The United Nations University Biotechnology Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNU-BIOLAC) is proud to announce its cohort of research fellows for 2025. This year's research projects highlight a strong commitment to addressing critical challenges in Latin America through cutting-edge biotechnological innovation. The selected projects, taken from a record-breaking pool of submissions, demonstrate a profound dedication to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
This year's research projects showcase several recurring themes:
- Combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Fellows are exploring Latin America's diverse ecosystems for new antimicrobials from diverse sources such as actinobacteria, marine bacteria, and lactic acid bacteria. Others are looking at whole microbiomes for solutions and studying resistance mechanisms.
- Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Numerous projects aim to enhance agricultural practices and food production. These include efforts to develop disease-resistant crops through gene editing, improve biological nitrogen fixation, develop new biopesticides, enhance the nutritional value of food, and create diagnostic tools for farmers.
- Innovative Approaches to Vaccine Development and Drug Discovery: Two fellows will be developing novel vaccine candidates for diseases such as bovine mastitis and leptospirosis using protein engineering and epitope mapping. Others will be developing solutions for the treatment and diagnosis of neglected and emergent diseases like neurocysticercosis, Chagas, and even morbid obesity.
Environmental Remediation and Sustainability: Several projects focus on using biotechnology for ecological solutions. These include using oleaginous yeast to degrade textile dyes, developing constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, and designing self-charging supercapacitors using biowaste. There are also projects focusing on the microbiome of diverse ecosystems.
Many research projects will use advanced scientific methods like Next-Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS), bioinformatics and In-Silico analysis, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, metabolomics and mass spectrometry, protein engineering, and Artificial Intelligence. They will, therefore, become a way to transfer technology within the region. Others will have a frugal approach to biotechnology using readily available local resources to produce concrete solutions.
The knowledge and results obtained will hold immense potential to impact public health, food security, and environmental sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean while boosting local economies through innovation and well-being.
The research projects being undertaken by the 2025 UNU-BIOLAC fellows underscore a commitment to innovation and finding solutions to critical regional issues. They showcase the transformative potential of biotechnology to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable, and prosperous Latin America.
About UNU-BIOLAC
The United Nations University Biotechnology Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNU-BIOLAC) has dedicated 37 years to strengthening biotechnology in Latin America. BIOLAC is a unique regional program of the United Nations University. 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.