News & Outreach

Cooperaciones Invisibles at Santiago Wild 2026

4–17 May 2026

Our short audiovisual piece Cooperaciones Invisibles: redes que sostienen la vida, directed by María Josefina Poupin, was featured in the online programme of the 6th Santiago Wild Festival.

View film page →

Cooperaciones Invisibles at MUT

February 2026

An audiovisual project conceived and created by María Josefina Poupin, with audiovisual production by FDEZ Productora. Presented at MUT, Cooperaciones Invisibles explores how life depends on collaboration and hidden biological interactions.

View gallery →

Territorios con Memoria

11–12 December 2025

MJP Lab participated in Territorios con Memoria in Villarrica with hands-on activities on soil biodiversity, microorganisms and plant–microbe interactions. Cooperaciones invisibles: Redes que sostienen la vida was also part of the audiovisual programme.

View story & gallery →

Rizósfera Viviente

10 April–8 May 2024

An immersive art–science exhibition developed within MN-SAP at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, exploring the hidden world of plant roots, microorganisms and environmental change.

View story & gallery →

International workshop on plant–microorganism interactions

MJP Lab participated in an international workshop at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez focused on plant–microorganism–environment interactions and new collaborative perspectives.

Read the official UAI news →

British Ecological Society Annual Meeting

Our group participated in the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, presenting work on plant responses to beneficial bacteria and the role of microbial interactions under abiotic stress.

RELAR PGPR-Lat 2025

We participated in RELAR PGPR-Lat 2025 in La Plata, Argentina, sharing research on competition and collaboration in the rhizosphere under abiotic stress.

XVII Annual Meeting of the Chilean Society of Plant Biologists

November 2025

Pamela Cabedo, Gabriela Sejas, Ignacio Alfaro and Diego Zavala represented our group at the annual meeting in Valdivia, sharing research and engaging with the plant biology community.

Special congratulations to Diego Zavala, who received the award for best oral presentation.

Congratulations to Diego Zavala

March 2026

Diego Zavala completed his PhD in Molecular Biosciences at Universidad Andrés Bello. Dr. Francisca Blanco was his advisor and María Josefina Poupin served as co-advisor.

Congratulations to Roberto Valencia Vargas

November 2025

Roberto Valencia Vargas successfully defended his thesis and earned the Master of Science in Engineering degree, Bioengineering track. We congratulate him on his excellent preparation, dedication and outstanding defense, and wish him the very best in this new stage.

Congratulations to Rebecca Cascarano

January 2025

Rebecca Cascarano completed her thesis for the Master of Science in Engineering at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. Her research explored whether plants can develop a memory of stress that may be inherited by their offspring.

Congratulations to Gabriela Sejas

August 2024

Gabriela Sejas completed her thesis for the Master of Science in Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez.

Master’s thesis opportunity

A Master’s thesis opportunity linked to FONDECYT 1250589, focused on plant–microbe interactions and plant responses to environmental and nutritional constraints.

Teaching: Genetic Engineering laboratory

Recent teaching activities include practical laboratory work in Genetic Engineering, connecting molecular concepts with hands-on experimental training.