The Greenhouses for Soilless Crop Research are located on the Quillota Campus of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the PUCV. It is made up of three modules, with a total area of 300 m2, made of galvanized steel, multi-tunnel type and with a natural ventilation system. The Fertigation Center is monitored by a fertigation controller and consists of two 1,000-L tanks for concentrated nutrient solutions and a third 1,000-L tank for acidification. In addition, the injection system of the concentrated nutritive solutions and the acid is carried out by Venturi-type injectors and is adjusted by an electrical conductivity sensor and another pH sensor. The Fertigation Center allows you to adjust the fertigation parameters for the nutritional management of crops without soil.
» Postharvest Physiology and Food Biochemistry Laboratory
This laboratory has two defined spaces or areas with a total space of 250 m2 (pilot plant and instrumental, physiological and biochemical analysis laboratories), implemented with high-tech equipment, controlled atmosphere equipment with 15 individual micro cameras monitored in real time , three refrigeration chambers with temperature control and electrical backup (generator), instruments such as a Gas Chromatograph with flame ionization detector and mass spectrometry, texture analyzer (Texture Analyzer TX), Firm Pro, spectrophotometers, centrifuges, detector CO2 and O2 infrared, conductivity meter, pH meter, freezers (-20°C) and deep freezers (-80°C), ovens, analytical balances, incubators, vacuum pumps, electrophoresis system, fume hoods, lyophilizer, thermocycler , fluorometer, among others. The pilot plant is implemented with equipment for the chemical analysis of food and includes equipment such as: regulated water baths (0-90°C), homogenizer for liquid nitrogen and conventional samples (IKA), Sohxlet BUCHI, HAUNA PH210 Microprocessor pH meter electrode, digital refractometers (0-53°Brix) and (45-93°Brix). It has a dryer, a MAP sealing system, a freezer chamber, a freezing tunnel, etc.
» Oenology Laboratory
This 60 m2 laboratory is equipped with equipment for the chemical analysis of grape and wine samples, including a pH meter, Shimadzu analytical balance, vortex, Hanna Instrument turbidimeter, vacuum pumps, Freezer -40°C, Memmert thermoregulated bath, magnetic stirrers, Dlab orbital stirrer, heating mantles, Centurion Scientific refrigerated centrifuge, rotary evaporator, Shimadzu UV-1280 spectrophotometer, equipment for carrying out basic chemical analyzes of wine, such as distillers for measuring alcoholic strength and volatile acidity, suction equipment for measuring sulfur dioxide in wines, CDR Winelab Jr for measurement of various chemical parameters in grapes and wines by enzymatic methods, among others. In addition, the laboratory has the necessary equipment for winemaking with an installed capacity of 600 L, including stainless steel fermentation tanks with a capacity of 100 L, an automatic destemmer with a capacity of 1,000-1,200 kg/h, a vertical press basket, Enolmatic bottle filler, transfer pump, plate filter with a capacity of 300-400 L/hr and manual corker.
» Research Laboratory in Ecology and Ecological Intensification
The ecology and ecological intensification research laboratory is a workspace that has 3 workstations each equipped with a computer. As basic equipment for research, the laboratory has a Quimis drying oven, cold equipment for the conservation of samples consisting of a refrigerator (General Electric brand with a capacity of 100 L), a -20°C freezer (General Electric brand 300 L capacity) and a -86°C freezer (Haier brand with 100 L capacity), all of them protected with a UPS voltage regulation system. It also has a Leica binocular magnifying glass equipped with a digital photo and video camera. As equipment for field research, the laboratory has 12 Song Meter SM4 model Wildlife Acoustic recording equipment, 60 Nature View model Bushnell infrared camera traps and Strike Force Pro XD model Browning brand, 100 Tomahawk traps and 100 Sherman traps for capturing small mammals. , 3 complete telemetry equipment (receiver and Yagi antenna) for Telenax vertebrate tracking, an infrared cavity camera and for monitoring nests, a Bruker model S1 Titan X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer equipment, 30 Bushnell 10 X 50 binoculars, 4 GoPro cameras, 2 Garmin GPS, 1 Bauker electric generator, in addition to complete equipment for capturing birds and/or bats, which includes mist nets of different sizes and surfaces, equipment for handling and marking birds (ruler, capture bags, rings, pliers, etc.) and field material for field work (diametric blades, blades, shovels, etc.). Additionally, it has a chamber with controlled light and temperature conditions to carry out bioassays.
» Phytopathology Laboratory
The Phytopathology Laboratory is divided into three areas; research, teaching and service area. The main lines of research are integrated management of diseases that affect plants with emphasis on etiology, epiphytiology and biocontrol. A multidisciplinary team of professionals works in the Laboratory, highlighting the areas of agronomy, plant pathology, molecular biology, microbiology and biochemistry. In the area of teaching, the Laboratory supports the Phytopathology (undergraduate) and Integrated Management of Phytopathogens and Sustainability in Agroindustrial Systems (postgraduate) chairs. The service area is focused on the identification of causal agents of diseases of different crops, both in fruit trees, vegetables and flowers, as well as their presence in soil or water, through analysis services (morphological and/or molecular) and to the evaluation and development of various kinds of products for disease control.
Físicamente el laboratorio cuenta con las siguientes unidades: aislamiento y cultivo de microorganismos (m.o), conservación de m.o, micología y bacteriología, análisis molecular y virológico, microorganismos de postcosecha, sala de esterilización y recepción de muestras. A nivel de campo, el laboratorio cuenta con invernaderos y parcelas experimentales para el desarrollo de ensayos tanto de proyectos concursables como para proyectos con empresas e instituciones. El laboratorio está equipado con equipos tradicionales y tecnología avanzada, como equipo de qPCR, termociclador, lector de microplacas, ultrafreezer -80°C, y un microscopio de epifluorescencia y tecnología Nomarski. Por otra parte, el laboratorio cuenta con una colección propia de microorganismos con más de 2.000 aislados de hongos, levaduras y bacterias.
» Food Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Laboratory
This laboratory is exclusively used by postgraduate students and professors for their own research tasks such as the extraction, characterization and identification of bioactive compounds and determination of antioxidant capacity. This laboratory has an area of 20 m2. The laboratory has major equipment such as a Perkin Elmer High Resolution Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with a UV-Vis detector, a rotary steamer with a vacuum pump, a ThermoScientific 1510 microplate reader, a Hermle centrifuge and basic equipment for food analysis. (pH meters, vortexes, analytical balances and shakers).
» Process Laboratory
In the processes laboratory of the Food School there is a series of equipment for the systematized study of the vast majority of processes in the food industry. The laboratory has a total area of 500 m2 which is subdivided into offices, a processing room, specific laboratories for heat processes, membrane separation, physical properties, as well as general use areas.
Al centro de esta unidad se ubica una zona de procesamiento constituida por dos mesones de acero inoxidable que se utilizan en la preparación o formulación de alimentos. El laboratorio cuenta además, con un túnel de congelación por aire forzado a -35°C , varias cámaras de refrigeración con control de temperatura, una máquina de fabricación de hielo en escama y equipos varios como embutidoras, moledoras, selladoras a vacío, batidoras, amasadores y molinos, entre otros.
» Laboratory of Membranes and Milk
This 20 m2 laboratory has microfiltration, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration equipment which has been used in the treatment of milk, juice and beer. The laboratory also has auxiliary equipment for membrane separation, such as ultrasound equipment (GT Sonic), thermomixers (Thermomix Vorwerk), orbital shaker, 50 L Heidolph W-20 rotary evaporator, among others. The laboratory also has electrophoresis equipment, a microplate reader (Thermoscientific Multiscan GO 5111-9200), a microcentrifuge and an extraction hood.
» Soil Laboratory
It is intended for analysis of soil samples, compost, water and foliar tissues. Accredited by the Chilean Standard ISO 17025. It has a total area of ~246 m2. It has modern equipment, for example, two atomic absorption spectrometers, the first a SensAA (GBC Scientific) and the second equipment with a graphite furnace and hydride generator (iCE 3000, Thermo Scientific), flame emission photometer, light spectrophotometer visible and UV, gas extraction hoods, muffles, balances, centrifuges, pH meter and conductivity meter.
» Ultrasonic Bioprocess Laboratory
This 24 m2 laboratory has equipment to carry out enzymatic reactions and their quantification. For this, it has magnetic temperature stirrers (DragonLab), Radwad analytical balance, Gram Precision granataria balance, Clean pH-meter, EIC HNS Centrifuge, 1 Jenway UV/Visible Spectrophotometer, 10-position magnetic stirrer with Scilogex thermoregulated bath and glass suitable for preparing solutions and performing spectrophotometric analytical measurements.
Para realizar extracciones y reacciones enzimáticas asistidas por ultrasonido se cuenta con 1 baño de ultrasonido de 30 L de capacidad GT Sonic y 2 agitadores de cabezal DLAB, y un reactor de extracción constituido por 1 Sonicador Branson 550, 1 baño termoregulado LAUDA, 1 celda de flujo y vasos enchaquetados con capacidad de 250 mL, 500 mL y 1L. Cuenta además con Analizador de textura TX-XT2 (Texture Technologies Corp).
» Beer, Wine and Derivatives Industrial Fermentation Laboratory
This unit has an area of 54 m2 with a microbiology laboratory and physical-chemical analysis of fermented products. Attached to this laboratory there is a pilot plant for the production of yogurt, cheese, beer, cider, wine and its derivatives. The microbiology and physical-chemical analysis laboratory has a biosafety cabinet, horizontal electrophoresis system for protein determination, photodocumenter for the quantification of electrophoretic bands, refrigerated centrifuge, autoclave, incubator, real-time PCR, plate reader with temperature control and all the necessary materials for the study of microorganisms related to lactic, alcoholic and acetic fermentation. In addition, this laboratory has the necessary equipment for the development of cheeses, yogurt, beers, cider, wines and their derivatives on a laboratory and pilot scale (vertical press, pressurized isobaric fermenters, brewhouse, column distiller for the production of whisky, brandy, gin and vodka, cold chamber, thermorecirculator, oak and stainless steel barrels with G-type connector, plate filter, carbonator, capper, stills and rotary distiller).
» Laboratory of Processes with Heat
Admisión This laboratory has an area of 30 m2 and larger equipment for food heat processing and control. It has a 250 L capacity Almed horizontal autoclave, canning jar sealer, kettles, plate heat exchanger, Armfield HT30X and its accessories, automatic control APV pasteurizer, Armfield PC-controlled tray dryer, mini spray dryer Buchi B-290.
» Plant Biophysics and Biomechanics Laboratory
The Plant Biophysics and Biomechanics laboratory has a total space of ~90 m2 of consolidated laboratory and 40 m2 of greenhouse. The laboratory is equipped to perform various plant physiology experiments. These include a Root Pressure Probe and a complete lab-on-a-chip system for studies of plant biophysics and biomechanics under controlled conditions. Among other equipment, the laboratory has growth chambers, a hydroponic plant growth system, a fluorescence microscope, a Scholander-type pressure pump, a porometer, a permeameter, a pH meter, a freezer (-20°C), a freezer (-80 °C), ovens, analytical balances, thermoregulatory bath, spectrophotometer, centrifuge, and all the supplies and materials necessary to work in the laboratory's own research lines
» Agricultural Entomology Laboratory
This laboratory is divided into two areas: Research for postgraduate students and an area for projects with companies. The two areas have a total of 40 m2 for the processing, recognition and quantification of pest insects. The lab has a STMES 305 magnifier (ZEISS) with an 8.5 megapixel Axiocam 208 digital camera. It also has minor equipment, micro balance, Dryer (Enaxxion, Arquimed) equipment for maintaining samples (4 oC refrigerators and -20 oC freezers), Pro thermal data loggers (Hobo). The laboratory has acrylic (9) and wooden (50) breeding boxes for plants and insects. There are equipment for collecting, dissecting and assembling insects (entomological nets, vacuum cleaners, emergency traps, capture traps, extenders, etc.).