July 23: The BIO+IA Early Adopters Demo Day will showcase the results of projects driving regional research using AI and bioinformatics

On 23 July 2026 (09:00 MX and CR, 10:00 EC and CO, 11:00 Cl, 12:00 BR and UY), the Early Adopters BIO+IA Programme Demo Day will take place via Zoom. This regional event will provide an opportunity to learn about the progress and results achieved by the research teams that participated in this innovative initiative, launched as part of the BELLA II project and coordinated by RedCLARA.

The Early Adopters BIO+IA Programme – Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence – was designed to support research, innovation and technological development teams in Latin America and the Caribbean interested in applying artificial intelligence to the analysis of molecular interaction networks. The initiative provided access to specialised technological infrastructure, training and technical mentoring to develop and validate solutions addressing high-impact scientific challenges, such as precision medicine, gene regulation, complex diseases, antimicrobial resistance and biotechnology.

Following an open regional call for proposals in March 2026, the programme selected five high-potential projects from six countries in the region. These initiatives address topics related to oncology, liver health, antimicrobial resistance and translational biomedicine, utilising the advanced capabilities of the BIO+IA testbed to explore new hypotheses and accelerate AI-based research processes.

At Demo Day, the programme’s closing event, the following projects will be presented:

• The role of mitochondrial candidates in drug resistance in triple-negative breast cancer — Universidad del Desarrollo, in collaboration with the University of Chile, with support from REUNA (Chile).
• Molecular screening system using extracellular vesicles to detect breast cancer risk — Ixtapaluca Regional High-Speciality Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, with support from CUDI (Mexico).
• Identification of genetic sequences associated with mercury resistance (MerIA) — Chimborazo Higher Polytechnic School, with support from CEDIA (Ecuador).
• Therapeutic repositioning strategies for liver disease — Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, with support from RENATA (Colombia), in collaboration with the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC).

The Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence testbed, set up on RedCLARA thanks to the BELLA II project, functions as a regional platform for the collection and processing of specialised information. It integrates tools for generative artificial intelligence, logical artificial intelligence and structural bioinformatics, enabling researchers and scientific teams to work with cutting-edge technological capabilities in a collaborative environment.

Beyond the infrastructure itself, this initiative represents a concrete example of regional cooperation. The programme is made possible by the joint efforts of RedCLARA, the University of the Andes in Venezuela, and the National Research and Education Networks of Colombia (RENATA), Mexico (CUDI) and Chile (REUNA), which have connected the participating teams with technological resources, specialist knowledge and technical support to carry out their research.

During Demo Day, the teams will share the results obtained following their training and experimentation on the BIO+IA testbed, demonstrating how regional collaboration and access to advanced infrastructure can help strengthen scientific research and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean. This event will also highlight the impact of the BELLA II testbeds as platforms that foster experimentation, learning and the joint development of solutions to the region’s major scientific challenges.

Event details

Event: BIO+IA Early Adopters Demo Day

Date: 23 July 2026

Time: 11.00 am (Santiago, Chile)

Format: Virtual via Zoom

Free registration: https://vc-cudi.zoom.us/meeting/register/imaD7YwkQh2q5LFpZaNyWw#/registration

The invitation is open to researchers, academics, students, innovation professionals and communities linked to the life sciences and artificial intelligence, who are interested in learning first-hand about the results of this pioneering initiative that strengthens regional scientific cooperation thanks to BELLA II and RedCLARA.