INTRODUCTION
Research in biotechnology is rapidly expanding worldwide, and biotechnology is one of the important areas of scientific research that are key for the future development of Mexico. The Biotechnology Division carries out creative, innovative research projects directed towards the use of plants, microorganisms, and microalgae, and the manipulation of their genetic information, to produce goods and services relevant to Mexican society, as well as to protect the environment, and to promote economic growth.
Mission
To contribute in solving relevant problems for the Mexican industrial sector through scientific research, development of technology and education in biotechnology, working closely with the surrounding environment.
Vision
The be a group of researchers in biotechnology able to generate technologies that can assist in solving relevant industrial problems, so as to contributing with the sustainable development of the country and socioeconomic wellbeing of the population. To educate and train world-class biotechnologists in its postgraduate program, generating academics with a sense of ethics, humanitarian principles and community service. To participate at the regional, national and international levels in defining scientific policy and decision-making relevant to biotechnology,.
RESEARCH AREAS
1. Agrobiotechnology
Researchers in this area carry out projects aimed at developing efficient, low-cost methodologies for mass clonal propagation of in vitro cultured plants from high performance parent lines. They also apply molecular techniques for genetic improvement of plants such as agaves, cedar, banana, papaya, orchids and coconut. This research line makes use of the most advanced technologies in chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, in vitro culturing, genetic engineering, genomics and bioinformatics.
Research Topics:
- Disease resistance.
- Tolerance to abiotic stress.
- Comprehensive micropropagation systems.
- Molecular markers.
- Molecular agriculture.
- Epigenetics.
- Applied bioinformatics.
RESEARCHERS
- Carlos Mariano Oropeza Salín, PhD.
- Jorge Manuel Santamaría Fernández, PhD.
- Luis Alfonso Saenz Carbonell, PhD.
- Santy Peraza Echeverría, PhD.
- Luis Carlos Rodríguez Zapata, PhD.
- Virginia Aurora Herrera Valencia, PhD.
- Lorenzo Felipe Sánchez Teyer, PhD.
- Blondy Beatriz Canto Canché, PhD.
- Jorge Humberto Ramirez Prado, PhD.
- Clelia de la Peña Seaman, PhD.
- Elsa Beatriz Góngora Castillo, PhD.
2. Natural Products Biotechnology
Projects in this research line deal with the isolation and identification of bioactive metabolites produced by plants and fungi, especially those with acaricide, anticancer, antiprotozoan, antimycobacterial, antiviral, fungicidal, insecticidal and nematicidal activities. Other projects address the role of natural products in plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions, as well as studies in metabolomics, chemometrics and biosynthesis.
Research Topics:
- Bioprospecting.
- Pharmacognosy.
- Chemistry of Natural Products.
RESEARCHERS
- Rocío de Lourdes Borges Argáez
- Luis Manuel Peña Rodríguez, PhD.
- María Marcela Gamboa Angulo, PhD.
- Sergio Rubén Peraza Sánchez, PhD.
3. Microorganisms Biotechnology
Projects in this research line generate knowledge about prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms of agricultural, environmental and industrial relevance, concentrating on the biotechnological applications of microorganisms or their products, as well as understanding microorganism-host relationships. Additional projects study the use of microalgae for biofuel production and recombinant protein production systems, the use of plant-associated mycorrhizal fungi in improving in vitro plantlet adaptation and growth, the use of metagenomics to search for genes having biotechnological potential in the Yucatan peninsula, and the application of comparative genomic analysis to study fungal metabolism.
Research Topics:
- Microalgae in recombinant protein production systems.
- Microalgae in biofuel production.
- Characterization of plant-associated mycorrhizas and their use.
- Characterization of metagenomes.
- Creation of gene libraries based on metagenomes in search of genes with biotechnological potential.