Dr.Alejandro Dinamarca, Centre of Micro-Innovation UV. (Photo: UV/YouTube)

Researchers obtain technology patent to replace salmon antibiotics in US

CHILE
Wednesday, July 26, 2017, 21:30 (GMT + 9)

An important recognition was awarded to a team of researchers from the Micro-Innovation Centre of the Pharmacy School of the University of Valparaiso after obtaining the patent for the technology in the United States that will replace the use of antibiotics in the salmon industry.

The research allowed the development of technology -- labelled as US Patent No. 9,629,882 -- based on a marine bacterium that is presented as an alternative to the use of antibiotics for the global salmon industry.

"This bacterium produces a molecule that is capable of fooling microorganisms that are pathogenic. It does not kill them, it interrupts the communication mechanisms that bacteria have to be pathogenic. Thus bacteria lose their pathogenicity as well as their virulence and their ability to do harm," explains the director of the UV Micro-Innovation Centre, who is in charge of the patented research, Dr. Alejandro Dinamarca.

Among the main advantages of this new technology with respect to current treatments, he highlights the fact that it is an environmentally friendly product that does not generate resistance and whose administration is not invasive.

As the World Health Organization has pointed out, the problem of antibiotics today is massive because of the resistance that bacteria are presenting to the therapies that provide these chemicals.

It is from this scenario that the great efforts at world level are oriented to the search of new antibiotics or alternatives to the use of these medicines.

"The objective of having a food additive already registered allows to generate a salmon industry with greater food safety, since less antibiotic would be used, this new generation of products would be produced and eventually the salmon grown in Chile would be free from antibiotic agents," adds Dr Dinamarca.

The researchers emphasize the importance of this patent, since in salmon farming the same antibiotics are used for the treatment of infectious diseases in humans.

On the other hand, having this type of patent ensures that all relevant aspects of the development of technology are protected.

This patent was obtained thanks to the financing of the projects Fondef and Corfo and to the Direction of Investigation UV through the Office of Transfer and Licensing (OTL).

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