Plant Growth-Promoting and Herbicidal Bacteria as Potential Bio-Based Solutions for Agriculture in Desertic Regions.

The region of Arica and Parinacota hosts unexplored remote sites with unique characteristics suitable for developing novel agricultural bioproducts. Notable locations include Jurasi Hot Springs, Polloquere Hot Springs, and Amuyo Lagoons, featuring open pools fed by thermal mountain springs. These geothermal sites harbor bacteria with plant growth-promoting activities, particularly interesting to the strains J19, TP22, A20, and A3.

Exploring the Agricultural Applications of Microbial Melanin.

Microbial melanins are a group of pigments with protective effects against harsh conditions, showing fascinating photoprotective activities, mainly due to their capability to absorb UV radiation. In bacteria, they are produced by the oxidation of L-tyrosine, generating eumelanin and pheomelanin. Meanwhile, allomelanin is produced by fungi through the decarboxylative condensation of malonyl-CoA.

Effect of In Vitro Micropropagation on the Chemical, Antioxidant, and Biological Characteristics of Sch. Bip., an Endemic Plant of the Atacama Desert Andean Region.

The species Sch. Bip., commonly called "chachacoma", is widely used as a medicinal plant by the Andean communities of Northern Chile.

Isolation and Identification of Bacteria from Three Geothermal Sites of the Atacama Desert and Their Plant-Beneficial Characteristics.

The Region of Arica and Parinacota (Atacama Desert) offers several unexplored remote sites with unique characteristics that would allow for the formulation of new bioproducts for agriculture. Among them, Jurasi Hot Springs, Polloquere Hot Springs, and Amuyo Lagoons represent a group of open pools fed by thermal water springing from the mountains. Their microbiomes remain unspecified, providing a unique opportunity to characterize the endemic community of these sites and develop new bioproducts for sustainable agriculture.

Design of β-Keto Esters with Antibacterial Activity: Synthesis, In Vitro Evaluation, and Theoretical Assessment of Their Reactivity and Quorum-Sensing Inhibition Capacity.

This work proposes the design of β-keto esters as antibacterial compounds. The design was based on the structure of the autoinducer of bacterial quorum sensing, -(3-oxo-hexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL). Eight β-keto ester analogues were synthesised with good yields and were spectroscopically characterised, showing that the compounds were only present in their β-keto ester tautomer form.

Diversity of Culturable Bacteria from Endemic Medicinal Plants of the Highlands of the Province of Parinacota, Chile.

Endemic medicinal plants that grow at altitudes in northern Chile have been traditionally used for therapeutic applications by Aymara doctors. Several studies have analyzed the biological properties of these plants for therapeutic purposes. The aim was to characterize at molecular and biochemical levels the bacteria that live in the rhizosphere and roots from endemic medicinal plants that grow between 3681-5104 m.

The Endophytic sp. S57 for Plant-Growth Promotion and the Biocontrol of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Nematodes.

Oregano from Socoroma (Atacama Desert) is characterized by its unique organoleptic properties and distinctive flavor and it is produced using ancestral pesticide-free agricultural practices performed by the Aymara communities. The cultivation in this zone is carried out under extreme conditions where the standard production of different crops is limited by several environmental factors, including aridity, high concentration of salts, and boron among others. However, oregano plants are associated with microorganisms that mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses present in this site.