Although Latin America arrived late to the technological and digital revolution of recent decades, it has achieved a great deal. It is important to consider that, compared with leading innovation countries, government investment in R&D is much lower. While Israel and South Korea invest more than 4% of their GDP in R&D, Brazil, the country that invests the most in this region, allocates only slightly more than 1%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, Latin America has produced important advances, such as early breast cancer detection and the destruction of infections without antibiotics, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is happening in Chile? The latest data collected, from 2019, indicate that our country invests 0.38% of GDP according to international organizations, and 0.34% according to the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to patent application statistics from the National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), in 2019, 10.93% of applications corresponded to the biotechnology field, and of those, only 8% came from Chile. Regarding scientific publications, our country had 11,007 publications that same year, of which 1,595 were in the areas of microbiology and biotechnology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Chile, biotechnology applications target sectors such as human health, livestock, veterinary medicine, the environment, bioremediation, agriculture, food, aquaculture, and, of course, bioprocesses. Let us explore this last area a little further, as, together with innovation, it stands out as a vast source of potential for development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The definition of bioprocesses falls within the concept of biotechnology. While biotechnology is the use of living organisms or their derivatives to obtain a product or service useful to humanity, a simple definition of a bioprocess would be a process that applies chemical engineering methods to biological processes. In other words, it is the production of value-added materials from a living source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bioprocesses can be applied to obtain products used by humans in human and animal health, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds; the chemical industry, such as enzymes; fermentation industries, such as alcohols; agriculture and food, such as biocontrol agents and colorants; the environment, such as pollutant-degrading agents; energy production, such as biofuels; and the pharmaceutical industry, such as antibiotics and antibodies. This requires the application of different biotechnology techniques, including molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, biopharma, microbiology, process engineering, cell culture, chemistry, biology, and bioindustrial processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biological production systems are valuable in the current global context because they use basic renewable resources, such as sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, to produce a wide range of molecules. These processes can be studied and optimized to provide efficient, high-quality product synthesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to offering alternatives to established products, bioprocesses are being used to produce entirely new products. For this reason, many countries have understood their value and are developing plans to promote a bioeconomy based on the use of biotechnology and bioengineering for industrial regeneration, fostering job creation and, ultimately, social progress. However, weaknesses such as the lack of quality implementation from the design stages prevent many bioprocesses with great potential from reaching the execution stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within this context, Platech seeks to position itself as a leader in disruptive, high-quality biotechnology solutions. By addressing areas such as cell culture, biopharma, molecular biology, and bioindustrial processes, we generate comprehensive solutions through the implementation of innovative bioprocesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Challenges across Latin America require not only innovative and timely solutions, but also a change in mindset. A country that falls behind in R&D also falls behind in progress. As biotechnologists with expertise in cell biology and bioprocesses, our mission is focused on contributing to the emerging bioeconomy in Chile, enriching it through our work and helping build a better society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 https:\/\/blogs.iadb.org\/innovacion\/es\/biotecnologia-bioeconomia-desarrollo-america-latina\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 https:\/\/nearshoreamericas.com\/biotech-is-booming-in-latin-america-heres-why\/#:~:text=Latin%20America%20has%20traditionally%20lagged,1%25%20of%20GDP%20to%20R%26D<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 http:\/\/www.cienciamx.com\/index.php\/ciencia\/quimica\/26686-la-biotecnologia-una-opcion-viable-para-una-economia-sustentable<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 https:\/\/www.cdti.es\/recursos\/doc\/Programas\/Cooperacion_internacional\/Eureka\/Chile\/34031_101110112020195759.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 http:\/\/www.scielo.org.co\/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0370-39082018000300188<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 https:\/\/datos.bancomundial.org\/indicador\/GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS?locations=BR<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n