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Press Release

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-BIOLAC Announces 2025 Training Courses, Workshops, and Symposia: Empowering Latin America through Biotechnology Education and Technology Transfer

2025 packed with academic activities for the advancement of biotechnology as a source of solutions for peace and sustainability

Date Published
31 Jan 2025

After a record number of submissions, The ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Biotechnology Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-BIOLAC) is pleased to announce its 2025 lineup of training courses, workshops, and symposia. These activities, led by Latin American researchers and professors, aim to equip students with the latest knowledge and skills in cutting-edge and resource-efficient biotechnological techniques. As always, the program emphasized hands-on training, technology transfer, and South-South cooperation to address pressing regional challenges.

 

Several key themes stand out as common subjects for this year's educational activities:

 

  • Genomics and Bioinformatics, like next-generation sequencing (NGS), genome analysis, functional annotation, and comparative genomics. These courses aim to enable participants to analyze large datasets, understand gene function, and develop new biotechnological applications based on this plentiful but hard-to-read source of information.
  • Microbial Biotechnology, including biofuel production, bioremediation, and agriculture. Participants will gain expertise in working with microbial cell factories, exploring anaerobic microorganisms, and using microbial electrochemical technologies.
  • Plant Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture with a focus on using microbes to improve plant growth and enhance food security. Emphasis is placed on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), tissue culture, advanced propagation techniques, the role of the agricultural microbiome, and bio-inputs.
  • Neglected and emerging diseases: Several courses will focus on topics such as the molecular biology of parasites, the production of therapeutic proteins, and the development of vaccines.

 

Other courses will be a foothold for the region's opening up to new paradigms in synthetic biology, like the development of cell biosensors for environmental monitoring and other applications, molecular simulations, and protein design.

 

Participants in these activities will gain expertise in a variety of advanced techniques and technologies like Next Generation Sequencing, Bioinformatics, CRISPR-Cas9 Genome editing, Nanotechnology, metabolomics, bioelectrochemistry, bioreactors, artificial intelligence applied to biological research, and Mass Spectrometry.

 

 

The educational activities are closely linked to several of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

 

  • SDG 2: Zero Hunger: Projects focused on PGPR, plant disease resistance, and sustainable agriculture directly contribute to food security.
  • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: Activities focused on neglected diseases, vaccine development, and antimicrobial resistance.
  • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Courses focused on constructed wetlands, wastewater treatment, and biofilm control aim to solve water-related issues.
  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: Projects focused on microbial fuel cells, biofuel production, and circular waste management.

 

These capacity-building activities are crucial for the future of Latin America and the Caribbean as technology transfer hubs, cooperation opportunities, and enablers of local problem-solving that can pave the way for a more sustainable, healthy, and prosperous Latin America.

 

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-BIOLAC's 2025 training program represents a significant investment in the region's scientific capacity. The program has been

 

The ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Biotechnology Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean has dedicated 37 years to strengthening biotechnology in Latin America. BIOLAC is a unique regional program of the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ. This global UN institution will arrive at its 50th anniversary this year with the mandate of generating knowledge, partnerships, and impact for an evidence-based approach to peace and sustainability.

 

Here's the complete lists of academic activities funded by ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-BIOLAC in 2025. Attendance scholarships will be available as organizers announce enrollment. Please follow our social channels (@unubiolac) for timely information:

 

 

Name of academic activityDates expectedHost institutionLocation
²ÝÁñÊÓƵ-BIOLAC Announces 2025 Training Courses, Workshops, and Symposia: Empowering Latin America through Biotechnology Education and Technology TransferFeb 3rd - Feb 7thCentro de Investigaci¨®n y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales (CINDEFI)

Buenos Aires, 

Argentina

Analysis of genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes from parasites for the development of tools to control neglected diseasesFeb 17th - Feb 28thUniversidad de Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, 

Argentina

Molecular biology and biotechnology of mosquito-borne viruses of public health importance in the Americas: understanding and using virus infectious clones.TBDCentro de Investigaci¨®n y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Polit¨¦cnico Nacional (Cinvestav)Mexico City
Workshop on Bioprocess with recombinant microorganisms: Fermentation, Recovery and purification of a recombinant enzyme at pilot scaleJune 1st - June 7thInstituto de Biotecnolog¨ªa, UNAMCuernavaca, Mexico
Update workshop on SAH seedling propagation method (Autotrophic Hydroponic System) in roots and tubers, as a mass propagation techniqueJuly 7th - July 11th Instituto Nacional de Innovaci¨®n y Transferencia en Tecnolog¨ªa AgropecuariaSan Jos¨¦, Costa Rica
Advanced Biotechnology Workshop: Recombinant Cas9 Production and Genome Editing of Trypanosoma cruzi.July 7th - July 11thUniversidad Sim¨®n Bol¨ªvarBarranquilla, Colombia
Tools for the preclinical study of new bioactive molecules from a One Health perspectiveJul 20th - Jul 26thInstitut Pasteur de MontevideoMontevideo, Uruguay
Metabolomics in Food Science: From Food Resources to Industrial Processing and Food IntakeJul 21st - Jul 25thUniversidad de Los AndesCartagena, Colombia
III Latin-American Week of Microbial Bioelectrochemistry (III SLAB)Jul 28th - Aug 8thUniversidade de S?o PauloS?o Paulo, Brasil
Unveiling Prokaryotic Traits Through Whole Genome Sequencing Data AnalysisAug 11th - Aug 25thUniversidad Nacional de Tucuman

Tucuman,

Argentina

XII Course on Molecular Biology of Trypanosomatids and XII Symposium on Molecular and Cellular Biology of Chagas' Disease: From Bench to Biotechnology-Pioneering Innovations with AI and Molecular Tools

Aug 25th

Aug 29th

Instituto de Ciencias Biom¨¦dicasSantiago, Chile
Training activity : Introductory course to development of biologics and vaccines 

Aug 25th -

Aug 29th

Instituto Nacional de SaludBogot¨¢, Colombia
CICICA Central American Course in Single-cell Cancer AnalysisSep 1st - Sep 5thResearch Center in Surgery and Cancer at the University of Costa RicaSan Jos¨¦, Costa Rica
Molecular Biosystems Conference on Eukaryotic Gene Regulation & Functional GenomicsSep 29th - Oct 3rdPontificia Universidad Cat¨®lica de Chile

Puerto Varas, 

Chile

Microbial Processes in Agroenergy: Fungal and Yeast Applications for Biofuel ProductionOct 3rd - Oct 15thFederal University of TocantinsPalmas, Brasil
Advance Bioprocessing for a Sustainable Future: From Microbial Engineering to Industrial Scale-UpOct 6th - Oct 15thCenibiot (Centro Nacional De Innovaciones Biotecnol¨®gicas)San Jos¨¦, Costa Rica
Synthetic Microbiology Symposium (SMS) 3.0: Whole-cell biosensors developmentOct 13th - Oct 23rdInstituto de Investigaciones Biol¨®gicas Clemente EstableMontevideo, Uruguay
Innovative Biotechnological Approaches for Biofilm Control and Characterization

Oct 20th

Oct 24th

Instituto de Investigaciones Biol¨®gicas Clemente EstableMontevideo, Uruguay
Production and mass spectrometry-based quality control of biotherapeuticsNov 4th - Nov 8thInstitute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario, IBR ¨C CONICET ¨C UNR

Rosario, 

Argentina

Microbes for food security 2025-A RELAR-PGPRLat joint workshop.Dec 1st - Dec 5thUniversidad Nacional de Quilmes

Buenos Aires,

Argentina

 

 

 

 

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