, information exchange, and participation in technology transfer initiatives.

One of the focuses of this collaboration will be the study of organisms capable of adapting to extreme conditions found in environments such as the Atacama Trench. The Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO) conducts cutting-edge research in deep-sea environments, while the MELISA Institute contributes specialized capabilities in proteomics, genomics, and applied bioinformatics.

During the event, Osvaldo Ulloa, director of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography, highlighted the complementarity between the two institutions and explained that the agreement will allow for the joint study of adaptations of microorganisms and fauna inhabiting environments characterized by extreme pressure, temperature, and light conditions, also opening up future possibilities for application in industrial processes that require operating under similar conditions.

For his part, Pedro Ramírez, Regional Secretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation for the Biobío and Ñuble Regions, emphasized the relevance of the research conducted by the IMO and its potential for future knowledge and development. “The research being conducted in the ocean, at a depth of 8,000 meters, is generating baseline information that will allow us to address specific societal needs in the future. But even more importantly, it opens the door to discovering phenomena that we are currently unable to see,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Elard Koch, Chairman of the MELISA Institute, valued the opportunity to put MELISA's technological and scientific capabilities at the service of this exploration. “They are doing discovery science, exploring what lies on the seabed at depths of more than 8,000 meters,” he said, emphasizing that proteomics and genomics will contribute to understanding new life forms and the mechanisms that allow them to survive in extreme conditions.

The alliance also aligns with the University of Concepción's objective of strengthening ties between academia and industry. Andrea Catalán, Director of Development and Innovation at the VRID UdeC, highlighted that this agreement represents a concrete action in terms of technology transfer, research, and applied development in collaboration with stakeholders in the ecosystem.

For MELISA Institute, this agreement represents a new opportunity to integrate cutting-edge science, technological capabilities, and interdisciplinary collaboration, contributing to the understanding of extreme environments and exploring the potential that these discoveries may have for science, innovation, and technological development.