The International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) selected the project of the researcher Marco Larrea-Álvarez PhD., from the School of Biological Sciences and Engineering of Yachay Tech, to carry out the research on the “Application of microalgae biomass in Broilers as a strategy to contain the emergence of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis in Ecuador”.

Dr. Larrea-Álvarez was awarded the ICGEB Grant (International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), a very competitive call on a global scale, making it the first proposal from Ecuador that manages to meet all the requirements and obtain financing.

Applicants were required to serve as university faculty; have an excellent academic record, and the proposal had to show interaction between national and international institutions. The project is carried out jointly by Yachay Tech, the Central University of Ecuador, the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy of Košice Slovakia and the University College of London (UCL).

The grant consists of a 3-year scholarship, where 36,000 euros (12,000 per year) will be delivered for the development of the research. The resources are meant for purchasing equipment, reagents for the experiments, publications and travel (conferences, congresses, etc.); as a counterpart, Yachay Tech will continue to pay for the professor’s salary.

The proposed research seeks to solve the problem that “Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis” represents for poultry production and public health in the Andean Region. The project aims to study the efficacy of recombinant proteins produced in microalgae as stimulants of the immune system. These will be tested in combination with probiotics (Lactobacillus) and prebiotics derived from algae. The application of these treatments is expected to stimulate the immune system, which would result in a reduction in the burden of the pathogen in infected birds.

Dr. Larrea-Álvarez indicated that the project intends to generate alternatives for the control of Salmonella using biotechnological tools. In particular, the genetic engineering of the chloroplast will make it possible to use green algae as a platform to naturally produce and encapsulate recombinant proteins useful in poultry production.

The grant will allow students to design theses related to the subject, expand scientific publications, and allow the University to have more equipment for research and development of this technology in the country. Finally, Dr. Larrea-Álvarez invited the students to make the most of all the advantages that Yachay Tech offers.

Institutions such as Senescyt and INABIO extended their congratulations to the University for this achievement.