The article, in which Miryan Rivera, a CISeAL researcher, participates together with her laboratory technician Mateo Salazar, presents a green and efficient synthesis strategy for obtaining carbon dots (CDs) from natural products such as annatto (Bixa orellana), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), and turmeric (Curcuma longa), using a microwave-assisted technique that stands out for its speed, simplicity, and environmental compatibility. Four types of CDs (CDs1, CDs2, CDs3, and CDs4) were generated from aqueous dispersions of these extracts and sucrose, and were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The obtained CDs presented irregular shapes and sizes ranging from 2.3 to 3.7 nanometers, exhibiting luminescent and photoactivated properties with the ability to generate singlet reactive oxygen species (¹O₂) and produce temperature increases between 40 and 50 °C upon irradiation with blue light (450 nm, 40 mW·cm⁻²).
In her most recent publication, Dr. Anita G. Villacís, Principal Investigator at CISeAL, examines how environmental contamination influences the ecology of the vector Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in wild areas of southern Ecuador. Traditionally associated with wild environments, this insect has begun to adapt to human-influenced habitats, which represents a growing challenge for the control of Chagas disease.
This research had the outstanding participation of Jazive Esparza, under the direction of Dr. Anita G. Villacís, in collaboration with experts such as Soledad Santillán-Guayasamín, César A. Yumiseva, Juan José Bustillos, Mario J. Grijalva, and Sereno Denis.
The study analyzed 389 nests collected in eight communities in the province of Loja during 2018, 2022, and 2023, differentiating between peridomestic and wild nests. The findings reveal a drastic reduction in the infestation rate in areas close to dwellings (from 33.3% in 2018 to 0% in 2022), while wild areas maintained fluctuating levels. A significant association was identified between triatomine infestation and mammal nests, many of which contained anthropogenic materials—especially near roads and other human-intervened areas.