The growth of the Rosario Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBR) is the result of a combination of key factors. “On the one hand, we have a critical mass of researchers with an international profile who have a significant scientific contribution. On the other hand, the institute is supported by a committed team of technicians, experts and administrative staff who provide essential support to project development,” explained its director, Javier Palatnik.
The institute stands out for its commitment to quality transfer of science and technology and provides solutions to various problems. Many of his discoveries have resulted in patents, products on the market and agreements with companies, as well as the creation of technology-based companies.
Palatnik said it is essential that science and technology are developed at the highest possible quality, as this process is constantly generating talent. “Many of the highly skilled people who train and educate at IBR are acquiring problem-solving skills and joining the region’s private sector, driving innovation. Others are acting like entrepreneurs and creating new technology companies (startups) in our province,” he commented.
With more than 200 people working on different lines of research and more than 5,000 square meters of laboratories, workshops and state-of-the-art equipment, IBR is a reference center. It currently has 26 working groups divided into three main areas: biomedicine, where, among other things, infectious diseases and antibiotics are investigated; Microbiology, which includes metabolic engineering and the study of interactions between bacteria and plants; and Plant Molecular Biology, aimed at improving plant traits to obtain specific benefits.
Since its inception, more than 300 doctors have been trained at IBR and more than 300 bachelor’s theses have been completed, which are processed in coordination with UNR programs. “The thematic axes in which we work are focused on the discovery of new processes and constant innovation. The result of this process are tools with practical applications, some of them even immediate. A concrete example is a group from the institute who, by studying how viruses work, developed a kit to detect Covid during the pandemic and created a company called DetxMol,” he explained.
IBR also offers services to more than 30 local and regional companies through its technological infrastructure, which carry out studies and analyzes that they could not do themselves.
A bridge between science and society
IBR is recognized for having a variety of proposals that seek to connect science with citizens. Some of them are associated with exclusive activities for primary and secondary school students, first-year university students, open days where the laboratories are open to the community to get to know the various researches carried out there.
But if there is an activity par excellence that is committed to dialogue, it is the Biolíderes workshop, held annually since 2013, which aims to convene relevant personalities (such as state authorities, journalists, entrepreneurs, etc.) so that the scientific work, and thus provide them with tools that can be useful in making decisions in certain situations that involve aspects of biotechnology.
For years, biotechnology has established itself as a key tool for the economic development of countries. However, understanding its scope and complexity is not intuitive, and the people responsible for making or communicating policy decisions generally do not have disciplinary training in biotechnology. The director emphasized that this constant updating requires previous work in the preparation of each workshop, always trying to adapt to the context and needs of the moment.
“Many relevant political figures have participated in Biolíderes over the years, including three former governors, the current deputy governor, as well as state and national deputies and senators. Today, Santa Fe has its own Science and Technology Act and provincial funding support agency. Although each administration in our province has given it its own specific imprint, this structure has remained firm during political changes, which highlights Santa Fe as an exception compared to the national situation. We like to think that Biolíderes has contributed to this continuity and ongoing commitment to science and technology.”
Valuing knowledge
Over recent years, the expertise and research developed within the IBR has led to the creation of ten technology-based companies, demonstrating a strong commitment to capitalize on the knowledge gained to have a direct impact on the productive innovation sector.
In an effort to expand and consolidate the science-technology ecosystem in the region, IBR in 2015 supported the creation of Bio.R, a space focused on accelerating technology companies, where scientists and colleagues from IBR decide to become entrepreneurs and create technology start-ups. “When we started, the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region was starting, making our accelerator the first of its kind within CONICET. Today, the landscape has changed and there are more accessible financing options that facilitate the creation and development of start-ups as part of a more consolidated business ecosystem,” Javier Palatnik recalled.
Companies created by researchers who currently continue to work at this institute include Inmet, a pioneer in Argentina in the development of genetically optimized organisms for the production of compounds with high added value and minimal environmental impact; Keclon, which offers innovative enzyme-based solutions to improve industrial performance and protect the environment; Detxmol, which provides solutions for molecular diagnostics in clinical analysis laboratories; Fecundis, which improves success in assisted reproduction; and Exo+, specializing in the creation of modified exosomes for medical clinic applications.
In addition, there are companies founded by researchers and fellows after their stay and training at IBR, such as BioHeuris, which specializes in agro-biotechnology and develops sustainable weed management systems; Syocin, which creates highly precise biobactericides to eliminate bacteria that affect crop production and distribution; Mosquita Feed, which transforms organic waste into high-value sustainable animal feed products such as flour, oils and fertilizers; and Kresko, which supplements natural small molecules to reprogram the cells of the human body and support tissue growth, development and regeneration under various circumstances.
Palatnik appreciated that this process is still ongoing, with new companies in development, some already created and incubated within the institute, and others that have grown enough to operate independently. “Just as there is a virtuous cycle in nurturing the talent and human resources that are embedded in the manufacturing sector, there is a similar process in creating technology-based companies. For this reason, it is essential that this wheel, which is beginning to turn, continues to be sustained over time so that its results have an ever-increasing impact on our society.”
