UN Periodico English No.3 - Special Issue: Science and Technology

2 Science

Awarded Study about the Impact of Glyphosate in Fish

7 Health

New Mosquito Responsible for Malaria

11 Biofuel

Microphyte: an Alternative to Produce Biofuel

19 Innovation

Milk that Helps Preventing Cancer

http://www.unperiodico.unal.edu.co/en • un_periodico@unal.edu.co Bogotá D.C. - Colombia • Issue 3 • August 2010

Published by Universidad Nacional de Colombia • ISSN 1657-0987 • www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

The Biggest Botanical Garden in Colombia

Interested in the study, enhancement and conservation of Colombian cultural and environmental patrimony, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia presented a project for a vast botanical garden. The endeavor brings together the main ecologic symbols from the eight campuses of the University, through its 21 faculties, 18 research institutes and 654 labs.

Page 12

Photo:Víctor Manuel Holguín/Unimedios

Special Issue: Science and Technology

2

Science

Awarded Study about the Impact of Glyphosate in Fish A research team from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia tested glyphosate on fish (Tambaqui species) in the Department of Meta. They established that gills and liver were principally affected by the herbicide, which is used to fumigate illegal cultivations. The study ranked third last May at the Alltech Young Scientist Award.

Nelly Mendivelso,

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

A study about glyphosate, —completed in experimental aquariums at the Aquatic Toxicology Lab— showing damage in Tambaqui’s gills and liver, prompted Professor Jaime Fernando González and MS student Diana Ochoa to confirm toxic actions of low glyphosate concentrations.

Their main concern, as part of the Aquatic and Environmental Research Group at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Breeding in the Bogotá Campus, is to study pollution effects on environmental resources, especially water. For this reason, today they focus on glyphosate, a herbicide used in Colombia to eradicate illegal cultures.

According to Professor González, even if it is true that glyphosate is lethal only when applied in great quantities, it is essential to know what happens when animal species are chronically exposed to low concentrations of the substance, as it occurs in fumigated areas.

“Unfortunately, harmful toxic effects of the polluting substance in ecosystems are only noticeable when there is high specimen mortality. The apparently harmless consequences start being noticeable with time,” says Professor González.

For this reason, the concerns of the team lead to a wider study proposal, which was supported by the International Foundation for Science (IFS), a Swedish organization that incentivizes research in developing countries.

Photos Unimedios

Unimedios

In the Aquatic and Environmental Lab from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the effects of Glyphosate

were tested on this Tambaqui. The herbicide failed the research team’s test. lenae) in Magdalena. Scientists consider that, for being native species, and for their evolution and adaptation to the environment during thousands of years, the species would have a better response to an alien substance in their habitat.

The fishes remained four weeks under controlled conditions at the lab, until they got acclimati-

zed. Then, they were immersed in experimental aquariums with concentrations of a commercial glyphosate (Roundup®). One with 5 ppm (parts per million), the other with 15 ppm.

The Tambaqui spent 96 hours in this environment, enough time for the liver and gill cells to react to the toxic substance.

“We evaluated oxidative stress

Native Species Are Good Indicators

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August 2010

Fishes (white Tambaqui) from the piscicultural station La Terraza, in Villavicencio, have been very useful within the experiments. In addition, the research team started studies with Bocachico (Prochilodus magda-

Scientists from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

sate affects Tambaqui’s gills and liver.

found that glypho-

enzymes (proteins that act as catalyst for reactions within organic tissues) in charge of counteracting glyphosate’s oxidizing activity. We found that they ran out during the glyphosate exposure. This reduction, noticeable by comparing to control fishes, showed that the herbicide generates changes in biochemical tissues, which could lead to cell’s damage,” asserts Jaime F. González.

They also measured transaminase enzymes in blood, and they noticed a raise, which implies a direct toxic effect on liver.

Diana Ochoa affirms that the “most affected organs are the gills, because toxic substances enter the body through them.”

The Weight of Evidence Thus, scientific evidence shows that “glyphosate is not as innocuous as it seems. And the study on fishes —ideal pollution indicators— reveals a greater effect to the one that has been previously reported,” affirms Professor González.

Researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia wonder what might happen with the weight of evidence when it goes to take decisions. In González opinion, glyphosate matter goes further than toxicology and oxidative stress enzymes. It concerns social matters: “In other countries, previous studies are completed in order to evaluate its environmental impact before taking political decisions on the use of a chemical agent. On the contrary, substances in Colombia are tested after the application.”

Roundup, the glyphosate used in the lab tests, corresponds to a first generation herbicide that was classified by the authorities in the category number 4 (almost harmless). The one used right now to fumigate cultivations is called Cosmo Flux, and contains an additional sulfate (a toxic substance), and is now classified as 3 (moderate toxicity).

At the lab glyphosate didn’t pass the tests.

Executive Director: Carlos Alberto Patiño Villa Press Chief: Carolina Lancheros Ruiz Associate Spanish Editor: Nelly Mendivelso Rodríguez Associate English Editor: Juliana Ariza Flórez – mjarizaf@unal.edu.co Copy Editor–Translator: Ernesto Camacho Editorial Committe: Jorge Echavarría, Egberto Bermúdez, Paul Bromberg, Alexis de Greiff, Fabián Sanabria Art Editor: Ricardo González Angulo Spanish Copy Editor: Verónica Barreto, Diana Sánchez Agencia de Noticias UN Editors: Félix Enrique Blanco, Catalina Suárez Printing: Editoriales LA REPUBLICA Expressed opinions are those of the authors alone and don’t compel or compromise principles by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia or politics by the UN Periódico.

Web Page: http://www.unperiodico.unal.edu.co Mail: un_periodico@unal.edu.co Phones: (571) 316 5348 - (571) 316 5000 ext. 18384 / Fax: (571) 316 5232 Edificio Uriel Gutiérrez Carrera 45 Nº 26-85, piso 5º. Bogotá - Colombia ISNN1657-0987

Science

Physical Review D, that publishes studies about particles, gravitation and cosmology, stressed the importance of the study.

Quarks in the SU(3) model” by Roberto Martínez, physicist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Quarks’ Transforming Properties The scientific community tries to answer questions by correlating information from the Hubble satellite with experimental data from the LHC. For this reason, it is so important to understand quarks behavior, explore if there are other kinds and particularly formulate hypothesis as the Britannic Scientist John Ellis (researcher at the

Colombian Contribution to Quarks Knowledge The construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has prompted physicists from all over the world to immerge, through mathematical models, in the study of cosmos’ smallest particles known as quarks, in order to reveal among various mysteries, the birth of the Universe.

A scientist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia has published his results on the subject in the journal Physical Review D. LHC project) does. Last year, during his visit to Colombia, he explained the importance of contributions from theoretical physicist from all over the world to the progress of science, particularly to proton collisions. Once the device reaches the expected energetic level, postulated theories will complement themselves and throw more lights about Universe knowledge.

“Only through mathematical models related to universal forces (gravitation, both strong and weak, and electromagnetic) we are able to explain why quarks are such instable particles that keep changing, and why a proton doesn’t get disintegrated or transformed, allowing universal structures such as planets to keep stables for millions of years,” says Roberto Martínez, physicist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He proposes mathematical models to explain, through more than 15 equations, why there is an specific number of quarks: in this case six.

From Software to Mathematical Predictions There are different software versions to simulate proton collisions. Martínez, for instance, used CalcHEP to apply his mathematical models. This software allows him to create artificial protons who receive a determinate quantity of energy under his model and once

the virtual collision is completed, he gets a final result, known as “prediction.” This theory has not been verified in labs, but introduces new elements to study nature.

The only way to know if a prediction is right or wrong is by comparing it to results from the real collider. If results don’t correspond with the simulation, the formulated theories are automatically rejected by the software. If they do match, the observations should be sharpened, in order to determinate the viability of the proposed mathematical models. Thus, a discovery related to new particles linked to Universe’s missing matter could emerge, according to predictions based on Hubble’s observations.

Changes in Quarks Flavor The model proposed by Professor Martínez is strongly related to Universe’s “weak interaction,” which explains why there are atoms, such as radio that transform themselves producing radiation. This force is represented by the equation SU(2). Based on this, Martínez used a more complex mathematical group based on group theory, called SU(3), which unlike the other, leads to a possible explanation about the reasons for there are six types of quarks.

This explanation, which has

already been quoted internationally -700 times- was appreciated by academic peers of the renowned journal Physical Review D (publication specialized on particles, gravitation and cosmology studies) in 2002, and more recently, on February 2010, “Flavor Changing on Quarks in the SU(3) model,” because it provides a mathematical formula that could be resumed as follows: To take the electrical charge of quarks, elevate it to a determinate potency and add them to obtain a final result that should be equivalent to zero.

Only with six quarks, this theory could lead to that result.

According to Professor Martínez, these models could be useful to make new predictions, which will be confirmed or rejected through the experimental results of the LHC or to study cosmological aspects predicted from Hubble observations.

Up to now, the Large Hadron Collider is just beginning to work and it is expected that its performance will soon be improved.

Meanwhile, the Hubble telescope will keep watching the Universe, as it has been already doing so for the past 20 years, when it was put into orbit with its big eye-shaped mirror. In the meantime academics and physicist from all around the world will keep researching in mathematics, possibilities and hypothesis to untangle the enigmatic darkness of infinity.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

It’s not a secret that the mechanics ruling the Universe evolution can be expressed mathematically. Today we have the means to verify those mathematical models.

The Hubble satellite, for instance, has recently shown cosmic structures that previously had been only imagined; new stars and galaxies show that more than 95% of unknown matter composed the Universe. On the other hand, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a project from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which —through a circular tunnel with a diameter of 27 km, located at the border between France and Switzerland— induces the collision of protons at a speed close to the speed of light, in order to discover new particles, part of that 95% of unknown matter.

Up until the middle of the XXth century it was commonly accepted that protons were the smallest particles of the Universe. However, as colliders got more and more sophisticated, scientists discovered that protons were not solid and indivisible, but were formed by tinier particles, which in 1963, scientist Murray Gell–Mann called “quarks”: At the moment six types of quarks have been identified and are known as “Up,” “Down,” “Charm,” “Strange,” “Bottom” and “Top.” They are the foundation of matter and at the same time the origin of Universe: 16,000 million years ago. However, there are still some unanswered questions: Are there smaller particles? Are there unknown forces that rule cosmos’ evolution?

August 2010

Unimedios

“Flavor Changing on

3

Luis Miguel Palacio,

3

4

Health

New Valerian Properties Elizabeth Vera Martínez,

Discovered

Unimedios

During the board meeting of a prestigious company, there was yelling and quarreling. From time to time, some executives got out of the room, they said they were going to the bathroom, but instead took the opportunity to grad a small flask out of their pocket and let a liquid drop under their tongue. Lather, when they were more calmed they returned inside the room.

When the meeting was over, there were a couple of empty flasks in which label was written ‘valerian.’ It seemed that the substance was effective, because, even if they had a hard time, they didn’t’ seemed disturbed, and instead had a peaceful expression as if nothing had happened.

‘Valerian,’ a native plant from Europe and Asia, comes from the Latin root valere, which means healthy or strong and is commonly used as a sleep inducer or a tranquilizer.

According to botanists, there are 150 species distributed all around the world, one of them V. pavonii, was studied by Pharmaceutical Chemist from the Universidad Nacional, Sara Emilia Giraldo, who identified, on extracts of this plant, active substances with anticonvulsant effects able to fight, prevent and interrupt convulsions or epileptic attacks.

Photo: Víctor Manuel Holguín/Unimedios

More Medicinal Properties

Since the IIth Century B.C., valerian has been prescribed to treat insomnia. Today, this plant is known for its sedating properties and to fight anxiety and stress. However its benefits could be larger. Studies from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia found new properties that could be useful against convulsions and to treat neurologic diseases such as Parkinson.

Personal file

3

August 2010

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Activity on the Central Nervous System The National Mental Health Study completed in 2003, with the support of the WHO, reported that in Colombia, two out of three persons present at least one mental disorder during their lifetimes; anxiety is the most common (19.3%).

On her doctoral thesis, directed by the researchers Javier Rincón and Mario Francisco Guerrero, Sara Giraldo considered this situation and the incapacity related to mental disorders. For this reason, she focused her interest on plants with activities on the central nervous system (CNS) such as the Valeriana pavonii. “This species grows wild in Antioquia, Boyacá, Cauca and Santander, among other departments, and it is traditionally used to treat insomnia and anxiety,” explained Giraldo, who stressed the importance of its multiple uses at in home made remedies.

Phytochemical (studies on chemical compounds developed within plants) and pharmalogical studies with V. pavonii, allowed her to identify active extracts with potential to treat convulsions, anxiety and depression, in fractions of this plant.

The Latin American Laboratory of Vegetal Pharmacology (Labfarve) had previously studied this species, and verified its properties as a tranquilizer for anxiety states and as an initiation therapy for onset insomnia, not related to psychoneurotic disorders, according to classifications from the Food and Drugs Surveillance National Institute (Invima).

However, studies from the

Universidad Nacional de Colombia identified greater effects in one of its metabolites, called Isovaleramid, an alkaloid molecule (from vegetal source) reported for the first time in this valerian species.

During the experiment that confirmed its potential this substance was applied in controlled dosages to a group of mice (merinos), which reacted positively to electric stimuli, while other rodents that were not exposed to the treatment suffered from convulsive seizures.

According to Giraldo, pavonii species also shares metabolites (from the iridoid type) with other valerian species that could have neuroprotection effects, which means that they could be used in the treatment of neurologic diseases such as Parkinson.

Valerian extraction process, through percolators,

plete drainage of the vegetal material.

used to obtain a com-

Valeriana is a perennial plant with thick roots and a hollow stem.

It reaches 1 meter of height and its leaves are composed from 6 to 10 couples of opposite leaflets, each one of separated pieces in which the limbo (flat and visible part)of the leave is divided.

In traditional Chinese medicines it has been used in various ways, for instance, to treat ulcers and acne. Its oral consumption relieves dyspepsia, flatulencies (gases), heart failures, urinary disorders and angina (chest pain).

From the beginning of the XXth century, this plant was officially incorporated to the pharmacopeia (compendium of medicinal substances) from various countries, because of its antecedents.

Its main compound is an essential oil —with a strong and characteristic aroma— to which medicinal properties are attributed.

All valerian species, close to 150, have CNS sedative properties of the digestive organs and others which are regulated by the neurovegetative system. For this reason it is a valuable treatment for headaches, nervous and cardiac disorders and insomnia, among others.

According to Giraldo, the chromatographic comparison (physical analysis of the different compounds of a mixture, which allows to identify its quantities) between pavonii and officinalis species, has shown a greater amount of compounds that could be related to an incidence on CNS, in V. pavonii.

The anticonvulsant properties of the obtained fractions have been established by the abundance of alkaloid and iridoid metabolites.

This is one advance of the Bioactive Principles on Medicinal Plants Group, at the Department of Pharmacy, which develops the phytopharmacologic study (therapeutic activities on plants) and its incidence on CNS to isolate, identify and evaluate biologically, in vitro and in vivo, alternatives contributing to the treatment of mental disorders, “more and more common due to economic, politic and social, among others, worries, which affect people’s life quality,” concludes Sara Giraldo.

Health

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In Colombia there are 1000 new cases of children with CLP (Cleft Lip and Palate), every year. Most of the time, surgery that solves this condition is successful from an esthetical point of view, but not regarding the voice’s quality. A study completed by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Operation Smile International, shows that phonetics could contribute to improve the results of the chirurgical procedure.

Phonetics Could Improve

CLP Surgery

Luis Miguel Palacio,

Unimedios

CLP is a congenital deformity and its causes are not well determined yet. It consists on an aperture on the lip or palate, or a cleft in both, which prevents the person to produce and perceive some kind of sounds in a proper way; it can even affect the learning process.

Palate surgery consists on closing the gap between the mouth and the nose, which makes it hard to pronounce in a proper way. Regarding cleft lip, the surgery consists in reconstructing the muscle, which is fundamental to pronounce properly after the procedure.

The voice samples were studied by Roberto Perry, Lorena Ham (anthropologist) and Ángela Martinez (phonoaudiologists), all of them researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Spectrograms allowed researchers to find clues about what happened with the sounds after the surgery.

This kind of phonetic analysis are very intricate, for this reason few experiments have been completed on the subject around the world, pointed out Perry: “The stu-

dy we completed provides some clues. Even if they are not irrefutable, they show how and in which aspects the after surgery progresses take place.”

The sentences pronounced by all of the nine chosen children, passed through a severe technologic examination, to compare and indentify the sound transformation after the chirurgical procedure (frequency, intonation, duration). These observations led to an intersubjective judgment on the improvements (or lack of improvements) of the analyzed cases.

The obtained indicators were associated to unexpected risk fac-

Spectrograms of the “a” vocal. The graphic 1 corresponds to a sound produced by a CLP patient before surgery. Here the yellow and red indicates a high rate of noise and non–definition on the signal. After the surgery, the researchers took a spectrogram (graphic 2) where the definition of the sound is visible: the red disappears from the spectrum.

tors after the surgery, such as an anomalous behavior of the larynx, excess of nasality in the sound, permanent air leak through the nose or through the cleft, among many others. A global evaluation on the improvements or deterioration of the patient’s voice quality was completed as well.

Lorena Ham explained that this study could contribute to optimize the results of a surgery, because, with these samples, comparisons and statistical data, it would be easier to determinate which chirurgical techniques could give better results.

Mauricio Herrera, Director in Chief of Operation Smile Colombia, also stressed the importance of this contribution to chirurgic procedures and its emphasis on the patient’s speech: “Frequently, we focus on the esthetic aspect, and we forget that speech is a fundamental aspect of an effective social interaction.”

The study was presented on the International CLP Congress in 2009 in Fortaleza (Brazil), where the prestigious oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Krishnamurthy Bonanthaya (India), editor of the Indian Journal of Cleft Lip, Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies, qualified it as “promising,” given the difficulties of medical communication to obtain objective measurements within procedures of this kind, in particular when they are performed on older patients (7 years old or more), and the fact that every two and a half minutes, a child with CLP is born in the world.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Phoneticians to the Rescue

children with CLP every year.

August 2010

In Colombia, there are around 1.000 new cases of

3

According to Claudia Arboleda, phonoaudiologist, the surgeries (in most cases the patient has to undergo several surgeries), must be completed between 12 and 18 months of age, before the baby learns to speak with articulation mistakes; this condition is not only corrected in the operating room, but with language therapy.

According to Roberto Perry (linguist) there is not a consensus among specialists, on the way of evaluating objectively if a “late surgery” was successful or not, regarding verbal expression of the patient, even more if we bear in mind that, in many cases, there is not a noticeable improvement in the speech’s intelligibility after the procedure.

Searching for scientific evidence that would be more reliable than subjective evaluation on the results of surgery, Operation Smile International, and researchers from the Linguistics Lab at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, completed a study, aiming to establish if a phonetic study applied to the CLP population could find indices of degradation or improvement in oral communication.

To reach this goal, the research team took verbal samples from nine children between 7 and 13 years old affected with CLP, before the surgery and a year after the surgery, in order to take the comparative measurements.

The researchers digitalized the voices through software with an interface allowing to observe and interpret aspects, such as frequency, amplitude, spectrum and duration of the sounds of vocals, syllable and words. These sorts of images are known as acoustic spectrograms, which are the decomposition of an audio signal in a graphic.

Personal file

Looking for Objective Evidence

6

Health Elizabeth Vera Martínez, Unimedios

Up to now, ibuprofen and naproxen are the most used medicines to relief myalgia, or intense pain in muscles.

Within chronic irreversible diseases, such as arthritis, patients are compelled to consume one or two pills a day in order to relieve pain and joint inflammation. The effect of those medicines doesn’t last enough; even less the patient’s self–control, essential to follow word by word the treatment’s prescription.

Aware of this issue, researchers from the Department of Pharmacy at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, developed an innovative therapeutic treatment, which reliefs any kind of pain, even the chronic one (arthritis, for instance), for almost 15 days.

Among the available over– the–counter drugs (OTC) there are several non–prescription analgesics; the most commons are acetaminophen (Tylenol) and anti– inflammatories, such as Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) Ibuprofen and naproxen have been prescribed to fight headache, menstrual and other chronic pains for almost 24 hours, due to its anti–inflammatory and relieving properties. Aspirin — which also has properties to fight cardiovascular risk— accomplishes the same function.

When the daily dose of these medicines is not enough to relief pain, doctors prescribe a greater dose. It may be effective for a while, but it can produce serious adverse effects, such as peptic ulcer.

Hence it is important to create an efficient and risk–free medicine.

Analgesics such as ibuprofen and naproxen, which action lasts an average of one day, will now have a better therapeutic result.

Innovative microparticles adhered to the chemical compounds of those medicines will lengthen the relief of severe pain (such as the one linked to arthritis) up to 15 days, with a lesser dose and without affecting other organs.

New Formula

Extends Pain Relief

3

August 2010

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Diana Marcela Aragón, PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, added micro–particles created from a synthetic polymer poly– lactic–co–glycolic acid (PLGA) to the ibuprofen and naproxen chemical compounds. The resulting solution allows those substances to dissolve gradually within the organism, thus the relieving effect will last longer.

An arthritis patient, for instance, will be able to receive an injection of the prescribed dose once every two weeks, and not one or two times a day, as usual Being biodegradable and biocompatible with human fluids, PLGA is used commonly around the world, to create medicines, implants, surgeries, and sutures,” said the researcher.

Generally, medicines enter the body to accomplish a particular task. Nevertheless, on their way they affect other organs. Ibuprofen and naproxen, for instance, affect principally gastric mucosa, producing severe irritation.

With this new pharmacologic design, therapeutic action is noticeably improved. In addition, a lesser dose provides the same effect: if a patient requires 500 milligrams of ibuprofen to relief his pain, with the new substance he will just need half dose.

Thus, risk of adverse side– effects gets reduced. All the benefits of the formula were tested in the lab. Rodents exposed to severe pain and inflammation responded positively to the provided dose.

It was established that the po-

Photo: Víctor Manuel Holguín/Unimedios

The “Magic” Substance

The addition of microparticles (created from a synthetic polymer) to

pounds led to a medicine that extends pain relief. lymer degrades in the body without any allergic reaction. It’s not necessary to perform an operation to remove it from the body, because it’s eliminated through the normal physiologic processes.

“Microparticles are better absorbed and the body benefits from their value thoroughly,” explains Doctor Aragón.

The results showed as well that naproxen is more soluble in acetone and that its microparticles give greater performances.

New Developments It is the first time that studies related to microparticles are reported in Colombia, because the

* lymers o PPolymers are chemical com-

pounds, natural (gelatin, albumin and cotton, made of cellulose) or synthetic, with mechanical properties and several applications, such as nylon or polystyrene production.

* LGA is a polymer commonly PPLGA

used in the production of biomedical devices, such as grafts, sutures and prostatic implants. There is a drug, available on the market, which uses PLGA for the advanced treatment of prostatic cancer

the ibuprofen and naproxen’s chemical com-

Microparticles

charged with ibuprofen.

development of such designs implies great investments in materials, reagents and time.

Through physiochemical tests of solubility, Professor Aragón found that, with the new technique there are considerable savings in time within the development of new medicines. Likewise, essays that led to the discovery, aside from assuring optimal conditions, are reduced in half.

“There are neither reports in the world about studies on medicine’s solubility within the organic solvents used in this investigation, nor the microparticles dissolution profiles in physiological conditions. We found out that there is a close connection between both aspects and it constitutes a new path to elaborate medicines,” explained the researcher.

The pharmacological therapy of arthritis, a chronic disease, relies on the patient’s defense system. The compound, designed in the Department of Pharmacy at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a solution to treat pain, while the specialist clinically defines the source of the pathology.

Health

7

New Mosquito Responsible

for Malaria Photo: Andrés Felipe Castaño/Unimedios

A new mosquito species, responsible for transmitting malaria in the Putumayo department and probably in Peru, swarms uncontrolled.

The insect experts that discovered the mosquito alert on its profusion, which requires health organizations to take vital measures. Its study is a contribution to the world.

Reports published by the World Health Organization establish that malaria transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito is a disease that causes around one million mortal

Mosquitos without Visa Inquiries started in those three frontier areas, because former studies exposed a critical issue: Anopheles species incriminated as important malaria vectors in neighboring countries, such as An. oswaldoi in Brazil, and An. aqualisis in Venezuela, were not yet considered as malaria vectors

Appearances Can Be Deceptive At first sight, among the eleven species found in Putumayo, An. benarrochi seemed to be predominant. It is very common in Peru, but the disco-

In order to collect the mosquitos, the researcher uses his legs as bait.

With a hose in his mouth, he waits for the insect to land, and then he sucks it up. The Anopheles gets captured in a net located inside the hose. very was puzzling, because the typical An. benarrochi was already detected in Colombia, but did not carried the Plasmodium infection; in addition, it doesn’t go near people: it prefers animal blood.

On the contrary, the insect found in Putumayo is very aggressive against humans, so much so that its biting rate reaches 202 persons per night. During the analysis it was established that this was infected with Plasmodium vivax.

Hence, researchers were apparently facing, an identical specimen to the one previously reported, but with a different behavior.

Auscultating the New Visitor Vectors transmitting malaria have six legs. The classic An. benarrochi distinguishes itself for having a spot that covers 50% of one of its rear legs.

In the case of An. benarrochi B, the spot is shorter, covering only 30% of the leg. In addition, there is a difference in the male genitalia, but those two differences seem to be the only ones between those two species.

“The wings, an essential part that helps entomologist identify one

species from another, are identical,” affirms Quiñones.

The discovery of the new species, An. benarrochi B, is an important advance because its identification allowed to make it responsible for malaria transmission in Puerto Asís (Putumayo), where the disease’s incidence reaches an Annual Parasitic Index (API) of 20 cases per 1000 inhabitants, which is a high risk for the population.

Likewise, in Puerto Leguízamo, the API is of 30 cases, although Quiñones points out that in this municipality the responsibility is shared with An. darlingi.

“This kind of research not only contributes to the production of new knowledge and the update of information about the Anopheles species involved in malaria transmission in the country, but constitutes a tool to define policies for vigilance and control of this disease,” affirmed Martha Ahumada, from the Entomology Group at the National Health Institute.

“Now, the goal is to find in which regions of the country —such as Amazonas— the insect lives in; however, this part of the research will be completed through molecular tests,” concludes Professor Quiñones.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

In Latin America, around 70% of malaria cases registered each year take place in Colombia and Brazil. In our country, the disease, transmitted through insects infects more persons, around 200 thousand every year, in towns under 2000 meters above sea level, with a highest incidence within rainforest areas.

At present, there are 40 to 47 recognized Anopheles (mosquitos) species, among which seven have been incriminated as malaria vectors. Three of them are classified as main transmitters, because they are not only spread on most of the Colombian territory, but in Latin America.

What is peculiar is that, according to studies completed by the Entomology Research Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in Putumayo, those three vectors are missing.

However, this Department is classified as high risk for its malaria incidence.

Then, what is producing the disease transmission in this area?

Starting with this question a group of scientists, led by Professor Martha Quiñones, began in 2006 a research project sponsored by Colciencias, aiming to establish the role of Anopheles species as malaria vectors in Meta and La Guajira.

Four years later, they were able to confirm the existence of a new mosquito variety that was being mistaken for others species, such as Anopheles noroestensis and An. Evansae.

Through molecular techniques, morphologic analysis and aspects of its behavior, researchers concluded that it was a new species. So far, it is called An. benarrochi B.

in Colombia.

“In principle, there is not an apparent reason for the Anopheles species to transmit malaria in an area and to stop doing it after crossing the border,” argues Quiñones.

With the help of the area’s health centers, the researchers completed Anopheles captures in those three regions during several nights and in different seasons between 2007 and 2009. The mosquitos’ brood was also identified.

In Putumayo, they collected 5.917 mosquitos, which underwent molecular tests using the markers ITS2, which correspond to a region between two genes called internal transcribed spacer 2, which allows differencing species and is particularly useful for mosquitos, and the COI gen (cytochrome oxidase 1).

At the moment, there is a word initiative to find the Barcode (genetic sequence) of all the living species on the planet. The COI was chosen for being a gen transmitted through the maternal line; it survives for long periods of time and allows a clear differentiation between species.

All the sequences for the ITS2 and COI markers, extracted from adult females, were compared with international DNA sequence databases —Genbank (USA), DDBJ (Japan) and EMBL (Europe). In addition, the mosquitos underwent an Elisa Immunologic Test, in order to establish if the species were infected with the malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax.

The results showed that in La Guajira department, at the Dibulla municipality, where malaria is endemic, there is a predominance of the An. darlingi vector, infected by P.vivax.

In the Meta department, 12 species were identified.

Again, An. Darlingi was the most abundant species, and tested positive in the infection with P.falciparum. Eleven species were found in Putumayo.

August 2010

Unimedios

3

Patricia Barrera Silva,

Photo: personal file

victims every year around the world.

8

Genetics

A decade ago, the publication of the human genome’s first draft amazed the scientific community and revived ancestral dreams, such as finding the cure for some diseases or extending life. The genome sequencing and cartography seemed a panacea, but a decade after, we can see that the discovery was just the tip of the iceberg.

The Curtain of Illusions Screening

Human Genome Research Luis Miguel Palacio,

3

August 2010

The human genome is defined as the totality of the genetic information within DNA of a person, which provides phenotypic expressions (characteristics) of each individual. Since the middle of the XXth Century, when DNA was discovered as the molecule responsible for inheritance, the goal was to establish its structure and then the location of each gene in its respective chromosome. Thus, there could be new information related to various matters, such as disease treatments, improvement of diagnosis and manipulation of inherited characteristics.

In 1983, big advances on individual gene manipulations were the first step towards proposals of multiple studies, among them, analysis of the effects that could have radiation on human DNA. This project, proposed by The United States Department of Energy (DOE), was soon integrated by the National Institutes of Health, leading to a complete study on the genome, which started in 1988 with the creation of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO), and continued in 1990 with a sequencing led by James Watson, co– discoverer of the DNA structure; the study was later entrusted to Francis Collins.

The public consortium —composed by US, UK, France, Germany, China and Japan— committed to deliver the results of what was called Human Genome Project (HGP) in 2005. The American biologist Craig Venter, leading Celera Genomics, a private company, announced that he was going to complete it before and patent hundreds of sequences, with strictly commercial intentions.

Finally, on June 26th, 2000, through the mediation of President Bill Clinton, both Collins and Venter announced –working as a team– the first draft of the human genome from which 97% was deciphered with precision of 85%. On April 13th, 2003, two years before the deadline, diffusion of 99% was announced, with a cost of $2,700 million dollars.

A Curtain of Illusions Even if the project didn’t established a specific schedule regarding the advances after the genome sequencing and that Collins and Venter were very clear with

Jupiterimages

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Unimedios

Gene’s therapy is one of the expectations brought by HGP. According to the National Institute of Health, there are 4,000 different experimental pro-

tocols oriented to replace genes linked to the most common human diseases. their goals (they were only going to provide a draft), the scientific community, some multinational companies and media all around the globe expected that at least a decade after the first “draft,” there would already be significant improvements on gene’s therapy —specially on treatment for certain types of cancer— and new lights on cardiovascular, mental (schizophrenia), and others (hemophilia and diabetes).

It was commonly believed that, by knowing the exact position of a gene within a chromosome at the genome, there could be some direct manipulation to study it improving early diagnosis and research of new medical treatments, which was theoretically, interesting, but which implies

a more profound knowledge of the genome and its interactions.

“The HGP was a discovery of great relevance, with a great number of transformations on the different areas of modern genetics. However, several medical and technological expectations were incentivized by companies with financial interests, which expected great financial benefits. From the beginning, the scientific community was very clear by announcing the HGP as a start point for new technologies and new procedures in personalized medicine,” points out William Usaquén, director of the Population Genetics and Identification Group, at the Genetics Institute from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

The researcher indicates that,

in fact, the genome is a scientific venture that will take several decades to decipher how the complex net of genomic interactions works.

The HGP sequenced all the chromosomes and did an excellent gene mapping, but there is a step to be completed: the study of the variability of human populations, to search for answers regarding behaviors of different genomes within a given environment and generate physiologic adaptations, among them, the resistance to various diseases.

Now, more than ever, it is clear that when Bill Clinton and Tony Blair (then UK’s Prime Minister) announced the draft, scientists didn’t have the information and necessary experimentations to successfully complete a treatment of defective genes or design personalized treatments. The draft was only the beginning of a new era of projects about the genome, which, according to scientists from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, seems to embody the most profound and ancient expectations about manipulation of inheritance, and control of certain aspects, which are still at early stages and imply a profound philosophical discussion.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that there are, close to 4,000 experimental protocols about gene’s therapy orientated to replace genes associated with the most common human diseases.

Genome’s Present and Future The initial mapping of the genome shows location of approximately 30,000 particular genes; for instance those responsible for a great portion of proteins that compose the human body.

In addition, 2,300 genes related to diseases (among the 5,000 described as having genetic antecedents) have been identified. Besides, linked to this project, there has been unprecedented computer developments as well as technology applied to the development of databases, new DNA sequencing technologies, and ways to name and label genes.

HGP allowed us to know about genetic diversity of humans, leading to new endeavors, such as the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), or the HapMap, which evaluates genetic factors that contribute to the individual variability regarding environmental factors.

Genetics

Nothing more Absurd

than to Claim a Gene Patent

Moisés Wasserman, president of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

The discussion between Sulston and Venter is an old one. It started ten years ago, when the human genome was deciphered, for which they won in 2001, together with Francis Collins, the Principe de Asturias Award on Scientific and Technical Research.

According to the President of the Universidad Nacional de Co-

Patents and research restrictions This profusion of patents could reduce research, providing benefits to society, says the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Professor Wasserman agrees with Sulston: this kind of patents constrains the access of persons, companies and institutions, to certain types of knowledge, in this case on something that already exists in nature.

According to Professor Wasserman, the patent must be limited to the last stage, the one in which something new, with a specific goal, is created, but not to the foundations of genome and its knowledge.

To synthesize the genome

is not to “create life”

Agencia de Noticias UN The research group directed by J. Craig Venter didn’t “created life,” as his result has been overstated.

Just as said by the President of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Professor Moisés Wasserman. He explained that what they really did was to take the sequenced genome of a very small bacterium and to implant it into another, replacing the latter’s natural chromosome.

The fact that a “synthetic cell” has been created is still on discussion. What is true is that the study demonstrates the real possibility of synthesizing (to determinate the

exact order in which chemical basis of DNA are disposed) a genome, based on existing information, and to regenerate a cell that will behave according to this information, explained the University’s President.

In his opinion, it’s more a quantitative change than a qualitative one: “Everything we imagine this cell can do in a close future has already been done for several years through other methods, such as genetic transformation.

All transgenic, such as vegetables or bacteria, even animal cells, are completed by introducing smaller molecules within their cells which provides them with new functions.”

Acknowledging the importance of the scientific advance, Professor Wasserman considers that this DNA implant from a bacterium to another could increase transgenesis complexity.

Innovative applications?

Among the expectations that have been generated around the world, by this scientific result, there is the generation of energy and the possible fight of bacteria against climate change. This is not such a novelty, specially when, without creating an “artificial cell”, genetic manipulation allows to complete these applications already.

“Cells consuming CO2 from the atmosphere, degrading oil spills in the sea, producing antibiotics and vaccines, are already being produced, without having to create new cells,” added the President of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

As claimed by Professor Wasserman, Venter and his team opened the door to the production of new combinations that don’t’ exist in nature, in other words, “could theoretically, permit the design of a genome that, with information will allow the cell to reproduce, benefit from energy and live, aside from adding, from other sources, genes that could generate a product or a determinate function.”

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Sulston vs. Venter

lombia, in this race to sequence the genome, Sulston and Collins represented the public sector and aimed for research to be opened to the entire scientific community, while Venter representing the private sector, defended the intellectual property and accelerated the process to the point of creating his own biotechnology company.

The polemic hasn’t come to an end and will remain for a long time.

John Sulston won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for establishing the precise order of the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode’s cells, opening the door to the Human Genome Project.

August 2010

genes. Thus, genomes and natural evolution products’ belong more and more to the public domain.

Genome banks are opened to everyone, and they even provide free services to researchers.”

3

Patents are granted to artificial inventions. To claim exclusivity of a natural evolution’s product, such as genes, is an absurdity.

Thus affirmed molecular biology expert Moisés Wasserman, president of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia —regarding the discussion between the Nobel Prize in Medicine, John Sulston, and the biotechnology entrepreneur, Craig Venter— about patenting the “cell” that Venter allegedly created.

British scientist John Sulston will be visiting Bogotá during November of this year, to participate of an international seminar organized by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, which aims to analyze rights and responsibilities of Scientists and Media regarding science communication. He considers that Venter would have the monopole of gene engineering if he manages to patent his discovery.

“I hope it doesn’t happen,” says Professor Wasserman. In his opinion, “it is absolutely clear that genes should not and can not be patented, even less an alleged “artificial cell” that is just a copy of the previously published transcription of a genome.”

According to the President of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the result of Venter’s experiment —which only advance is to express, for the first time, a synthetic genome on a different bacteria’s cell— is product of a combination from several techniques invented by others; most of them on the public domain. As a matter of fact, the techniques are used in several labs around the world, including those from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Professor Wasserman affirmed that this kind of studies involves almost the whole scientific community; Venter just went a step further. “There is an overwhelming amount of evidence about new genome sequencing, hundreds of organisms which DNA’s sequences have been deciphered and great quantities of gathered information on the functionality and structure of the various products of those

Photo: Ricardo González/Unimedios

Agencia de Noticias UN

9

10 Biofuel

Plastics Made of Milk and Biodiesel Unimedios

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Since 1860, when the first plastics made of natural resins (telephone and radio casings were made out of it) were created in the US. This material turned into the base for hundreds of domestic, commercial and industrial articles. However, its high operation costs prompted the research for new ways to produce those items, such as polymers (substances with many chemically entangled components) extracted from petroleum.

Synthetic plastic emerged from this non–renewable source, which today serves as raw material to build motor parts, electric and electronic appliances, bodyworks, electrical insulators, pipes, waterproofing, bags, bottles, toys, chairs, suitcases, furniture, etc.

Due to the fact that its extraction is rather simple and inexpensive it turned out to be the best alternative for the industry, but not for the environment. Its fabrication process involves great energy consumption, emission of significant amounts of CO2 and great contribution to the greenhouse effect. In addition, articles made of polymers are not biodegradable, which means that they will take years, even centuries to decompose.

After becoming aware of the environmental disadvantages of producing synthetic plastics, the industry started to search for responsible alternatives. Thus, emerged biopolymers (compounds made of renewable sources), obtained from glucose and sucrose (extracted from sugar cane, for instance).

Unfortunately, this idea is not yet successfully implemented because it represents a 40% raise of the total production costs.

Today, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales proposes a new alternative: a biopolymer made of agribusiness residues.

Could Substitute

Petroleum Derivatives A biopolymer used to pack food, make bottles, fibers and biomedical applications could replace synthetic petroleum–based plastics.

The innovative material, more affordable and environmentally friendly, is made of dairy farming waste and biodiesel.

Photos: Andrés Almeida/Unimedios

Ángela María Betancurt Jaramillo,

Inside this machine, with a capacity of 3.5 liters,

trates is completed through bacteria.

fermentation of the subs-

3

August 2010

Milk and Biodiesel Searching for an economically viable product for industries, researchers from the Catalytic and Biotechnological Chemical Processes Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia are producing a biopolymer from raw materials, such as glycerol (a biodiesel derivate) and whey (extracted from milk).

“One of our main goals is to evaluate and benefit from these agricultural residues, generally thrown away. This, in order to elaborate products with added value, without affecting the environment,” explains Javier Mauricio Naranjo Vasco, part of the research group for the Polyhydroxybutyrate Production Study from Agribusiness Residues, led by Professors Juan Carlos Higuita Vásquez and Carlos Ariel Cardona Alzate, from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales.

During the process, experts used a group of microorganisms

The solid biopolymer obtained after processing agronomical waste could be

used to produce environmental friendly products.

*

y is a by–product, generally thrown away. It contains more WheWh

than 25% of the milk’s proteins, close to 8% of fat and approximately 95% of lactose (milk’s sugar). For this reason it is such a waste not to benefit from it.

* erol generated in great amounts during biodiesel producGlycGlyceris

tion. One of the main issues is to employ this by—product that causes great environmental and economic impact within industrial biorefinery. One million 800 thousand liters of biodiesel are produced today in Colombia, an amount that will increase in a near future, according to Colombian biofuel policies.

that had the ability to recognize glycerol and whey among the waste. They feed themselves from these substances and, through a process known as “nutritional stress,” they turn them into a biopolymer.

According to the MS student, in order for the process to occur, it is necessary to manipulate the elements that microorganisms consume —nitrogen, carbon and oxygen— providing them with low quantities in some cases and with excessive quantities in other.

As soon as the bacteria undergo this condition they start to produce the compound, which, at the same time turns into its survival mechanism.

“When bacteria undergo nutritional stress for a certain period of time, they cumulate PHB (nutritious reserve material made of the hydroxybutyrate polymer) within their cytoplasm as a carbon stock.

When they have reached the maximum accumulation of material, we start the separation process,” says Naranjo Vasco.

During this phase, researchers break the microorganisms’ membranes in order to reach the polymer stocks. To extract it, they use a special solvent that is latter isolated, so the obtained material is pure. The result: a hard polymer ready to pass through an additional process that will turn it, according to the needs, in food packing, bottles, fibers, biomedical applications, such as sutures, drug delivery devices, tissue engineering, fracture healing and cell micro–encapsulation, among many others.

The Benefits “Polyhydroxybutyrate are biopolymers with special thermal properties; they are biodegradable, biocompatible and can be produced from renewable sources. They are expected to replace petroleum derivatives, once the technologic infrastructure of polyethylene and polypropylene gets improved,” says the Researcher.

Due to the product obtained by the research group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales, industries working with biodiesel or milk would not have to throw away their by–products; they would be able to sell them, in order to produce the innovative biopolymer, which, in addition of having multiple applications, degrades completely at the end of its lifespan.

Regarding costs, commercialization of raw materials represents a diminution on the total value of the biopolymer fabrication process, which makes it competitive against petroleum.

The project will conclude in two months, during this period, researchers will analyze the three microorganism types in different conditions, in order to have a better reference about the production of each. Thus, they hope to supply industries with this technologic alternative.

Biofuel

Microphyte:

Carlos Andrey Patiño Guzmán,

Unimedios

Algae Production CO2 Solar energy is fundamental to grow algae.

CO2 Tube supplying oxygen and CO2

The proximity of CO2 emitting industries benefits photobioreactors.

Jagged disc that shakes the water to prevent microphyte sedimentation.

Microphytes

Microphyte Producer Pond (Photobioreactor)

Viable algae to produce biofuel: Chlorella and Botryococcus (freshwater) Isochrysis and Nanochloropsis (saline water).

O2

A solution (such as aluminium sulfate) is added in order to enhance algae precipitation.

Algae are retired and dried.

Then the oil extraction process is completed with special solvents.

The resulting substance will be ready to produce biofuel.

a sustainable biofuel source, algae efficiently recycle CO2 from the environment and turn it into oxygen.

So much so that these peculiar aquatic organisms grow better if they are near factories that constantly produce CO2.

The Challenge Researchers Montenegro and Godoy, together with MS student Luis Miguel Serrano, have established the necessary conditions to cultivate algae. At present, they evaluate microphyte’s oil quality.

It is known that the four analyzed species are able to produce great quantities of oil. Now the

goal is to scale up production. Here is where Professor Rubén Dario Godoy plays a fundamental role.

The Chemical Engineer explains that the method to extract oil is relatively easy. “Within the extraction process a specific solvent is needed to separate lipids from algae. Our next step is to find this solvent, which could be part of the biofuel, so the product will be ready to use without any further processing.” (See graphic) Godoy points out that it is very hard to obtain funds for this project. “We don’t have the support from national institutes that should be preoccupied to generate alternative sources of energy.

Countries like Spain or US are very interested in this kind of projects with algae in Colombia. Now we only need governmental support.”

According to data from the National Biodiesel Program, from all the energy consumed in Colombia, only 23.8 percent of it is renewable. The country’s energetic structure goes as follows: 47,61%, petroleum; 23,71%, natural gas; 13,09%, hydropower; 8,60%, bagasse and firewood, and 4,89%, coal.

Around the world, the production of oils with energetic potential focuses on palm, with 28%, soy, 24%, colza, 12%, sunflower seeds, 7%, fat, 6%, cotton and peanuts, each with 3%, and other products 17%.

Microphytes have their place among these products. In fact, countries like Japan are at the forefront of this subject. “In our country there is an assured market because all diesel fuels must be combined with 5% of biofuel.

At short term this percentage will raise up to 10% or even 20%,” explains Godoy.

The challenge is that biofuel extracted from microphytes reaches the profitability level of the palm oil. It is necessary to invest capital to improve the production technique in bioreactors.

We have already been cultivating algae from some time, but only to feed shrimps.”

“Microphytes can turn into an important business for the country and not only as a biofuel,” says professor Montenegro. We have what it needs to succeed: light, plenty of water, a suitable temperature and the knowledge to start.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Colombia may turn microphyte into an important revenue source.

A study from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia found in four types of these aquatic organisms, chemical compounds and growth characteristics that could enhance biofuel production at low costs.

August 2010

Rubén Dario Godoy, researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering embarked himself in the project with Professor Montenegro, in order to open the path of microphyte biodiesel. He forecasts an unobstructed way, due to the current changes on the market.

“Starting in 2015 the European Union will restrict the use of biofuel extracted from palm oil or that doesn’t come from sustainable cultures. Today, in many places around the world, thousands of hectares of woods are cut down to cultivate this tropical plant,” explained Godoy.

The Engineer from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia affirms that the advantage of microphytes is that they don’t require great extensions of land, unlike the oil palm. Therefore, it doesn’t compete with agricultural land or natural reserves, already diminished by palm cultures.

“One hectare of algae produces the same amount of energy that the oil from 10 hectares of palm,” explained professor Montenegro.

In addition, as it was verified in the experimental ponds at La Terraza station, outside Villavicencio (Meta), algae have better productivity because they grow faster.

While a palm tree starts producing oil only five years after being planted, microphyte cultures renew once a week, allowing a permanent production. The reason for this is the efficient photosynthesis of these algae, which benefits from solar energy to grow quickly.

“There are perfect conditions to grow algae in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela: the sun shines 12 hours a day, which is not the case in European countries, climate is stable and, in addition, there is plenty of water, fresh or saline. The Llanos Orientales and the Caribbean Sea (La Guajira in particular), are places with great potential,” affirmed the biologist.

In addition, aside from being

These are the microphyte species used by scientist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia to obtain biodiesel in a profitable way

3

A Sustainable Product

an Alternative to Produce Biofuel

Photo: personal file

Algae are unique within the living world. They are not classified as plants, even if they form green and dense underwater forests.

They are extremely simple from a cellular point of view, but right now they are considered as one of the most promissory organisms for humans.

According to experts, in the mid–term, microphytes could be a source of biofuel for the country, because they are rich in lipids, basic for oily compounds and a raw material to produce biofuel.

For this reason they seem to be an advantageous opportunity to elaborate biodiesel.

For several years, Professor Luis Carlos Montenegro, from the Department of Biology at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, has been studying the amazing microphytes. These organisms are known for their high contents of nutritious omega–3 fatty acid, for being a great medicinal source and for their capacity to consume CO2.

Two years ago, when researchers were looking for Colombian algae able to produce biofuel, they focused in Chlorella, Botryococcus (freshwater), Nanochloropsis and Isochrysis (saline water) microphytes.

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Ciencia 12 Environment Interested in the study, enhancement and conservation of Colombian cultural and environmental patrimony, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia presented one project for a vast botanical garden. The endeavor brings together the main ecologic symbols from the eight campuses of the University, through its 21 faculties, 18 research institutes and 654 labs.

The Biggest Botanical Garden in Colombia Francisco Tafur, Unimedios

Yotoco Forest Reserve This reserve has almost 559 hectares located at Yotoco (municipality of the Valle del Cauca Department) and is under custody of the Palmira Campus. It is one of the last remaining forests protected by the eastern slope of the western mountain range. Its orchid and butterfly collections are one of the most complete in the country.

Plant Hospital Created in 1999 at the Bogotá Campus, the Plant Hospital aims to link the Universidad Nacional de Colombia with the agricultural sector by providing diagnosis of diseases that affect vegetable material (plants), associated with phytopathogenic microorganisms (fungus and bacteria) and virus.

Biotechnology and Agribusiness Pilot Plants

San Andrés Island Botanical Garden

These pilot plants located in Manizales, are intended for research and development on industrial biotechnology, agribusiness and food industry. Their goal is to enhance local competitiveness though support and innovation. Scientists from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia working there produce biofuel and alcohols with high added value from potatoes, blackberries and plantains. They also get to obtain organic acids, oils and colorants from castor oil plants, apples, blackberries and medicinal plants, among other projects.

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It is part of the University’s Caribbean campus and provides a place for research, conservation, recreation and environmental education. It has a great variety of living plants, scientifically organized, and more than 1,800 specimens from 300 species. They are mostly native plants that have contributed to the island’s development, such as Brotchut and Frutepan, consumed largely during slavery times.

Roberto Franco Biological Station

The station is located at the Calderón River Forest Reserve in the Amazonian jungle, where the Universidad Nacional de Colombia has been authorized to complete research since 2006. El Zafire contributes to the knowledge on different kinds of forest, floodplains, white sands and solid ground at the Colombian Amazonia, monitoring vegetation by establishing four different forests on permanent plots.

Photos: Víctor Manuel Holguín, Andrés Felipe Castaño/Unimedios

August 2010

El Zafire Station

3

In the heart of the city of Villavicencio, the station from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia is one of the most important reptile reserves.

Its mission is to protect the Caimán Llanero (Crocodylus intermedius), which is an endangered species; today the station has more than 300 specimens of this, as well as Babillas. It also has more than 40 turtle Colombian species, such as Icotea, endangered because its immoderate consumption, especially during Holy Week.

Environment Ciencia

13

The Arboretum At the Bogotá Campus there are some native species, part of the original flora that covered the Savannah and its surroundings before the urbanization. The Arboretum has valuable woody plants such as oaks and the cedars, edibles as Guamos (Inga spuria), emblematic as the wax palm tree (Ceroxylon quindiuense) and beautiful garden plants such as the Sietecueros (Tibouchina lepidota).

Ecological Path It is a route of 2 kilometers at the Amazonian Campus, with 14 stations in which the visitor can see animal species and all the Amazonian vegetation. There, nature lovers will find an aquarium, a maloca and a viewpoint.

The path has 16 hectares of the biggest rain forest in the world.

Marengo Agricultural Center Located at the 14th kilometer on the road from Bogotá to Mosquera (Cundinamarca), the Marengo farm has 97.4 hectares. Here, technology application projects are developed in order to improve and strengthen in a sustainable and social way, the systems of agricultural production.

Legume cultures, sheds to breed chicken, ovine and bovine cattle, among many others, are some of the attractions of this center.

Orquideas and Palms Arboretum El Volador hill constitutes a “green lung” in the heart of Medellín and a quarter of it belongs to the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Right there, we can find an orchid and palm arboretum. The place offers great potential for development of low impact environmental activities and as an urban park. The campus has 18 hectares and 286 tree and bush species.

Productive Gardens Almost 1,400 square meters of soils are intended to cultivate legumes, such as celery, tomatoes, lettuce and chives —lined by carnations and sunflowers— at the Bogotá Campus. In these gardens, there is also a wide variety of aromatic and medicinal plants, such as thyme, yerba buena, laurel and basil. Various geometrical shapes constituting a sunflower conform the attractive design of these gardens.

Created 50 years ago, the nursery at the Medellín Campus has research areas at different thermal floors: at the warm zone there is the Cotové farm; at the cold one, San Pablo and Paisandú farms; and in the intermediate zone, is located the Campus of the University. This thermal variety allows the nursery to work with a great variety of ornamental, fruit, medicinal, aromatic and forestall species.

This forest, which is part of the Mariquita (Tolima) municipality, is a natural reserve with 110 hectares that served as a laboratory to start the Colombian flora classification project, through the Botanical Expedition. It has more than180 species, such as the Almendron de Mariquita (Caryocar amygdaliferum), Guayacán (Tabebuia chrysantha), laurels, golden shower trees, Arrayanes (Myrcianthes leucoxyla) and Yarumos (Cecropia). In addition, it has an exotic underground world and diverse fauna that can be appreciated on the route.

August 2010

The Nursery

José Celestino Mutis Forest

3

This is an agricultural, demonstrative, experimental and productive center located at the Palmira Campus. It has close to 3.5 hectares, among which 6.35% are built. Its main goal is to incentivize sustainable agricultural development, aiming to bring progress to knowledge and production at regional, national and international scales, with high quality standards, efficiency and efficacy. This farm has produced improved varieties of legumes, such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Mario González Aranda Farm

14 Environment

3

August 2010

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Unimedios

The example may sound excessive, but clearly exposes the situation. “If the native human population from San Andrés (island located in the Caribbean) was diminished, and the government decides to populate the island with people from Antioquia, would it be the same for the archipelago? The answer is no, no matter that they are both Colombians,” says Edna Márquez, from the Animal Biotechnology Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín.

The same occurs with marine species from the Colombian Caribbean. As well as humans, they acquire some characteristics after several years living in a particular place; animals acquire genetic particularities that, according to Márquez, are not usually considered when planning the restocking of species in places where there is a deficiency.

“We analyzed three species: bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus), red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and queen conch (Strombus gigas Linnaeus). The former is affected by a great conservation problem, because its concentrations considerably diminished within the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina archipelago, as well as in the continental Caribbean region.

For this reason, populations are more exposed to endogamy and to a lost of genetic variation,” says the biologist.

The researchers studied genetic variations among the populations settled in diverse areas of the maritime geography. The queen conch case is critical, because in order to improve the density within the banks, populations were relocated. According to the researcher, these solutions may be harmful, because the patterns of the genetic variations remain unknown.

There is a risk of polluting the reserves of each natural region by introducing indiscriminately non– suitable genes to a population.

This can alter ecosystems and in some cases, lead to the extinction of natural reserves. Through conservation work the situation may be prevented.

Edna Márquez says that the descendents (genotypes) of “non– native” species may end up being greater than the ones from local species, which would lead to a hard competition for food and territory.

Another unwanted effect could be the spread of infectious and parasite diseases. The queen conch has a parasite (Coccidio apicomplexa) linked to species characterized by low reproduction. If such organism would extend among various populations, it could get to affect them, because the majority is not prepared to fight it.

“This could be compared to what happened to Native Americans. Their bodies where not prepared to fight back the diseases brought by Europeans. Millions of natives died for this reason,” asserts the scientist.

Genetic Connections According to the study, the red porgy and the queen conch don’t have homogeneous populations in zones where there should be a genetic link. The last happens in the

Restocking of Marine Species Could Affect Native Stocks In the Colombian Caribbean, marine species are being moved in order to populate some places where there is a shortage. A study establishes that indiscriminate relocation of alien species seriously affects the health of native stocks and the conservation of their genetic legacy.

Photo: Víctor Manuel Holguín/Unimedios

Carlos Andrey Patiño Guzmán,

it will be impossible that the efforts for production and conservation of marine species have good results at long term.

If the principles of energetic resources management are not implemented,

San Andrés and Providencia archipelago. The queen conch from the north is different from the one settled on the south.

The researcher explains that, in the south, there is a genetic reserve that goes through Albuquerque, Cayo Bolivar and probably the island of San Andrés; another one, very solid and distinct is in Providencia, Quitasueño, Roncador and Serrana; and there is an additional one in Jamaica, Bajo Alicia, Bajo Nuevo and the Serranilla Cays.

“It’s indispensable to clarify that each reserve has various populations distant from each other.

In those cases, they could be relocated because their characteristics are very similar. But a queen conch from the Jamaica genetic stock should not be put together with one from San Andrés.”

It goes the same with fishes and winkles stocks in the Caribbean littoral. The mollusk population around the Rosario Islands, in Cartagena, is related to the one settled in south of the San Andrés Archipelago. On the contrary, it is not related at all with one from the San Bernardo Archipelago, located at the Gulf of Morrosquillo on the coast of the Bolivar Department.

“Why the queen conch at

the south of the archipelago is not genetically similar to the one from the north, but have a connection with those found at the Rosario Islands?” This question puzzles biologists, such as Edna Márquez.

In the case of the queen conch, in the Rosario Islands, as well as in the south of the archipelago, concentrations have diminished considerably. In those places there are great mollusk exploitations. On the contrary, population is greater on the northern frontier of the Colombian Caribbean Sea. The physical differences are also noticeable. Morphometric studies (form and size) on the porgy, L. synagris, show variations between Santa Marta and La Guajira groups. Regarding the queen conch, researchers used geometric morphometrics (tridimensional measurement), and found disparities in the shell’s shape between the San Bernardo (Bolivar) species and other species settled in the continent and the archipelago.

Incipient Plans Since the 70’s, Colombia has regulations related to the catch of the queen conch. There are bans

during closed seasons, intended to reestablish the population. However, the law permits to capture fishes or winkles under the adult size, even if the haven’t reached their sexual maturity. “The fact that the regulation allows to do this is a countersense,” says Márquez.

The Biologist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia found that the size of these animals is not always an indicator of their sexual maturity. “The lack of adults to drop their gametes ends with the diversity source that sustains the community. Illegal fishing is a matter that is out of reach of control organisms,” asserts the Biologist.

For this reason, when they saw that bans didn’t have an effect, the Autonomous Corporation of San Andrés (Coralina), the Departmental Secretariat of Agriculture and Fishing, and the Marine and Coastal Research Institute (Invemar) decided to repopulate the area by relocating fishes.

Studies, such as the one from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, could help restocking fishes, bearing in mind the complete elements, and therefore respecting fish and winkle native species. It is a two–way street.

News

Photo: Hugo Mantilla-Meluk.

Discovers a new Endangered Bat

Hugo Mantilla-Meluk, biologist

from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and scientist at Texas Tech University.

Hugo Mantilla–Meluk, graduated biologist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, established that a bat specimen previously classified as Anoura geoffroyi, belonged in fact to a new species that he named Anoura Carishina, a new endangered species.

The biologist, also a researcher at Texas Tech University, explained his discovery in the UN Radio broadcast, UN Análisis. “This species was in the collection of the Natural Sciences Institute, from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and, unlike the other eight Anoura species, described years ago, this one presents a noticeable differences in the skull and body.”

The scientist affirmed that “the discovery arose due to the close relation I keep with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia: people at the Natural Sciences Institute are guardians of this knowledge, represented by these species that have been collected through years and with great efforts,” pointed out the Scientist.

“Knowledge from the nature is fragmentary. As we add new data and references, we build a more elaborate comprehension. The specimen had been initially clas-

Internet-Friendly Vital Signs Monitor

Specialists in Bogotá are able to follow patients in areas as far as San José del Guaviare.

Agencia de Noticias UN Bioingenium, a research group from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, developed a vital signs monitor that can be connected to the Web, allowing to examine patients living in remote areas.

“This monitor allows the physician to monitor the patient in real time, even if he or she is in another region. The telemedicine system has been used in intermediate care units, which involve the use of vital signs monitors,” explained the researcher Alfredo Espitia, MS student of Biochemical Engineering at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Through this device, electrocardiographic monitoring, which is intended to check frequency and amplitude of the cardiovascular system, and oximetric monitoring, permitting to check oxygen saturation and blood pressure, can be completed.

“The most important side of this improvement is that, when the patient is in a intermediate care unit, the physician, both generalist and specialist, would be able to follow him, and depending on the medical history and the patient’s evolution, he could provide a better diagnosis,” explained Espitia.

The monitor has been used in areas such as San José del Guaviare.

The specialists monitors patients from Bogotá. “From his medical history, and the data they obtain through the Web, they are able to provide a more precise conclusion,” says the researcher.

Generally in Colombia, vital signs monitors are imported. The Bioingenium group, at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, has been developing its own technology for a long time.

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Nacional de Colombia

sified as Anoura geoffroyi, but after looking through the collection and completing the morphologic analysis, I found that these bats were different from other populations in Colombia and other tropical countries.”

The genre Anoura, which corresponds to certain types of tail– less bats, was initially discovered in Brazil. Among this species are those that feed themselves with nectar.

They are well represented, “even if within mammals it is a particular strategy,” explained the Scientist.

Mantilla–Meluk affirmed that the discovered bat was an endangered species due to global warming, because it is estimated that high mountain ecosystems will be highly affected in one hundred years, and, as a consequence, this species too.

The Biologist says that he’s been working with bats for 15 years. “When I was a student at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, I worked with primates in Amazonia, but one day, in the Natural Sciences Museum, I opened a drawer at the mammal collection and was fascinated by the variety that I found there. Thus my research work began.”

August 2010

Agencia de Noticias UN

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Biologist from the Universidad

15

16 Agriculture

Silvopasture Improves

Meat Quality in Colombia Unimedios

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Since 2006, the stockbreeders’ guild noticed that there was a need to intensify bovine production within the country and suggested to raise the total amount of cattle from 24 million heads on 38 million hectares, to at least 40 million heads on only 20 million hectares.

To achieve this goal, it is essential to identify ways to increase the pastures’ productivity, so they would bear a greater number of heads. According to Rolando Barahona Rosales, Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín, the solution is ready to be implemented: if 10 million hectares are allocated to intensive silvopasture systems (SSpi) of analogous productivity than Leucaena (a variety of bush widely used within agroforestry systems around the world), Colombia would be able to feed the expected 40 million heads.

Professor Barahona is part of the Project of Comparative Analysis of Bovine Meat Production in Silvopastures and Confinement, which is completed at the Agricultural Center in Cotové, with an investment of 1200 million pesos, financed mostly by the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Researchers from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín lead this project with the support of the Cipav (Center for the Research in Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems), the Universidad de Antioquia and Colanta, a milk producer’s cooperative.

Within the study, experts compare the efficiency of both intensive meat production systems (silvopasture and confined fattening), to establish the benefits and identify the characteristics that may be improved. Up to now, results are promissory.

Optimal Use of Natural Resources

In the Agriculture Center in Cotové, at the village of Santa Fe de Antioquia,

10 hectares were established with silvopasture.

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August 2010

Looking for a Better Model Within silvopasture, Gramineae (traditional grass) is combined with pulses such as Leucaena leucocephala, the protein value of its leaves is close to 30 percent, which is higher that the protein value of commercial concentrates (from 14 to 18 percent). The use of pulses is of great importance, given the fact that, among other benefits, this variety of plant fixes nitrogen, diminishing the use of chemical synthesis fertilizers.

The confined fattening is a production system that has gotten very popular, permitting the cattle to stay sheltered and comfortable.

In addition it can easily access the meal, made of highly productive forage that also enhances the soil’s capacity. In fact, it is expected that if it’s properly handled it can bear up to 10 animals per hectare.

The researchers’ goal is to establish which one of these two models adapts better to Colombian conditions, and gives a better use of natural resources with less

time, raising the amount of heads per hectare and reducing methane emissions and the use of fertilizers, contributing to diminish global warming effects.

According to Barahona, “in Cotové there are 10 hectares of SSPi, but they are also evaluating efficiency of this system in two farms located in the Caribbean region. Meanwhile, Colanta tests an intensive fattening system in the village of Santa Rosa de Osos.”

In order to obtain a more tender and juicy meat —fulfilling all international quality requirements— researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia test new productive systems that could transform this economic sector. At the same time that researchers improve pasture with a high protein bush, they feed cattle with a nutritious diet. Results are promissory.

Photos courtesy: César Cuartas Cardona

Gimena Ruiz Pérez,

With the proposed system, a

bovine can grow up to 750 gr per day.

environmental impact and leading to a product with optimal nutritional characteristics.

The evaluation of both systems contemplates a greater production of meat per area. In traditional conditions the average weight gain of an animal oscillates between 200 to 300 grams per day, breeding less than a head per hectare. By establishing the SSpi, they have observed a weight gain of at least

750 grams per day, reaching the goal to feed at least four animals per hectare/year. In other worlds, while in a traditional system they produce between 60 and 80 kg of live weight per ha/year, with the SSpi they reach at least 1.095 kg.

Through this study, researchers not only enhance natural resources, but, through providing a more balanced diet, their goal is to produce better meat in less

“While today, a bovine reaches its slaughter weight in 42 months (around 420 kilos), implementing SSPi, this time lapse will reduce to 21 months: a diminution of 50 percent of the time, which would lead to an improvement in meat’s quality and pastures productivity,” said the professor from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín.

Silvopastures with Leucaena start to be productive 4 months after and have a lifespan of 20 years if handled properly. Studies reveal that a warm and dry climate (such as the one in the Caribbean Region, the most productive region in the country with 40 percent of the country’s cattle) is the best for them, although they are testing its viability in cold and tropical climates.

New Techniques Researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia support their research by using modern tools such as ultra sound technique, a non invasive method permitting to observe modifications of muscular mass within the animal and to obtain a precise radiography on the nutritional changes that affect its development. In addition, it allows establishing at which period of the animal’s productive life begins the deposition of intramuscular or marmoreal fat, a characteristic that determines in a great measure organoleptic properties of meat (taste, juiciness and tenderness) At the same time, they used a method called Alcanos in order to establish the consumption of forages. They will also establish a chromatography method allowing to measure the contents and composition of bovine fat, including the presence of conjugated linoleic acid, a molecule to which is attributed a very positive impact in human health, such a as cholesterol control.

This project, which aims to improve production of bovine meat in the country, complements itself with alfalfa cultures, a very nutritious forage that can be recollected every 30 days and that, with proper soil use, will remain productive between 5 to 8 years.

“Its use, fresh or dry, even if turned into hay, is useful to nourish cattle during drought when the grass production diminishes,” concluded the researcher from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Agriculture

Farmer’s Headache Even though there are several diseases produced by insects or

Essential Oils

Heal Tamarillo

Results show that lemon grass and thyme essential oils don’t deteriorate the growing, nor affect the normal development of plants.

Tamarillo

parasites associated to tamarillo’s root, anthracnose is the most dangerous disease for this culture in Colombia, due to its recurrence and to the ravages it causes.

According to Jorge Bernal Estrada, agricultural coordinator at Corpoica, this disease can spoil between 30 to 35 percent of the production. It also attacks the leaves and the foliage, producing dark spots and injuring the fruit’s epidermis.

Bernal Estrada explained that in order to guarantee tamarillo’s quality, there is only a chemical control available, which is not so effective by itself. For this reason, he considers other methods for an integrate treatment of the disease.

According to Bernal, “a good

Thyme and Lemon Grass Essential Oils • According to the research, application of essential oils is a very attractive method to control diseases, both during and after the harvest. These substances are a complex mix of volatile compounds produced by different parts of the plants, and have been acknowledged for their antibacterial and antifungal properties, helping in the case of tamarillo, to protect it against plagues and diseases.

• Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil presents a main compound: citral. The plant has been appreciated for its lemon smell within the fabrication of flavors and food aromas. Thyme‘s essential oil (Thymus vulgaris) contains thymol, its main compound, having up to 80 percent in some varieties.

cultivation should have wide planting distances, adequate pruning, removal of the inoculum (pathological fungus) and harvesting of all the infected plants so the disease wont’ spread.”

He insisted on the importance of planting fruits in well– lighted areas with low humidity, as well as completing rigorous weekly controls, especially during winter, and once every two weeks during summer.

The experts from the Chemistry of Natural Products and Foods Group pointed out that the synthetic products used to control anthracnose have an important role within agricultural production.

However, continuous and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals with low specificity (used to

fight any kind of pathology instead of a specific one), has produced several inconvenient, such as raise of the production costs, development of resistance from the microorganisms, the presence of pesticide residues in food and, as a consequence, the risks to human health and environment.

“For this reason, essential oils have a great variety of applications. However, our study hasn’t established yet if blooming or pollination are affected or if the fruit’s flavor is modified,” said Carlos Mario García.

To reach this goal, a new study will soon be accomplished in vivo, to determine the most effective formulas so lemon grass and thyme essential oils become applicable.

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• Also known as tree tomato, it is a native fruit from the Andes. Colombia is the country with the greatest production (especially in the departments of Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Tolima and Valle), even though Venezuela, Ecuador and Philippines also cultivate it.

• According to Agronet’s (information and strategic communication network of the agricultural sector) data, the tamarillo national production has been reduced. In 2008, it reached 100 thousand tones, while in 2007, it reached more than 120 thousand tones.

August 2010

Traditionally, essential oils from thymus and lemon grass have been used as condiments or even domestic disinfectants in mouthwashes or soaps. Nevertheless, a study developed by Chemist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín established that these plants have an additional property: they effectively fight anthracnose, a sort of cancer produced by species of the phytopathogen Colletotrichum fungus.

The disease is considered as one of the most devastating within tamarillo cultivations and even within other fruits, such as papaya, mango, avocado and strawberry, among many others. The fight against this disease represents at least 20 percent of the total budget of tamarillo producers.

According to Pablo Julían Tamayo, agricultural researcher at Corpoica (Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research), “if there are traces of the disease, from every 100 kilos, 20 or 25 could be affected by the fungus.

A producer may invest between 1 and 2 million pesos to protect 10 thousand trees.”

“The costs rise according to the dimension of the cultivation.

In the North Altiplano (Antioquia), where there are more cultivations, the disease is more aggressive than in other areas such as La Ceja or La Unión, where this fruit is produced in lesser amounts,” said the expert.

The members of the Chemistry of Natural Products and Foods Group evaluated the antifungal activity (capacity to prevent the fungus to grow or even to annihilate it) of thymus substances (Thymus vulgaris), lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and its main active ingredients, thymol and citral, against the Colletotrichum acutatum species, the fungus that causes the pathology.

In order to evaluate the eventual toxic effects that may have such essential oils after being applied on tamarillo plants affected by the lethal fungus, researchers implemented a method that included the application of drops on specific areas of the leaves and the aspersion of substances during short intervals.

Likewise, the substances were applied on a stub of the fungus C. acutanum (donated by the Phytopathology lab at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and morphologically and genetically characterized) and the host plants, aiming to establish if it is innocuous over these and, at the same time, have a lethal effect on the fungus. “These are important aspects to keep in mind when a fungicide is to be applied on fields,” affirms Carlos Mario Pajón (chemist), who points out that the tests were completed on leaves kept in the lab.

Results show that the essential oils don’t deteriorate the growing, nor the normal development of the plants. Meanwhile, they prevent sporulation, which is the fungus’ spore germination. “This is a very efficient way to attack the disease,” said the Professor.

Anthracnose, a sort of cancer that attacks tamarillo, has a new adversary. Researchers found, through lab testing, that substances extracted from thymus and lemon grass counteract the fungus that produces the disease.

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Unimedios

Personal file

David Andrés Calle,

17

18 Agriculture

“Insecticide” Wasp against

Harmful Whitefly

Farmers from Regaderos (Valle del Cauca Department) have the solution for a problem within their cultures: Amitus fuscipennis, a wasp that visits vegetables to extract their sugars, and controls at the same time the whitefly, a bug that causes big environmental, economical and social prejudices in the area.

Luis Fernando Riascos Escobar,

essential to determine the plant species and their characteristics, in order to implement a natural control strategy.

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August 2010

Regaderos is located in the municipality of El Cerrito, where there is a profusion of small vegetable farmers, such as red and green beans, which implies the presence of various harmful bugs.

For this reason, a research group from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Palmira made an inventory of plants surrounding those cultures, and studied the biological pest controllers (other insects) that visit them. The last is essential to implement an alternative to fumigation.

By introducing the plague’s natural enemy in the ecosystem, pesticide’s function is complemented or substituted. This is known as biological control, which solves in addition issues presented in fumigation techniques, such as raise of environmental problems and economic inefficiency, produced by its low impact on the target plague. Aerial application is a perfect example of it.

Studies completed at the Integrated Center for Social Management and Control in California (US) established that more than 40% of those pesticides drop outside the target area, 15% out of the plantation and 41% far from the insect, which through its respiratory and digestive system absorbs less than 1% of the total amount.

In addition, the research points out that only 0,03% of the used pesticides is absorbed by plagues that attack bean plantations and 0,02% by the ones that devastate cacao plants.

The problem lies on the fact that “today, plagues have developed resistance against several pesticides, an issue that the farmer generally tries to solve by increasing the dose, which implies greater dose and bigger investments,” says Luis Miguel Hernández, undergraduate student of Agronomic Engineering, and part of the research team that was in the rural zone of El Cerrito.

This is the case of species Trialeurodes vaporariorum, known as whitefly, a plague that regularly colonizes ecosystems over 1,000 meters above sea level, such as Regaderos. It has shown resistance to insecticides made of methamidophos and cypermethrin, available on the market and frequently used by farmers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) confirmed that more than 520 insects and close to 110 sorts of weed are resistant to pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.

A New Strategy If a wasp from the species Amitus fuscipennis, very common

Sugar: a Great Appeal for Wasps

Photos: personal file

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Unimedios

within mountainous areas in Valle del Cauca, lays an egg inside the whitefly when the later is still at nymph stage, it kills it, playing the role of a parasitoid or a pest controller agent. Even though the lethal effect is not noticeable at first, as it occurs with the insecticide, farmers should consider costs’

reduction and environmental benefits.

The study established that the wasp serving as a controlling agent is present on 30 percent of the surrounding plants or within the cultivation itself. In addition, 20 percent of these bugs were at adult stage. For this reason it was

Researchers visited the cultures once a week during a year and demarcated a random area to pick up plant samples both inside and outside (from plants at a distance of three meters) the cultivation. In the herbarium at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Palmira, they were classified according to their families and species.

Researchers found species such as, Citharexylum kunthianum (palo blanco), Iresine diffusa (pluma), Austroeupatorium inulifolium (salvia amarga) and Delostoma integrifolium (guayacán morado).

Farmers consider those plants as weeds, ignoring that they are a source of cure against the harmful effects of the whitefly within their cultures, points out the Agronomic Engineering student. A natural solution at the reach of the farmers was being wasted.

According to Professor María del Rosario Manzano, chief of the study, in which also participates her colleague Joel Tupac Otero, “the fact that wasps remain in these plants is related to their sugar producing structures, from which the insects seem to feed themselves.”

The complete verification of this hypothesis is yet to be completed, because researchers found sugar in the wasps’ digestive system, through a technique called HPLC (High–performance liquid chromatography), in order to compare it with the one from the plant.

What is already established is the correlation between the presence of this kind of vegetation and the wasp that completes biological control of the whitefly. In addition, the research team settled the foundation for a new study that tries to determinate the wasp’s dispersion distance to the cultivation, aiming to advice farmers in a proper way about the distance at which they should keep plants, said Professor Manzano.

She added that this biological control has two effects: first, conservation effect because it maintains the plant so the parasite can feed itself. Then there is a manipulation of the habitat because they should plant it at an adequate distance so the wasp presence is assured. Unfortunately, practices such as herbicide application destroy this valuable vegetable resource.

The new challenge for the research group is to reach the community, complemented with an awareness campaign, maybe collecting support from social sciences disciplines and State Institutions.

Innovation

According to related literature, animals consuming fresh pastures have higher levels of linoleic acid than those that remain confine. Our first analysis was to establish the concentrations of those substances in Colombian milk and determine the benefits of its production –through silvopasture– compared to Europe and US’ production, which is completed in confinement,” said Juan Carulla, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Breeding at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Researchers took samples from several farms in the Bogotá Savannah, then established that, in average, Colombian milk contains between 2.5 and 3 times more CLA than milk from other countries where cattle remains confined. “However, we saw that the concentration was not uniform, in other words, there were variations among farms,” said Carulla.

With these results on hand, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia started three additional studies: the first one looks to characterize Colombian milk in order to determine areas according to

Milk that Helps

Preventing Cancer the grass and cattle that presents the highest levels of CLA in their milk; the second one, lead by ICTA, intends to transform and produce food rich in CLA. “Up to now, results are promissory. While the average concentration of CLA in the US and Europe is around 5 mg per gram of fat, in Colombia we have an average of 22 to 25 mg per gram of fat. A considerable difference,” said Carulla.

According to the Professor, the highest levels have been found in Antioquia and Ubaté (Cundinamarca), the main milk producer areas.

Regarding the feeding process, researchers found out that when local by–products rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as rice flour, are added to the animal’s diet, the levels of CLA increase.

Due to the fact that with rice flour, levels of CLA in the milk have augmented up to 30 p e rc e n t ,

the University’s goal together with the Ministry of Agriculture is to stimulate industry to commercialize products that are rich in CLA and to compete in the market of foods with good incidence on health.

The project is developed together with a national dairy company, looking for a market that would benefit those small producers managing to increase levels of linoleic acid in their dairy farms.

“From an international perspective, there could be additional opportunities, because, right now, the country has a milk surplus. It is possible that the international market will pay a differential value on milk containing higher levels

of this compound. Then we will compete with countries that have implemented silvopasture, such as New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay,” added the expert.

The Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Breeding from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia pointed out that the path to produce more nutritious milk has been defined.

“Colombia has comparative advantages against other countries that haven’t integrated the potential milk market, a product that with a high level of CLA would have a greater added value,” concluded the Scientist.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

A Study from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Manipulation of the animal’s diet is one of the main techniques that have prompted a raise in the milk’s CLA levels.

August 2010

Unhealthy food consumption and the effects it produces in the body are subjects that keep bringing attention on the relation between nutrition and health.

Animal fat has been studied thoroughly. According to nutritionists, it is harmful for humans because it contains high levels of cholesterol, trans and saturated fatty acids, which increase cardiovascular risk. Ruminants’ milk contains more than 400 varieties of these substances.

However, one of those substances, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is very positive for human health. During the late 70’s, researcher Michael Pariza, director from the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, discovered the anti–cancer properties of this compound.

Since then, through in vitro and in vivo experiments in rabbits, rats, mice, fed chickens and pigs, CLA has shown additional benefits, such as carcinogenetic inhibition within breast, colon, prostate and gastric cancer.

Likewise, it has been established that it reduces “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels, and increases “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels in blood, reducing fat accumulation within the body, has antioxidant and anti–inflammatory effects, improves immune response, and enhances mineralization of bone and anti–diabetic effect.

CLA can be found in most animals and vegetables, but in low concentrations. It reaches 5.5 mg/g of fat in milk, while bovine meet contains 4.3 mg/g, a similar amount can be found in sheep, goat and buffalo.

For this reason, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Breeding and the Food Science and Technology Institute (ICTA) at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, completed a study aiming to increase levels of this compound in milk.

By adding rice flour in the bovine’s diet (among other strategies), researchers from the Universidad de Nacional Colombia are looking to increase levels of linoleic acid within milk. This substance helps preventing breast, prostate and stomach cancer.

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Unimedios

Photos Víctor Manuel Holguín/Unimedios

Francisco Tafur,

19

20 Innovation Unimedios

If you are among those who don’t pay attention to skin allergies that emerge without an apparent reason once in a while because you think that is due to some food that your organism didn’t assimilate; or if you ignore the inflammation in your muscles because you think resting will be enough for a while, you better consider visiting a specialist.

Lupus, scleroderma and dermatomyositis don’t give a break; these pathologies have no cure, so they must be diagnosed at an early stage in order to reduce the consequences.

In Colombia, around 220.000 persons, especially women, suffer from lupus, a disease that affects connective tissue, which supports and links other tissues and organs.

Its main symptoms are inflammation and a sort of rash in the shape of a butterfly, which appears generally on the face; nevertheless the disease can affect heart, lungs, kidneys and nervous system.

Dermatomyositis is a contagious infection, which presents symptoms such as allergies and muscle inflammation. Generally it affects children between five and fifteen years old (juvenile dermatomyositis). It seems to have its origin on a muscular viral infection or an immune system problem.

On the other hand, collagen (natural protein) accumulation produces scleroderma, which leads to rigidity and inflammation on fingers and joints. It can also affect skin, muscles and internal organs. This problem frequently affects women between 30 and 50 years old.

According to Felipe Jaramillo Ayerbe (dermatologist), “those are vascular diseases on the connective tissue, autoimmune and rheumatologic, which affect blood vessels at the eponychium (cuticle). Even if they are not very usual, they are chronic and hard to detect, and the patient needs to be constantly examined.

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August 2010

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Capillaroscopy One of the most used techniques intended to study these diseases is the capillaroscopy of the connective tissue, which allows to observe the relation between conjunctival inflammation (membranes), and the presence of knots on the capillaries, through optical magnification (dermatoscopy).

The technique was discovered 200 years ago by an Italian physicist; since then, several researchers worked to improve it, but only in 1973 it got popular due to several scientific publications.

According to Juan Carlos Riaño, professor and researcher at the Development of New Materials Group from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales, “few diagnosis techniques combine capillaroscopy properties: it’s non invasive —the exam is pain free—, it has high sensibility, optimum specificity, low cost, and allows specialists to easily interpret results.”

For this reason, Riaño and his research team (among them Flavio Prieto and Édgar Sánchez), gave a different nuance to the technique by developing a software that characterizes and classifies digital images of capillary under normal and abnormal conditions, in a easy way, detecting in few

Software Helps Identifying

Severe Skin Diseases

Photos: Andrés Almeida/Unimedios

Ángela María Betancurt Jaramillo,

A precise and non invasive technique developed at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales will allow detecting skin diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma or dermatomyositis, in just six minutes. minutes the disease that affects the patient.

A group of medical specialists from the Universidad de Caldas, led by Jaramillo Ayerbe (dermatologist), helped to complete the research.

Click The research’s first step consisted on taking the samples: finger photos from more than 200 persons from Manizales, some of them affected with the diseases concerned by the study (lupus, scleroderma and dermatomyositis).

Then, they developed an image acquisition protocol, that consists of a preprocessing phase (in which the blood vessels are brought out through coloring techniques), then, a segmentation phase (in which the image is framed according to the interested area). The idea is to measure within each capillary segment, the characteristics providing information to classify anomalies: width, height, perimeters, areas, curvatures and tortuosity (abrupt chan-

ges on the capillary extremities), among others.

“Once the image is in black and white, the software starts to determine its characteristics (around 106), which allows the specialist to establish differences among clinical patterns: amount of white zones within the image, width, the curved or vascular ones (where there is a missing capillary), etc.

With this information, the dermatologist will be able to determinate the kind of disease that affects the patient,” affirms professor Riaño.

To speed up results, the software functions with a characteristics’ dimensional reduction technique, through the optimization in line search, which helps obtaining the most relevant characteristics from each pathology.”

Just with a Single Finger The examination (capillaroscopy of connective tissue) involves a microscope with a high resolution camera that photographs the upper section of the cuticle (epon-

ychium) from the patient’s middle and ring finger.

For a better diagnosis, it is recommended not to cut the cuticle for at least 15 days previous to the exam, so the area wont be damaged and to avoid the capillary to be contracted or hidden, and hemorrhages that could change the results.

The next step for the dermatologist is to upload the pictures in the computer and then press a button so the software starts to process information. In only 6 minutes, results will be ready, showing the most probable disease.

The capillaroscopic images turn into an efficient diagnosis method. And even if the project is at its last phase, researchers keep completing the software’s database, because in order to commercialize software in the field of medicine, it is necessary to have a great patient’s database.

Based on this platform, the research team form the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, is planning to design a tool that would allow detecting skin cancer.

Innovation

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New System Will Allow to Diagnose Faster

the Attention Deficit Disorder in Children The identification of the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or AD/HD), a long and expensive procedure, could turn into a quicker, more efficient and less expensive evaluation, due to an innovative diagnosis system based on mathematics.

Fanny Lucía Pedraza Valencia,

“Starting with these techniques, it is possible to extract more information separately to identify the disorder. However, it is also necessary to study the topology, adjustable parameter algorithms and the best statistic for the specific problem. These techniques are developed through mathematical models,” says the Electric Engineer Paola Alexandra Castro Cabrera, MS student of engineering–Industrial Automation at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales, and researcher at the project.

Unimedios

To complete the analysis it’s necessary to stimulate brain activity through sounds.

After the brain’s electrical activity is analyzed, researchers filter the signal noise and chose the parameters to diagnose AHDH.

August 2010 3

First, the patient undergoes a brain “choc,” completed through electrodes connected to his head, then, 200 different stimuli in order to evaluate the response.

“The noise signal is processed and the frequency, length and wave duration parameters get extracted; then they pass through pattern recognition algorithms.

Thus, researchers chose those signals that help differentiating between what is normal and what is pathologic, to obtain models that link the dynamics of such signals to the presence or absence of the ADHD pattern,” affirms Castro.

While this procedure allows a more effective diagnose, the use of signal processing techniques for brain activity analysis, through CEP, helps to improve treatments that should be prescribed to patients presenting ADHD. According to Francia Restrepo de Mejía, “with this procedure, we’ll be able to create a diagnose center sponsored by the Departments’ Secretary of Health and Education, in order to improve the reliability of the coverage on the analysis.”

Because this research aims to benefit children of low income populations (presenting the related symptoms) in order to complete the tests they will be remitted by doctors from the Caldas Child Hospital and education institutes from underprivileged urban zones in Manizales.

After the first phase of the project is completed, and the diagnosis assisted system gets tuned, the research group will aim to consolidate the software allowing to complete projects in other Colombian cities.

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Stimulus–Response

Photos: Andrés Almeida Guano/Unimedios

ADHD is a common condition on child development. Its prevalence goes between 5% and 17% of the population and affects boys 3 times more than girls.

The symptoms of this neurobehavioral syndrome, which in some cases goes beyond adolescence, are lack of concentration, constant mobility and impulsivity, explains Francia Restrepo de Mejía, PhD and Researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Manizales.

ADHD is produced by a lack of oxygen within blood at birth, genetic problems or developmental disorders. Its clinical study is completed through neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques, but relies greatly on the specialist’s interpretation.

In addition, there are costs of these specialized services, which are not accessible to low–income persons, limiting opportune diagnosis of the condition, which is normally confused with behavioral disorders, indiscipline and low academic performance, among others.

In consequence, and aiming to obtain a more precise analysis, researchers from the Signal Control and Digital Processing Group, at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales, associated with the Neurosciences Group at the Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, created an assisted diagnose system, based on the study of the dynamics of the Cognitive Evoked Potential (CEP).

“It is a tool that helps specifying medical diagnosis through mathematical analysis of neurophysiological waves (the nervous system behavior),” explains Restrepo.

CEP are complex responses to relations between physiological and mental activities on an individual. Its conventional evaluation is completed through precise wave constituent values (a graphic allowing to visualize cerebral changes of the patient), and through time—frequency techniques.

This project aims to analyze the signal based on stochastic dynamic modeling techniques (randomly chosen processes that can only be determined through statistic) and linear dynamical systems.

22 Innovation Beer, fertilizer and oil industries, among many other big environmental polluters, will have a reactor at their disposal to treat all of their waste, even the most dangerous ones.

Stocking of industrial waste has always been a problem, not only for its toxicity, but because it is a demanding task. A reactor or aerated bio–battery created by researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín, could solve this problem.

Industrial Waste Reactor David Andrés Calle,

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It consists on a degradation system for organic matter (such as vegetal residues), that profits from the drafts, generated by temperature differential, to increase the oxygen level within the decomposition, in a process enhanced by ventilation tubes.

Edison Alexánder Agudelo, chemical engineer and MS student on Environment and Development at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín, explained that, “within composting, organic matter degradation of food residues could take one or two months. With the bio–battery, the time lapse would get reduced.”

The prototype, made at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, is ready to be used. Organic fertilizers, oil and beer industries, among many others, could benefit from this technology to produce environmental friendly residues.

“The dispositive can treat any kind of industrial organic residue, diminishing its toxicity. This would allow it to be used in sanitary landfills, dumps, and as soil conditioners,” pointed out Santiago Alonso Cardona Gallo, Professor at the Earth Science School at the Faculty of Mining.

The reactor is an innovation because it profits from the thermal changes to expand the air drafts within the bio–battery. This will allow it to increase oxygen levels, stimulating the microorganisms so they could degrade at a faster pace the organic matter from dangerous and non dangerous residues. Thus, “the pollution of water sources, due to industrial waste, would get reduced and at the end of the process we will dispose of the fertilizer,” explained Cardona.

Photo: personal file

Unimedios

The aerated bio-battery is a system that degrades organic matter (or compost), using drafts to increase the oxygen

levels within the process.

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August 2010

A Solution for Industry Luis Aníbal Sepulveda, manager of the Dangerous Waste Management Project with emphasis on Heat Treatment and Final Disposal on Land Fill Security, at the Colombian Infrastructure Chamber, explained that in Colombia, around 30 thousand tones of ordinary residues, coming from homes, shops, institutions and industries are produced every day. For instance, Valle de Aburrá produces alone approximately 15 thousand tones of debris every day, and cities such as Bogotá, 50 thousand.

The estimations are alarming if we bear in mind that the country produces 500 thousand tones of harmful medical waste every year, which is 1350 tones per day,” he added.

Even if they are less abundant than ordinary residues, they are not a smaller problem. For this

reason, the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territory Development stated, through Decree 4741 from 2005, the management, accounting, treatment and disposition of dangerous waste. The regulation compels the industry to report quantities of residues they generate, its characteristics and the way they deal with them.

For instance, to incinerate soils contaminated with dielectric oil (produced by electrical transformers) implies an investment of 1.700 pesos per Kg. According to Sepúlveda, conventional incineration, neutralization and disposition treatments of security disposals of industrial waste could cost around 3 thousand pesos per Kg. This means that a tone costs 3 million pesos; some industries produce each month up to five tones of dangerous residues.

“The reactor made at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia would allow a quick recovery of soils polluted with these kinds of substances, starting from a more affordable technology, if compared to transport and disposition costs in a security landfill.”

Industrial Waste Studies from the Ministry of Environment demonstrate that, in Colombia, there are around 398 thousand tones of harmful waste (inflammables, toxic or pathogenic), most of them from chemical industries, are produced every year.

Yuan Kuan, chemical engineer at the National Center for Cleaner Production, explained that “35% of these residues are by–products from resin, paint, plastics and petroleum derivatives industries.”

The expert points out the

vagueness around the residue’s final disposition, “most of them end up at sanitary landfill, but there isn’t any kind of action to assure the final process.”

“Colombia has a security disposal located in Cundinamarca, and some main cities have waste incinerator furnaces. However, it seems that most of the industrial residues are still waiting to be analyzed in order to establish their characteristics, composition and danger. Researchers are looking to evaluate their environmental viability and the way to prevent them.”

Yuan Kuan, defender of clean production, endorsed the reactor by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia: “a non controlled incineration could be more dangerous than the residue itself, because dangerous (even carcinogen) compounds could be liberated into the atmosphere.”

News Agencia de Noticias UN

Photo: personal file

Palm Oil Residues: a Source to Produce Bioethanol

Bioethanol could be obtained from palm oil residues.

Researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidad de Antioquia work together aiming to obtain bioethanol from lignocellulose residues coming from oil palm extraction.

These kinds of residues, generated in all agribusiness, are vegetal materials that remain after extracting oil from the African palm products, which have turned into an environmental issue, because they are not properly managed and stored.

Just as explained by Mario Evelio Arias Zabala, professor at the Chemistry School of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín, through fermentation of lignocellulose residues previously treated with acid and enzymatic hydrolysis (decomposition of complex organic substances by acids or enzymes), bioethanol could be produced.

“Lignocellulose residues are constituted by three components: lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses; all three can be isolated. Right now we are obtaining the hemicelluloses fraction, the one we’ll use for fermenting and to produce alcohol,” said the Professor.

Both the Bioprocess Group from the Faculty of Engineering at the Universidad de Antioquia, led

by Professor Juan Carlos Quintero, and the Industrial Biotechnology

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Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellín, led

by Mario Arias, have seen in this research a great application within the industry. Especially because around the world, production of environmental friendly new alternative fuels from renewable sources, is being promoted.

According to the study developed by both Universities, Colombia has extended the production of palm oil, aiming to produce biodiesel.

The process begins with the extraction of palm oil, where great amounts of lignocellulose residues are generated.

In 2008, the net production of palm oil in the country was of 775.500 tones. According to Fedepalma (National Federation of Oil Palm Cultivators), the expansion of the culture in Colombia keeps a sustained growth. In the mid 60’s, there were 18.000 hectares dedicated to this culture, today there are more than 270.000 hectares in 73 municipalities.

The departments with a greater area dedicated to oil palm cultures are Meta, Cesar, Santander, Magdalena, Nariño, Casanare, Bolivar, Cundinamarca and Norte de Santander, respectively.

“For this reason, the research is very pertinent; if we develop adequate processes, they could be adapted to deal with other kinds of residues,” concluded Mario Evelio Arias Zabala.

With Patience, It Is Possible to Save Páramos

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for young specimens.”

Gómez affirms that one of the methods for successful relocation of native plants is to plant atypical species at the páramo, Lupino bogotensis, which is a good nitrogen fixative for the soil, helping neighboring native species to properly settle at experimental plots.

“We have seen a change on the composition of species, and there is a raise among native ones, due to aerial dispersion or because they have managed to settle at the created micro–areas,” says Pilar Angélica Gómez.

So far, 80% of the relocated plants have survived. The three researchers from the Department of Biology agree in the fact that their work should be backed up by several public and private institutions due to the fragility of páramos.

In the case of Chingaza the preoccupation lies in the fact that this place is one of the biggest water reserves in Bogotá, for this reason we all share the responsibility.

The Páramo de Chingaza is one of the main water reserves for Bogotá.

August 2010

disturbed areas, in order to propitiate new processes leading to restoration. I’m completing essays with two common species from dry páramos: the high mountain Agrotis (a variety of grass) and frailejones,” says Rojas.

At present, the strategy has given good results, due to the fact that the experimental plots at degraded areas start to look like the original páramo.

Rójas affirms that the restoration processes within this kind of ecosystems are slow, as a consequence, the researches are designed for a long term. In addition, we must learn to adapt to climate changes by adjusting the research methods and the experiments.

In the meantime, Biologist Pilar Angélica Gómez completes tests on the páramo’s soil quality. “First, I study the way in which the soil responds after mechanical removal of vegetation and grass at the field. Then, we add soil from non– disturbed areas. Finally we analyze the interactions of plants, looking

Photo courtesy: GREUNAL

Studies completed by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia demostrate that is possible to restore ecosystems such as the Páramo de Chingaza: foreign vegetation could help native plants to spread on the area.

Two years ago, a group of MS Biology students (at the ecology branch) have been developing experiments to determinate a solution in order to restore the original vegetation of the Páramo de Chingaza.

Frailejones (Espeletia genre) and Chusques (known as páramo’s bamboo) have lost ground in Chingaza, due to the advance of the agricultural frontier and the rise of cattle breeding. These plants are part of the natural system allowing to capture water; páramos are known as sources of this valuable liquid.

The task hasn’t been an easy one due to drastic climate changes that affect the studies and the

the young Biologist Jennifer Insuasty.

“There is still a lack of knowledge on páramos basic ecology in order to formulate an adequate treatment. My work consists on monitoring chusque’s growth after some induced disturbance, cutting and controlled scorching, to observe its response,” explains Insuasty.

The researcher observed that regarding normal climate changes, chusques responds well, but during dry seasons the plant suffers more than frailejones. Óscar Rojas, researcher at the Ecological Restoration Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, affirms that there role is to create a strategy to relocate native vegetal species to recuperate the most degraded areas at the páramo, where there is a lack of seeds and sprouts production, due to a shortage of autochthonous vegetation.

“I relocate plants from places that are moderately preserved to

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Agencia de Noticias UN ecosystem’s natural cycles, affirms

24 News

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Looks for US Support to Build the Tumaco Campus Agencia de Noticias UN

Photo courtesy: Phelps Stokes

A commission from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, lead by the University’s president, Moisés Wasserman, visited Washington, aiming to get support from US organizations in order to build a campus in the city of Tumaco.

“The purpose of this trip –in collaboration with the Phelps Stokes foundation– is to introduce to several American and international authorities our project for a campus in Tumaco. The project makes part of the University’s inclusive policy. The Institution has already built different campuses in other remote places in the country, and now wants to open a campus at the heart of the Afro–Colombian communities, to provide them with high quality education,” pointed out the President in a meeting with representatives from the mentioned foundation.

Phelps Stokes’ mission is to respond to the educative needs of poor populations from rural and urban areas in Africa, Latin America and the US, paying special attention to African descendents

and indigenous communities. The foundation also maintains agreements with several high education institutions in Colombia, such as the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

“Tumaco is located in an area denominated Choco Geográfico, which is part of the Colombian Pacific Forest, where there is a high preponderance of African descendents. It is also an area where the State presence is scarce, with high poverty levels and where social progress is one of the lowest in the country. It is then a key area within the fight for equality and social inclusion of Colombian ethnic groups. This is the most important reason for which the Universidad Nacional de Colombia wants to make its presence felt, with its educative programs in the area,” added Professor Wasserman.

The delegation from the University also met with important organizations such as the World Bank, the Inter–American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, as well as various US congressmen.

A commission from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia visited Washington, looking to consolidate the construction of the new campus in Tumaco.

First Results on Coltan in Colombia

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August 2010

www.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/english-news

Agencia de Noticias UN Matices, a publication of Unimedios (Communications Unit at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia) talked to the protagonists of the first geological study about the “blue gold,” based on modern technologies around the world in Colombia. Results are promissory.

Coltan jumped in the spotlight few months ago, when President Hugo Chávez ordered to militarize the frontier between Colombia and Venezuela after finding deposits of this compound; which was also blamed for being the cause of a war in Congo.

Besides the ephemeral “fame” of this peculiar mineral, we know that, Guainía indigenous communities, (settled at the East of Colombia) have been looking for something else than gold. Now, when they wash away the black sand —that they collect from the river— at the bottom of their pots, they search for grayish, hard and heavy crystals, which are coveted by people from Venezuela and Brazil.

Their ancestral wisdom warns them that they are being swindled, but, since they don’t’ know a thing about these stones, nor the reason why they are so coveted, some leaders searched for scientific support. And now for more than a year, they have been assisted by

Cover of the 16th edition of Matices.

experts from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Three young Geology students, eager to explore minerals that could be of economical relevance for Colombia (aside of petroleum) took the responsibility. They embarked on a long journey in the middle of the risky Amazonian rainforest, navigating in unstable rafts at Inírida and Guaviare rivers.

Then they collected samples of the mysterious crystals at the territory of Matraca and Caranacoa (in Gui-

nía) communities, wondering if this could be the famous coltan.

The meticulous geological analysis completed at the labs of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with the help of German Mineralogist Thomas Cramer, showed that the samples contained iron and titanium, but that they were mostly made of tantalum and niobium, two metallic substances that today are the base of modern technologies on telecommunications. Their multiple applications

include nanotechnologies: mp3 players, televisions, portable computers, mobile phones, which, due to coltan, now weight 100 grams (without this material they would weight two kilos) In addition, it is used to build pipelines, nuclear reactors, missiles, airplanes, etc.

Bearing in mind that the substance known as coltan is not a single mineral, as it was common belief, but a word used in Africa to name a group of minerals with of tantalum and niobium, the partial results obtained by studies at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia indicate that it is in fact coltan.

It’s not really a discovery because these mineral compounds are not as rare in Colombia as it was common belief. Despite of their qualities, they have remained unnoticed in a country that just begins to build a scientific and trustful database about the origin, distribution and characteristics of this substance.

Matices, talked to Amed Bonilla, José Alejandro Franco and Zeze Amaya, whom, together with Professor Thomas Cramer, their mentor, obtained the first results about the “blue gold.”

To watch Matices digital edition visit: http://historico.agenciadenoticias.unal.edu.co/matices/