The Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER) already has its first projects awarded, which makes the cooperation between researchers of the Universidad de La Frontera, the Universidad de Magallanes and the Universidad de Antofagasta official.

This collaboration between three Chilean universities – Universidad de La Frontera, Universidad de Magallanes and Universidad de Antofagasta – with the support of the BIOREN-UFRO, realizes high-level research in extreme environments and aspires to become one of the most successful projects at the national level.

Chile has a wide range of ecosystems, from the desert in the north, the fertile areas in the center, the pampa, to the ice fields in the south. This converts the country into a natural laboratory for exploration. Due to the big amount and diversity of organisms and the role of the flow of materials and energy in nature – biogeochemical cycles, fertility in terrestrial and aquatic environments, gene transfer – the need to realize research in collaboration with different universities emerged.

This is how the Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER) came to life, which is an organism that brings three Chilean universities together and seeks to get to know and discuss research in extreme environments at an international level, taking advantage of the experience of well-known researchers; to identify, analyze and discuss the issues of investigation with the three participating universities; to create projects together, find new research areas and establish new collaborative networks for research and postgraduate programs.

The last two points are in full swing and at the moment, the three universities are preparing themselves for the development of four new projects in this area, which are presented by the doctors Cristina Ortiz (UA), Ricardo De Pol-Holz (UMAG), Francisco Matus (UFRO) and León Bravo (UFRO).

“This initiative shows that there is still a lot of knowledge to explore, especially in the regions where the three participating universities are located: the desert in the north, the mountains and volcanos in the central area, and the entrance to the Antarctica in the south. We have remarkable research resources”, commented the Vice-rector of Research and Postgraduate Programs, Dr. Eduardo Hebel.

He also pointed out that this cooperation is a clear sign of the significance of the associativity as one of the pillars that sustain the research work, which the Vice-rectory wants to continue tosupport. “The key is to work in a network. And in this case in particular, the international connections are relevant because they are going to be our window to the world”, added Dr. Hebel.

The Director of the BIOREN-UFRO, Dr. María de la Luz Mora, sees this as an opportunity not only for the universities that are involved, but also for the students of the undergraduate and postgraduate programs and for the researchers. “We can continue the exchange of questions and create knowledge in other areas. The Nucleus is going to contribute within all of its possibilities to make this happen. We bet on collaboration for being able to keep growing”, she added.