Ruben Avendano-Herrera

I am an Aquaculture Engineer and during my first years I worked in different research grants searching and implementing probiotic bacteria in the larval culture of Northern scallop (Argopecten purpuratus). With the CONICYT-BID scholarship (Chilean government) I conducted my PhD studies at the Microbiology and Parasitology program at Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. In Spain, I specialized in antigenic studies for the design of bacterial serotyping schemes, which are essential for developing fish vaccines. Also, extended my studies on the diagnostics of emerging pathogens and its virulence mechanisms. The experience gained awarded a project of insertion into the industry (PAI-CONICYT), and back to Chile I worked as the main researcher in a pharmaceutic company achieving as the most important results, the sanitary registration of at least one immersion vaccine. By professional option, in 2010 I awarded another PAI-CONICYT but for the academy, entering at Universidad Andrés Bello, at Viña del Mar. Since then, I have been the director of the laboratory and main researcher of a FONDAP center. Specialty areas: pathology in aquaculture, diseases of aquatic organisms, biotechnological tools applied to aquaculture and biotechnology, standardization of procedures to control and validate the appropriate use of antibiotics and development of vaccines against aquatic pathologies.