On Friday, November 24, 2023, the National Congress of Biological Chemists was held at the AGEXPORT facilities. During the Congress, a space was provided to present posters based on independent  research papers in disciplines related to biological chemistry.

One participant, Carlos Rodrigo Choxom, a Food Engineering student at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), won first place in this  category. Choxom presented his  undergraduate thesis entitled: Extraction, characterization, evaluation of the antioxidant and antibacterial inhibition capacity of thyme essential oil (Thymus vulgaris) and its respective hydrolate, through the use of traditional, enzymatic and ultrasound methods.

It is worth mentioning that Choxom carried out his work as part of a  research assistantship   within the ASPIRE Project and in collaboration with the essential oils sector of AGEXPORT.

Congratulations, Carlos Rodrigo for this great achievement!

About ASPIRE

The Achieving Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE) Project is a five year, $15 million project funded by USAID and implemented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT) with the goal of creating a world-class, replicable model for how Latin American universities, in collaboration with the private sector, government and local communities, can respond to local and regional development needs.  The project implements a collaborative approach based on MIT´s experience in the innovation ecosystem.