Global demand for food and alternative energy sources has never been so great or so urgent. It is estimated that food production will need to have doubled by 2050, while reducing the associated environmental impact by achieving output per unit of land, water and energy.
Increasing demand for vegetal proteins and fatty acids can be predicted given the high cost of fishmeal and fish oil, increasing demand and the low availability of marine sources, which has resulted in the replacement of marine products by flour and oils of vegetal origin in the production of feed for fish farming companies.
Consequently, it is urgent to generate technological innovations capable of responding to these food and energy demands, as well as to prevent the possible effects of climatic change.
It is precisely because of this scenario that the Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit (UGB), located in the best national mega-environment for annual cultivars, seeks to promote production of premium raw vegetal materials, understood as raw vegetal materials with an outstanding quality and quantity of proteins, fatty acids, soluble fibers, antioxidants, etc., environmentally friendly and with a low proportion of non-nutritional components.
The UGB generates know-how through research and development (R&D) on the genomics of cultivars to create the innovations required by agroindustry. This is possible thanks to the involvement and development of top-level professionals and alliances with pioneering international research centers in agricultural biotechnology.
The UGB has developed and continues developing a battery of valuable genetic resources, genomic bioinformatic tools and applications of proteomics and genetic engineering with the aim of improving proteagenous cultivars like the yellow lupine and oleaginous cultivars like rapeseed canola and flax. In this way, we contribute to regional and national development, allowing for the development from the Araucanian Region of a more competitive and sustainable agricultural sector.
Contacto
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Coordinador:
María Laura Federico, PhD.
Email: maria.federico@cgna.cl
Teléfono: (56) 45-215706 ext 332
Fax: (56) 45-216112
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