With a 16-member delegation, the BASE Millennium Institute is taking part in the 12th SCAR Open Science Conference, one of the leading international gatherings dedicated to Antarctic research. Scientists and professionals from the ANID centre of excellence travelled to Oslo to share research findings, experiences, and progress in the study and communication of the frozen continent.
Dr. Gary Wilson, President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and expert in marine geology and polar climate change. Photo: Constanza Barrientos.
During August, Oslo becomes one of the world’s main meeting points for Antarctic research. The Norwegian capital is hosting specialists from different countries and disciplines in a programme with around 50 scientific sessions, aimed at sharing new knowledge and strengthening international collaboration around Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Once again, the BASE Millennium Institute is joining the 12th Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), with a delegation that includes principal investigators Elie Poulin (University of Chile), Karin Gérard (UMAG), Luis Valentín Ferrada (Law, University of Chile), César Cárdenas (INACH) and Hugo Benítez (UNAB/CHIC), together with senior researchers Pete Convey (BASE) and Steven Chown (Monash University).
They are joined by a new generation of researchers who will present progress and results from their work in Antarctic science. Among them are early-career researchers: Daly Noll (U. Lagos), Giovannina Sutherland (Law, University of Chile / ICLAC), Jordan Hernández (UCM), Franco Cruz (Universidad Santo Tomás), Albert Palomino (UACh), Miguel Ángel Salazar (University of Rennes), Eduardo Pizarro (PUC/CRG) and Morgane Durand (National Museum of Natural History of France).
Dr. Elie Poulin takes part in thematic roundtables and the presentation of scientific results. Photo: Constanza Barrientos.
“Taking part in SCAR once again, with a diverse delegation, allows us to share the knowledge we are generating at the BASE Millennium Institute and, at the same time, strengthen our ties with an international scientific community that will be essential for the challenges ahead. We are moving towards milestones of great relevance for polar science, such as the next International Polar Year: 2032-2033, and these spaces are key to building new collaborations and scientific questions from now on,” highlights Elie Poulin, director of the BASE Millennium Institute and faculty member at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile.
Constanza Barrientos presents the upcoming BASE book “We dive with mum… in Antarctica!” (Editorial SurCiencia). Photo: Giovannina Sutherland.
The Communications and Education Directorate (DIRECOM) is also represented by science journalist Constanza Barrientos, who will give three oral presentations and a poster. Her participation will share Antarctic science outreach experiences developed by the BASE Millennium Institute to bring polar knowledge closer to different audiences.
The presentations by the also president of the Chilean Antarctic Youth Coalition Foundation, in Punta Arenas, will address experiences in children’s literature, Antarctic education, Artificial Intelligence and new technologies, showing how different languages, formats and tools can help broaden the social reach of knowledge generated about Antarctica.
By: Nadia Politis
Photographs: Constanza Barrientos from Oslo, Norway.
Two studies published in 2026, with the participation of researchers from the University of Chile, combined environmental DNA analysis, protein structural modelling and in situ culture devices to explore the set of genes and mechanisms associated with antimicrobial resistance, known as the resistome, in Antarctic soils.
The papers, developed through collaboration between the BASE Millennium Institute, the mBioClim Ring and teams from different institutions, deepen a Chilean research line that has had wide international impact and reinforce the importance of studying the White Continent from a One Health perspective, which recognises the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health.
Long before humanity began using antibiotics, microorganisms were already producing substances to compete with one another and developing mechanisms to defend themselves against them. Part of that ancient evolutionary race remains recorded in Antarctic soils, where there is a microbial diversity that is only now beginning to be explored.
Surroundings of Base Julio Escudero, Antarctica. Photo: Katherine Chávez
Two recent studies, published in the journals iMetaOmics and Environment & Health, show that the White Continent can be understood as a natural archive of the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. From complementary approaches, one reconstructed the genetic information of entire microbial communities, while the other recovered living bacteria that normally fall outside the reach of conventional cultures.
These papers add to the sustained growth of Chilean polar science. According to information released by the Chilean Antarctic Institute, researchers with a national affiliation took part in 134 Antarctic scientific publications in 2025, the highest figure recorded for the country. The two studies published in 2026 represent a continuation of this trajectory, marked by collaborative work among universities, scientific centres and national programmes.
A finding that travelled the world
The new publications have a direct precedent. In 2022, a team led by Andrés Marcoleta, faculty member at the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile, published a study on the resistome of soils on the Antarctic Peninsula. The research showed that these environments hosted native bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, especially in areas without evident human intervention, supporting the natural and ancestral character of this resistome. In some isolates resistant to colistin, a last-line antibiotic used against particularly difficult-to-treat infections, the known resistance genes were not detected, suggesting the existence of mechanisms that have not yet been characterised. Resistance genes associated with mobile genetic elements, potentially able to circulate among microorganisms, were also identified.
The finding had wide international impact and opened discussion both on the ancestral origin of resistance and on the questions posed by ice melt regarding contact between previously isolated microorganisms and other ecosystems.
That work did not remain an isolated finding. Its results and questions contributed to the development of the mBioClim Ring project, created to study how climate change modifies microbial communities in Antarctic soils and the distribution of resistance genes and traits associated with virulence.
In 2024, this line of research extended to the soils of Union Glacier, in the interior of West Antarctica, less than 1,000 kilometres from the South Pole. A less diverse microbial community was described there than that of maritime Antarctica, but with a distinctive resistome and bacteria able to resist up to 24 antibiotics.
Referring to the evolution of this research line, Dr. Andrés Marcoleta, director of the Integrative Microbiology Group (GMI_UChile) and faculty member at the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile, notes: “The 2022 study showed us that Antarctic soils host an extremely high diversity of bacteria, some of them resistant to multiple antibiotics used in clinical practice. This broad resistome reflects ecological and evolutionary processes that long predate the medical use of these drugs. Later work has allowed us to move from that first observation towards a deeper understanding of its diversity, its evolutionary history and the bacteria that harbour these mechanisms.”
A map of Antarctic beta-lactamases
Surroundings of Punta Armonía, Antarctica. Photo: Gaspar Mejías
The first of the new studies, published in iMetaOmics, analysed 81 metagenomes from Antarctic and subantarctic soils, that is, sets of DNA sequences that make it possible to study entire microbial communities without having to culture each microorganism. The research was led by José Coche-Miranda, Patricio Arros and Andrés Marcoleta, and included the participation of Julieta Orlando and Francisco Chávez, faculty members at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile.
The work was made possible by the partnership between the BASE Millennium Institute and the mBioClim Ring, which brought together samples, data and scientific capacities developed by different teams. The study combined protein sequence comparisons with three-dimensional structure prediction and functional inference, a strategy especially useful for detecting environmental enzymes that can differ greatly, in their sequence, from those known in clinical contexts.
The researchers identified 1,916 candidate beta-lactamase sequences, enzymes capable of inactivating beta-lactam antibiotics, supported by the concordance between their sequences and their predicted molecular structures. Although their activity will still need to be confirmed experimentally, many were very different from known beta-lactamases and yet conserved the architecture and catalytic elements that characterise them. This combination of diversity and conservation is consistent with a deep evolutionary history of these enzyme families.
The beta-lactamases also showed differentiated patterns among the subantarctic islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and the continental cold deserts, reflecting changes in the composition of microbial communities. Taken together, the results reinforce the idea that resistance is not exclusively a consequence of modern medicine, but also an ancestral ecological trait, shaped by competition and the adaptation of microorganisms.
On this point, Dr. Francisco Chávez, director of the Systems Microbiology Laboratory (SysmicroLab) and faculty member at the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile, explains: “The aim is not to present Antarctic bacteria as an immediate threat, but to understand the ecological history of these resistance mechanisms. One Health reminds us that antimicrobial resistance cannot be studied only in hospitals: we must also observe the microorganisms, animals and ecosystems where that diversity originates and evolves”.
Recovering the microbial dark matter
The second study, published in the journal Environment & Health, approached the resistome from a complementary perspective: the recovery of living bacteria in order to study their characteristics directly.
The research was led by Jacquelinne Acuña, recently appointed as a faculty member at the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile. The team compared traditional culture methods with in situ culture devices, also known as culture chips. These allow microorganisms to begin growing under conditions closer to those of their original environment, before being recovered and analysed in the laboratory.
The strategy made it possible to access rare bacteria or those underrepresented in conventional cultures. When evaluating 158 isolates against 35 antimicrobial agents, the researchers found widely distributed resistance and some bacteria able to tolerate more than 20 of them. They also detected activities that in clinical contexts are associated with virulence, although their presence, on its own, does not demonstrate that these microorganisms are pathogens.
On the contribution of this approach, Dr. Acuña highlights: “In situ culture devices allow us to access a fraction of bacterial diversity that usually remains hidden. Recovering these microorganisms alive is essential to move from genetic information to the experimental confirmation of their resistance and adaptation capacities.”
Many functions classified in clinical contexts as resistance or virulence may originally have arisen to obtain nutrients, compete with other microorganisms or survive the extreme conditions of the Antarctic environment. For that reason, these results should be interpreted in their ecological context and not as direct evidence of a health threat.
Two approaches to the same question
The iMetaOmics and Environment & Health studies make it possible to observe the Antarctic resistome at complementary scales. The analysis of environmental DNA, known as metagenomics, reveals genes, proteins and evolutionary relationships at the level of entire microbial communities, while in situ culture devices make it possible to recover living microorganisms and experimentally evaluate their properties.
This integration also strengthens a new scientific capacity at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile. Dr. Acuña’s experience in culturing environmental microorganisms is added to the work of Dr. Marcoleta in genomics, antimicrobial resistance and gene transfer, that of Dr. Chávez on interactions among bacteria, hosts and environments, and that of Dr. Julieta Orlando on the microbial ecology of extreme environments.
In the context of glacier retreat, studying these communities is especially relevant. As new ice-free soils appear, microorganisms that were previously isolated may become part of new ecological networks. This does not necessarily imply the emergence of health risks, but it does underline the need to integrate genetic analysis, culture and environmental monitoring in order to understand how microorganisms respond to a continent in transformation.
From a broader perspective, Dr. Julieta Orlando, deputy director of the BASE Millennium Institute and faculty member at the Department of Ecological Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Chile, emphasises: “Antarctica is not a territory disconnected from the rest of the planet. The processes that occur there are part of global ecological systems. Studying its microbial biodiversity not only expands our knowledge of life under extreme conditions, but also provides information needed to understand and protect ecosystem health in a changing world.”
Together, the studies consolidate Antarctica as a natural laboratory for reconstructing the deep history of antimicrobial resistance and observing how it may reorganise on a planet in transformation. The next steps will be to experimentally confirm the activity of the candidate enzymes, determine which of these genes can move between bacteria, and maintain monitoring series that make it possible to distinguish the natural resistome from changes associated with ice melt or human activity.
Rather than announcing an immediate threat, this research line seeks to build knowledge and establish baselines that make it possible to anticipate changes, guide environmental surveillance and protect ecosystems whose microbial diversity we still know only in part.
Press release: SysMicro, LEMi, GMI_UChile.
The new partnership will seek to strengthen the dissemination of content on Antarctic and subantarctic research produced by the BASE Millennium Institute through the editorial’s lens, bringing excellent research closer to different groups of readers in Chile and around the world.
The recent collaboration agreement signed with Editorial SurCiencia represents a new stage for the science outreach developed by the BASE Millennium Institute. Among its priorities is the publication of works aimed at diverse audiences, with education as a central tool for knowledge. “This partnership seeks to give sustainability to the science outreach books we are able to develop, making it possible to expand their reach and presence throughout the country, as well as the development of new stories around Antarctic and subantarctic research aimed at different audiences,” says Dr. Elie Poulin, faculty member at the University of Chile and director of the BASE Millennium Institute.
“We believe that science outreach gains greater value when books succeed in meeting their readers. This agreement will allow us to work with the BASE Millennium Institute to develop publications that bring Antarctic and subantarctic research closer to children, families and educational communities, favouring a broad and sustained circulation of this content,” underlines Fresia Grimberg, editor and representative of Editorial SurCiencia.
Antarctica in early childhood
Cover of the new book: “We dive with mum… in Antarctica!”
One of the first projects contemplated in the work between both institutions is the publication of the book “We dive with mum… in Antarctica!”, a work aimed at early childhood that highlights Antarctic biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and the leadership of women in polar science. The book, created by journalists Constanza Barrientos and Nadia Politis,had scientific advice from members of the Millennium Institute such as: Dr. Angie Díaz (UdeC),Dr. Karin Gérard (UMAG),Dr. César Cárdenas (INACH) and Dr. Elie Poulin (University of Chile). The illustrations were created by Magallanes artist Daniela Silva (@artpatagoniawild).
Educators Marcela Soto and Porfiria Barrientos advised on the pedagogical content of the work, which tells the adventures of a family from Punta Arenas, led by a researcher mother dedicated to scientific diving in Antarctica: “In early childhood, girls and boys are discovering the world and are highly sensitive to everything. While it is very important for them to have experiences and play outdoors, it is also important that, little by little, they approach reading together with their caregivers: observing images, listening to stories at a calm pace and letting them be protagonists of the reading experience, so they can point to words and turn the pages. Books like this help form readers from early childhood, showing that reading can also be an adventure to explore the world and discover new places,” reflects teacher Porfiria Barrientos.
The book “We dive with mum… in Antarctica!” will also have a preview at the 12th SCAR Open Science Conference (SCAR 2026), which will take place from 8 to 19 August in Oslo, Norway, and is organised by the Norwegian Polar Institute. “As a team, we will take part in the Art and Science session to share our experience of integrating stories, symbols and analogies to bring Antarctica closer to the youngest audiences. This represents an international milestone for our institute,” highlights Nadia Politis, director of Communications and Education at the BASE Millennium Institute, an ANID centre of excellence of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.
In the new project, Editorial SurCiencia will be responsible for the editing, publication, distribution and commercialisation of the first edition, as well as promoting its dissemination in bookstores, book fairs, libraries and educational spaces, in a first print run of one thousand copies. It also includes dissemination and promotion actions through launches, presentations in libraries, educational establishments and the media. More information at https://www.surciencia.cl
Source: BASE Millennium Institute and Editorial SurCiencia
The new tool makes it possible to access information about the frozen continent, its ecosystems, scientific research and the role Chile plays in the development of polar knowledge. The project seeks to bring Antarctic science closer to the public using an everyday platform, available 24 hours a day.
Project “Unfreeze the myth: Chatbot against polar misinformation”. Credit: BASE Millennium Institute.
Getting to know Antarctica no longer requires opening a specialised book or browsing dozens of websites. From today, anyone can freely access a chatbot available on WhatsApp, designed to answer questions about Antarctica, its ecosystems and the scientific research Chile carries out on the continent. The initiative, promoted by the BASE Millennium Institute, seeks to bring Antarctic knowledge closer to the public through an everyday platform.
Users can ask, for example, why Antarctica is key to regulating the planet’s climate, how scientific teams live during an expedition, what Chile’s historical relationship with this territory is, or resolve questions about the Antarctic Treaty System, which seeks to care for, govern and protect the White Continent and its marine areas.
The chatbot is free and is used through WhatsApp. Credit: BASE Millennium Institute.
Answers are delivered through a charismatic avatar, or platform character, illustrated by Chilean artist Raúl Matus: an Antarctic krill that, in an approachable language and with information based on scientific evidence, communicates with users: “We set out to develop this Antarctic chatbot to invite people, and especially young people, to learn more about Antarctica. Not only its scientific research, but also its close relationship with Chile through law, history, literature or even cinema,” says Dr. Elie Poulin, faculty member at the University of Chile and director of the BASE Millennium Institute.
More than a conversational assistant, the project seeks to become a gateway to Antarctic knowledge generated from Chile. Students, teachers, journalists and the general public can access polar information without prior knowledge: “The chatbot’s contents come from what we have learned at science fairs, schools and citizen meetings. We incorporated people’s most frequent doubts, curiosities and questions about Antarctica, while also making visible the knowledge generated from different cities in Chile in research,” underlines Dr. Julieta Orlando, faculty member at the University of Chile, president of SOMICH and deputy director of the BASE Millennium Institute.
The initiative has the backing of several institutions that promote education, science outreach and access to knowledge about Antarctica.
Access to the Antarctic chatbot for WhatsApp. Credit: BASE Millennium Institute.
They include the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the Antarctic Youth Coalition, APECS Chile, Wikimedia Chile, the National Youth Institute (INJUV), the Guides and Scouts Association of Chile, the Encuentros del Futuro Foundation and the Association of Municipalities of Chile (AMUCH).
The development of the chatbot was made possible thanks to the support of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), through the 2026 External Projection Fund, and arises from the project “Unfreeze the myth: Chatbot against polar misinformation”, an initiative that will run workshops and talks in the cities of Santiago, Valdivia, Concepción, Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams to reflect on myths and false or inaccurate news about Antarctica, digital literacy and critical thinking, together with research and teaching groups from the BASE Millennium Institute and the supporting institutions.
Free access is available at wa.me/56972874940 and in the coming days the Instagram account @mileniobase will launch a contest to find a name for the Antarctic krill that stars in the chatbot, and that will seek to answer all the questions of people in Chile.
Antarctic education
“Unfreeze the Myth: Chatbot against polar misinformation” is a science outreach and education initiative promoted by the BASE Millennium Institute to bring information about Antarctica, polar ecosystems, their biodiversity and the scientific research developed from Chile. The project seeks to contribute to open access to knowledge through a free and easy-to-use platform for all citizens.
The chatbot is a science outreach and education tool. Its answers and materials are exclusively educational and are prepared from scientific literature, academic sources and publicly available information. The content provided does not represent official positions of the State of Chile nor does it constitute an expression of the National Antarctic Policy. Likewise, the initiative does not address or promote positions regarding international controversies, territorial claims, or interpretations of sovereignty, maintaining an approach centred on the communication of validated scientific knowledge and on respect for the principles of the Antarctic Treaty System.
The development of the chatbot was made possible thanks to the support of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), of Chile’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, through the 2026 External Projection Fund, which finances initiatives aimed at strengthening the link between scientific research and society.
Photo credit: BASE Millennium Institute
Antarctic humanities and social science scholars and stakeholders to the 2025 biennial academic conference of the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences (SC-HASS) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The Antarctic Studies Program of the Universidad de Chile’s Law Faculty is very proud to host this conference for the first time.
The conference will take place on October 7th, 8th, and 9th, 2025, in an online format. The first two days will feature three live stream channels, divided into two-time blocks (morning and evening, according to Chilean time). We have considered plenary conferences, panels, individual presentations, and pre-recorded video presentations. The last day we will have time for SC-HASS and the action groups’ business meeting.
We have prepared online forms for you to submit your proposals and applications. I look forward to seeing all of you through the online platform.
Call for Abstracts
Open from June until the 9th of August, 2025
There will be no fee for submitting an abstract
Date and expected format of the conference: October 7-9, 2025, online format The conference will be held online
Preferred manner of presentation: When you submit your abstracts, you are also requested to provide your preferred manner of presentation
Online live oral presentation; or
Online uploading of video presentations, with on-demand viewing and commenting
The Theme of the Conference:
The conference theme is “Antarctica in Times of Change”, chosen to reflect the challenges and pressures placed on the Sixth Continent by climate change, accelerated ice melt, biodiversity loss, and growing geopolitical and economic interests. In keeping with the ethos of SC-HASS, we warmly invite contributions from all disciplines within the humanities and social sciences, including the performing and creative arts, that explore an aspect of the relationship between humans and the Antarctic (including the Southern Ocean)
The format, length, and number of abstracts: Abstracts must be submitted via the following Google form (link here). Both proposals for individual presentations and proposals for panels on a specific topic or theme are welcome. Proposals should be written ideally in English; however, given the strong support from our community for non-English language streams, presentations in languages other than English will also be considered. The proposals should not exceed 500 words in length for a panel submission or 250 words for an individual submission. Additionally, please include the academic information and a brief biographical statement, as required in the Google form, for each presenter. You are welcome to submit multiple abstracts, up to two per person, as the first author. The conference’s Academic Planning Committee will review all proposals. Questions related to the submission of proposals and the academic content of the conference may be submitted to Luis Valentin Ferrada (schass2025 [@] gmail.com)
Deadline for submitting abstracts:August 9th (Saturday) up to 23:59 hours, Chilean time (GMT -4). Successful applicants will be notified by the end of August. Registration is planned to open by the end of August 2025. Send your summary here.
Luis Valentín Ferrada
Convenor, 2025 SCAR SC-HASS biennial conference
Professor and Director of the Antarctic Studies Program of the
Universidad de Chile’s Law Faculty
Principal investigator Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystem (BASE)
As part of its participation in the 61st Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ECA61) of INACH, the team from the UC Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory, led by Dr. Juliana Vianna, crossed the Antarctic Circle to enhance the surveillance and monitoring of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) in the frozen continent.
Punta Arenas.—Under strict biosecurity measures and in coordination with the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), the Chilean Navy, Army, and Air Force, scientists Dr. Fabiola León, Claudia Ulloa, and Carolina Márquez embarked on their scientific journey aboard the Betanzos vessel, operated by DAP. Their mission is to collect samples and conduct laboratory analyses as part of their work at the UC Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory, led by Dr. Juliana Vianna (BASE/CRG, Lili, UC Institute for Sustainable Development), in collaboration with the Millennium Institute BASE.
“After successfully detecting positive cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) in Antarctica during the ECA60 expedition of INACH in January 2024, we have been working diligently to analyze samples and coordinate research teams studying birds such as penguins, cormorants, and skuas in Antarctica,” says Dr. Juliana Vianna, a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Ecology and a faculty member at UC.
The Antarctic scientist, who also serves as the deputy director of the Millennium Institute CRG, highlights the importance of studying wildlife health in Antarctica due to the connectivity between species and the continent’s crucial role in global ecosystem balance. “The migration and movement of species can influence the spread of avian influenza, potentially increasing mortality rates. This underscores the importance of continuing field studies to monitor affected areas and species,” emphasizes Dr. Vianna.
The scientific work with birds in Antarctica aims to strengthen the surveillance and monitoring of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1).
Throughout 2023-2024, the collection and analysis of samples in Antarctica were coordinated by researchers Dr. Fabiola León (UC/BASE/CRG, Lili) and Eduardo Pizarro (UC/BASE/CRG), with international support from the vessel Le Commandant Charcot, operated by Ponant Cruises. In 2025, the research is being conducted aboard the Betanzos vessel, part of the DAP group, reaching beyond the Antarctic Circle into the so-called “deep Antarctica,” specifically in Lagotellerie Island and Aves Island in Margarita Bay.
“Our field experience has been essential in ensuring safe and rigorous scientific work under strict biosecurity measures. It is important to highlight that our campaigns cover a wide geographic range and are conducted at different times of the season, allowing for surveillance over a timeline that helps determine the status of avian influenza at various stages of the nesting season for both flying and non-flying birds,” says Dr. Fabiola León. Her research has taken her to sample emperor, Adélie, gentoo, and king penguins in locations such as Snow Hill Island, Danger Islands, Red Rock Ridge, Cape Hallett, and Sims Island.
Essential biosecurity measures
The “Prevention and Control Protocol for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Antarctica,” issued by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), aligns with international recommendations from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). These biosecurity measures apply to all expeditions taking place from January to March 2025 in Antarctica and follow the “One Health” guidelines for preserving the health of the unique and fragile Antarctic ecosystem.
“The study of avian influenza and its evolution is essential for understanding viral dynamics and global public health. At our Millennium Institute BASE, we are committed to scientific excellence, working rigorously and collaboratively to address this constantly evolving phenomenon. High-quality science not only allows us to obtain accurate results but also provides the necessary tools to anticipate and mitigate risks associated with the spread of infectious diseases,” states Dr. Elie Poulin, director of the Millennium Institute for Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystem Biodiversity.
As part of these protective efforts, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays a crucial role. As indicated by the Chilean Institute of Public Health (ISP), PPE includes specialized gear, apparatus, or devices designed to protect the body—either partially or entirely—from specific risks. These measures help prevent occupational diseases, reduce accidents, and minimize their impacts.
Researchers Fabiola León, Claudia Ulloa, and Carolina Márquez wear biosecurity suits for sample collection in Antarctica.
The Millennium Institute BASE/UC/CRG research team emphasizes that in Antarctica, the use of masks, gloves, and coveralls protects both people and the living organisms inhabiting the region. “Introducing new pathogens from humans to birds and mammals or unintentionally transporting and spreading them from healthy colonies to other locations is a critical concern that requires extreme caution,” they note. Additionally, pre- and post-sampling cleaning of equipment before entering any area is a mandatory part of the daily protocol during field expeditions.
“Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a major concern within the international scientific community,” states Dr. Ricardo Jaña, head of INACH’s Scientific Department. “A special group has been organized to gather and analyze evidence across different Antarctic research sites, establishing an information system through reports,” he adds.
Jaña highlights that this effort extends beyond Chile, as other countries are also contributing data from their research expeditions. “South Korea has recently reported findings in the Fildes Peninsula area, and Chile, through its campaign in Margarita Bay, has also documented cases from different bird populations,” he notes.
INACH’s Scientific Department head and expert in Natural Resources/Glaciology affirms that “this concern extends beyond Antarctica.”“In the local region, a working group led by the Ministry of Agriculture has been established, with our colleague Marcelo González serving as an institutional representative,” he concludes.
Blood Sample Analysis in Penguins Helps Study Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1)
The early detection and epidemiological surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Antarctic Peninsula are being led by various virology and wildlife teams from the Chilean Antarctic Institute’s National Antarctic Science Program (PROCIEN). Since 2024, two avian influenza testing laboratories have been operating at Escudero Base and O’Higgins Base to support areas of national and international interest and establish connections with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) programs.
This initiative is complemented by Antarctic governance actions, where Chile is leading an intersessional contact group under the Antarctic Treaty on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. This group includes, for example, Dr. Luis Valentín Ferrada, a professor at the University of Chile and researcher at the Millennium Institute BASE.
A joint effort between universities, top-tier research institutes, and Antarctic operators underscores the significance of collaborative work and scientific research in Antarctica to understand and mitigate the risks associated with avian diseases in this unique region.
By: Nadia Politis Photographs: Constanza Barrientos/Millennium Institute BASE
Aboard the French research vessel Le Soléal (Ponant Cruises) collaborative effort between PhD. Claudio González-Wevar (UACh/BASE/IDEAL) and Professor Hamish G. Spencer (University of Otago) combines expertise in molecular genomics, evolutionary biology, and biogeography to investigate the distribution, diversity, and evolutionary history of molluscs in the Southern Ocean’s unique and understudied ecosystems. The expedition aims to advance the understanding of subantarctic molluscs through detailed collection and study.
Marking their tenth expedition, the BASE Millennium Institute and Ponant Cruises continue groundbreaking research, this time on Macquarie, Stewart and Auckland Islands, led by PhD. González-Wevar, head of the Laboratory of Antarctic and Subantarctic Molecular Genomics and Ecology (LAGEMAS-UACh). The project is also strengthened by the expertise of Professor Hamish G. Spencer, Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor from the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Together, the team focuses on sampling and analyzing intertidal ecosystems, highlighting the importance of these islands, which host key study groups such as mollusc species Nacella (e.g., terroris, macquariensis), Laevilitorina (e.g., mcphersonae, venusta), and Margarella (e.g., violacea, macquariensis), among others.
The scientific work involves sampling from the subantarctic intertidal zone. Image: Hamish Spencer
“The participation of PhD. Hamish Spencer from the University of Otago has been invaluable. His expertise enabled us to access Stewart Island and collect specimens for our studies”,González-Wevar adds. The expedition covers rare and remote locations, including Traills Bay, the Auckland Islands in New Zealand, and Macquarie Island in Australia. These areas offer unparalleled opportunities for understanding biodiversity and ecological dynamics.
Professor Hamish G. Spencer, underscores the significance of the research: “The biogeography of the Southern Ocean is fascinating and yet understudied. Nevertheless, we have long understood that the world’s strongest oceanic current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), is the major physical player in the distribution of organisms in the subantarctic. In a long-standing collaboration with Professor Claudio González-Wevar of BASE, I am interested in understanding how long-distance dispersal in the ACC has shaped the marine biodiversity around the shores of the Southern Ocean. We have used molluscs as our model organisms and have previously collaborated on projects about limpets (Nacella and Siphonaria), topshells (Margarella), and periwinkles (Laevilacunaria and Laevilitorina)”.
Spencer elaborates on the mission’s goals: “We now want to expand our work to include more populations and species from the New Zealand and Australian subantarctic islands (Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie). These islands are especially important because they have acted as refugia for some species during past Ice Ages. We are aiming on this cruise to collect samples of all of the above genera, as well as some others for new projects (e.g., the bivalve Gaimardia). Our preliminary work on some of these groups suggests that there has been significant evolutionary radiation in this region, even though it is connected by long-distance dispersal to Patagonia, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the subantarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian sectors”.
The Auckland and Campbell Islands (New Zealand) and Macquarie Island (Australia) are key sites for scientific research.
A Partnership Driving Scientific Excellence
Since 2022, the collaboration between the BASE Millennium Institute and Ponant Cruises has paved the way for groundbreaking research. “This partnership allows us to conduct more and better science while strengthening ties with world-class research teams”, says PhD. Elie Poulin, director of the BASE Millennium Institute.
PhD. Claudio González-Wevar and Phd. Hamish Spencer embarking on a subantarctic expedition. Image: C. González-Wevar
Together with Dr. Spencer, González-Wevar delves into population genetics, phenotypic plasticity, phylogenetics, and the unique characteristics of New Zealand molluscs. The Auckland, Campbell, and Macquarie Islands are pivotal to their work, particularly Macquarie Island, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage site in 1997. This island’s geological significance, as the only location where mantle rocks are exposed above sea level, underscores its importance for scientific inquiry.
Professor Spencer concludes: “The ultimate goal of our work is to explain the origin of intertidal and nearshore Southern Ocean biodiversity, especially the range of evolutionary outcomes, from widespread species to island-group endemics”.
UNESCO highlights New Zealand’s subantarctic islands as biodiversity hotspots where Antarctic and subtropical waters converge, fostering high marine productivity and unique ecosystems. “These islands boast significant endemism, especially among birds, plants, and invertebrates”, the organization points. This biodiversity underscores the global significance of research conducted by González-Wevar and his team.
By: Nadia Politis, BASE Millennium Institute
Main picture: French vessel Le Soléal, operated by Ponant Cruises. By Hamish Spencer.
The Institute of Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems calls for a public competition for a postdoctoral position in Environmental DNA, Metabarcoding and Metagenomics for biodiversity research in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic areas. Chileans or foreigners may apply. The postdoctoral fellow will join the research team “Biodiversity Observatory”, along with providing transversal support to the research of other groups of the institute. The place of performance is preferably in Punta Arenas, Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica.
This line of research seeks to improve knowledge of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biodiversity through the characterization and monitoring of marine and terrestrial ecosystems to detect significant changes in macro and microorganism communities because of anthropogenic climate change, using advanced technologies such as environmental DNA analysis (eDNA), metabarcoding and metagenomics.
The researcher will design, develop, and implement bioinformatics workflows to process and analyze massive sequencing data, with special emphasis on metabarcoding and metagenomics methodologies. The researcher will participate in the study of samples previously available in the laboratory and in obtaining new samples through field expeditions. The requirements are to have the academic degree of PhD in accredited national programs or their foreign equivalents, in disciplines related to the required profile: ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, or related disciplines, and availability to start working preferably from May 2025.
The documents to be submitted for the application are:
Doctorate degree certificate (a simple photocopy is accepted for application, the selected applicants will be asked for the original documents or certificates).
Curriculum vitae, highlighting the research carried out, through participation in research projects and published or accepted articles. Include bibliometric indicators such as H index. In addition, include a link to a personal academic portal such as ORCID and/or Google Scholar.
A letter of intent
Two letters of recommendation
In the event that the selected researcher is a foreign national, he/she must prove residence in the country through a permanent or temporary residence visa or a document that proves the application for a permanent visa with work authorization at the start date of the project. It is also possible to consider a student visa with work authorization. To do so, they must send the document that accredits it and a valid identity card for foreigners. If the selected researcher has a temporary visa, he/she must send the document that accredits him/her and a valid identity card for foreigners. If he/she has permanent residence, he/she must submit the latter document. In qualified cases, the relevance of other visas will be analyzed. The processing of the contract will be subject to the presentation of the aforementioned documents.
The capital of the Los Ríos region becomes a crucial place for researching the resistance of Antarctic fish to hypoxia induced by climate change. Alaska researcher PhD. Kristin O’Brien and chilean researcher PhD. Luis Vargas-Chacoff are collaborating to find conservation responses and strategies to this challenge.
PhD. Kristin O’Brien University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Photo: BASE Millennium Institute / A. Bertrand.
With 25 years of experience in Antarctic science, PhD. Kristin O’Brien, professor of biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), arrived in the city of Valdivia – located in the Los Ríos region, Chile – to work with the researcher from the Faculty of Sciences of the University Austral of Chile (UACh), BASE Millennium Institute and IDEAL Center.PhD. Luis Vargas Chacoff. The aim is to study the ability of Antarctic notothenioid fish and their ancestor, Eleginops maclovinus – also known as snook – to cope with hypoxia generated by climate change.
As temperatures rise, the oxygen level in the oceans decreases, and hypoxic events are becoming more frequent and severe in the world’s oceans. To understand how this phenomenon affects them, the research team has focused their attention on the snook, a species located in the Los Ríos region, and which is the closest ancestor to the most abundant group of fish in the Southern Ocean surrounding the frozen continent: the notothenioids.
“To accurately predict the impacts of climate change on Antarctic fish, it is important to understand the ability of their ancestor, E. maclovinus, to cope with climate change. In addition, because this fish has never inhabited the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, by comparing its biology to its Antarctic relatives, we can identify the traits that allowed Antarctic fish to adapt and thrive in their frigid environment”, explains PhD. Kristin O’Brien.
PhD. Luis Vargas-Chacoff and PhD. Kristin O’Brien working at Calfuco Coastal Laboratory UACh. By: BASE Millennium Institute / A. Bertrand.
Through experiments, the team is measuring the minimum amount of oxygen that these fish require to survive, as well as their physiological and biochemical ability to adapt. The research results are expected to show the ability of these animals to resist lack of oxygen as the ocean warms and may reveal new mechanisms to control hypoxia.
“We have different knowledge that complements each other. I highly value PhD. Vargas-Chacoff’s expertise in stress physiology, osmoregulation, and the immune system of fish. It brings to the project knowledge and experience that the other members of the group do not have so that we can better understand the ability of these animals to resist climate change”, says PhD. Kristin O’Brien, who is also affiliated with the Institute of Arctic Biology at UAF.
PhD. Kristin O’Brien’s visit included the collection of samples and work at the Calfuco Coastal Laboratory, belonging to the Faculty of Sciences of the UACh. “I am tremendously grateful to PhD. Vargas-Chacoff, the Calfuco Coastal Laboratory and UACh for this opportunity to work with them. Daniela Nualart (PhD student in Aquaculture Sciences, BASE Millennium Institute scholarship) and Francisco Dann have been tremendously helpful and important members of our team while working here. We could not have completed our research without them”, she says.
Research team at Calfuco Coastal Laboratory UACh. By: BASE Millennium Institute / A. Bertrand.
For his part, the Doctor of Sciences, Luis Vargas-Chacoff, recently appointed director of the Graduate School of the UACh Faculty of Sciences, states that “the collaboration with PhD. O’Brien and her team is essential to understand how climate change affects Antarctic fish. Our combined knowledge will allow us to gain a more complete understanding. I am grateful for this opportunity to collaborate on such a crucial project for Antarctic science”.
“As a local researcher, I greatly value the opportunity to contribute to this work. Antarctic science is not only carried out in Antarctica itself; it is vital to recognize that regions such as Valdivia play a fundamental role in this field, being able to contribute with scientific and physiological knowledge of different biological models or native species that can be affected by global climate change”, adds the UACh doctoral student, BASE Millennium Institute and IDEAL Center, Daniela Nualart.
The project is funded primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and also features UAF graduate student Augustus Snyder and PhD. Yangfan Zhang of Harvard University.
By: Constanza Barrientos Soto
Main image: Research team at Calfuco Coastal Laboratory UACh. By: BASE Millennium Institute / Antonia Bertrand
The project led by the BASE Millennium Institute of Chile and the University of Burgundy of Dijon, France, seeks to establish a coastal observation network to identify exotic species present in marine ecosystems and promote international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Patagonia, Kerguelen islands and the Antarctic peninsula are the regions whose coasts will be monitored by the project led by PhD. Elie Poulin, from theBASE Millennium Institute, and PhD. Thomas Saucède from the University of Burgundy. An initiative financed by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) and the Evaluation and Guidance Committee of Scientific Cooperation with Chile of the Government of France (ECOS).
The project, which lasts three years (2023-2025), aims to establish an observing network for detection of exotic subantarctic and Antarctic species and monitor marine biodiversity using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), through the metabarcoding technique. This molecular technique allows the identification and quantification of species in water and sediment samples based on the DNA present in them.
The director of the BASE Millennium Institute and academic at the University of Chile (UCh), PhD. Elie Poulin, points out that “these species, introduced by human activities in non-native ecosystems, can have negative consequences on biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. The initiative seeks to improve understanding of the presence and potential impacts of these species through extensive monitoring in key areas. The project hypothesis states that many of these exotic species do not survive underwater winter temperatures, which keeps them unknown in conventional biodiversity records”.
The ECOS-ANID project “Monitoring of subantarctic alien species in Antarctic Peninsula: setting-up a network of nearshore observing systems in Patagonia, Kerguelen and Antarctica”, has a team of professionals from different regions of Chile and France. From the BASE Millennium Institute: PhD. Karin Gerard (University of Magallanes CIGA UMAG, CHIC, LEMAS), PhD. Angie Díaz Lorca (University of Concepción), Carolina Pérez Troncoso (master’s student at the University of Magallanes), Sebastián Rosenfeld (doctoral student at the University of Chile, CHIC, Apecs Chile) and Erwan Courville (University of Burgundy), From the Sorbonne University, with PhD. Cyrill Gallut.
International collaboration and knowledge exchange
PhD. Thomas Saucède has been collaborating for more than ten years with researchers from the BASE Millennium Institute, in biogeography and phylogeography of marine invertebrates (mollusks, echinoids and fish). Regarding the current project, he points out that “it is a good opportunity to continue collaborating based on our good complementarity in terms of access to the field and to samples throughout the Southern Ocean”.
“It allows us to unite and collaborate in areas such as Patagonia and Antarctica, on the part of the Millennium BASE Institute, and in the subantarctic archipelagos of Crozet and Kerguelen, on my part. “We also complement each other in terms of methodology (genetics, genomics, morphology, taxonomy, biogeography, paleontology) to address important questions related to the origin, evolution and sensitivity of marine species to climate changes at the scale of the Southern Ocean in a comprehensive manner”, he adds.
From left to right: Ewan Courville, PhD. Thomas Saucède and PhD. Elie Poulin. Photo: BASE Millennium Institute / Carolina Gajardo
During March 2024, PhD. Thomas Saucède spent two weeks in PhD. Elie Poulin’s laboratory at the UCh, working alongside the doctoral student, Erwan Courville, who develops his thesis under co-tutorship with both researchers. Erwan is doing a phylogenetic and biogeographic study of the sea urchin genus Arbacia.
“This mobility program gives us the opportunity to co-tutor and train master’s and doctoral students between Chile and France in molecular ecology. Erwan Courville is currently completing a comprehensive phylogenetic and biogeographic study of the echinoid genus Arbacia, including the southern species. “We are working on publishing his results and completing his doctoral thesis”, says the Burgundy University academic.
By: Carolina Gajardo y Constanza Barrientos
Main image: Karin Gerard
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