Viruses, Microbes and Biotechnology

Research cluster II is organized around three overarching research lines that aim to tackle key global challenges in public health and environmental microbiology with biotechnological potential, by integrating research on endemic and emerging viral diseases, extreme-environment microbiology, and microbial biotechnology.

Across these systems, Research cluster II seeks to uncover general principles governing infection, gene regulation, genome plasticity adaptation, and community assembly, while translating this knowledge into vaccines, antivirals, microbial monitoring and intervention tools, engineered consortia and industrial microbial platforms, thus connecting fundamental biological processes with the development of sustainable biotechnological solutions. This integrative framework leverages the unique natural laboratories of Chile, from endemic viral reservoirs to volcanic acidic rivers and Patagonian forests, to generate knowledge with both global relevance and strong regional roots.