Investigation Units

Basic Sciences

Center for Research in Cellular and Molecular Biology, (CIBCM, for its acronym in Spanish)

Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)

Objectives

  • To carry out basic and applied research, by integrating multi and interdisciplinary groups that apply molecular and cellular biology tools to deal with scientific and development challenges in four areas of research: Biology, plant genetics and endangered species; viruses and other plant pathogens and their vectors; environmental microbiology and gene prospecting; genetics and human pathology.

Main functions

  • The CIBCM is divided into four areas:
  • 1. Genetic area and human pathology
  • This area includes research projects in two big topics:
  • A. Neuropsyquiatric diseases. The fundamental objective is the search, identification, and molecular characterization of genes susceptibility to neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s dementia, alcoholism and drug a
  • B. Infectious, inflammatory, metabolic diseases and modulation of the immune system. The diagnosis of different rare viral diseases such as Bornavirus, Flavivirus and Alphavirus are researched, as well as in the detection of different viruses and bacteria
  • Regarding inflammatory diseases, the group together with collaborators of the College of Dentistry and the Calderón Guardia Hospital develops several research projects in periodontal disease and atheromatous disease, looking for mutations or variants.
  • Environmental Microbiology and gene prospecting area with the objective of studying the microbial biodiversity of ecosystems -natural and artificial- and of native biological models of importance for Costa Rica, seeking to relate the impact of microorganisms on the environment and the impact of variables environmental in microbial communities.
  • 3. Area Pathogens, viruses and vectors. Different plant pathogens are studied, such as viruses, viroids, phytoplasms and fastidious bacteria limited to the vascular system. He is interested in the basic research of morphological and molecular identification of pathogens, to applied studies on phytopathogen-vector interactions, their epidemiology and management.
  • 4. Area of Plant Biology. This area consists of three research groups: Crop Genetic Improvement (PMGC, for its acronym in Spanish), Biological Control and Bioproducts (GCB&B, for its acronym in Spanish) and Plant Genetic Resources.
  • The research of these groups focuses on the use of biotechnology for genetic improvement, molecular biology for the study of genetic diversity of forest, fruit, wild and weed species of rice and Creole crops for breeding and conservation purposes and biological processes for prospecting, characterization of strains of active organisms against tropical pests and production of bioproducts.

Services

Remunerated

  • Capillary electrophoresis for DNA sequencing
  • Complete DNA sequencing service with an oligonucleotide
  • Capillary electrophoresis for fragments analysis (genotype)
  • Paternity testing and human identification
  • Molecular markers for identification and determination of genetic variability
  • Biotechnological techniques applied to genetic improvement of crops
  • Sale of services to support research in the area of viruses, viroids and phytoplasmas
  • Diagnosis of geminiviruses, crinivirus. Bemisia tabaci and T. vaporariorum
  • Isolation, culture, and identification of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria) from environmental samples
  • Analysis of microbial communities of environmental samples