2014
Determination of Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxins in post-harvest organic coffee in Chiriquí and Ngöbe-Buglé
Project that produced a scientific article and a technical manual.
Projects
Projects
Research projects documented in the centre's institutional record.
2020
Think Tank UNACHI-CIRNInvestigación científica al servicio de la empresa y la sociedad
Internships, activities and outputs of the UNACHI-CIRN Think Tank.
2024
Specialty coffee qualityNIR spectroscopy and chemometrics
Graduate research applying NIR spectroscopy and chemometric tools to the analysis of caffeine, protein and fat in specialty green coffee from Chiriquí.
2021–2025
Aflatoxin M1 in raw cow milk and its determinants in Chiriquí farms
Assessed the occurrence and determinants of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw milk, and of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cattle feed, on farms in Chiriquí.
2014–2024
Coffee chemistry and safety research program
Long-running research line on caffeine, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, mycotoxins, sensory quality and NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics in Panamanian coffee.
2020
Sostenibilidad en el uso de recursos naturales y conservación de la biodiversidad de la región occidental de Panamá
Institutional research report on sustainability and biodiversity conservation in western Panama.
2014
Determinación de los niveles de Ocratoxina A (OTA) y Aflatoxinas en granos de Café orgánico Post-Cosecha en Chiriquí y Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé, para generar un servicio tecnológico de análisis a los productores de café
Assessment of mycotoxins in post-harvest organic coffee to offer growers a technological analysis service. Its outputs were an article in the journal ALAN and a technical manual.
2019
Centro de Pensamiento Think Tank UNACHI
Think tank devoted to sustainable development, with a particular focus on western Panama.
2020
Coffee characterization and nutraceutical value
Mapped Panamanian coffee varieties and their sampling areas and analyzed them using UV-VIS, atomic absorption, HPLC and gas chromatography; sensory cupping related bioactive compounds to variety, cultivation and processing.
2015
Estudio Nuboso–CIRN collaboration
Network collaboration on the arts, human ecology, culture and sustainability, recorded in CIRN's 2015 institutional report.
2013
Capacitación del uso sostenible de la biodiversidad fúngica de áreas indígenas: su potencial nutricional y nutracéutico
Technology transfer and community training on the sustainable use of fungal biodiversity and the artisanal cultivation of native Pleurotus djamor in Ngäbe-Buglé communities.
1998
Planta de Hongos Comestibles de la UNACHI
Research facility created to study and sustainably use Panama's fungal diversity through edible-mushroom biotechnology.
2003–2007
BAZDREAMRed iberoamericana de empleo de la biomasa azucarera como fuente de alimento, energía, derivados y su relación con la preservación del medio ambiente
Research and production exchange on sugarcane biomass, energy, derivatives, competitiveness and environmental protection.
2018 · 2020
Sostenibilidad en el Uso de los Recursos Naturales y Conservación de la Biodiversidad de la Región Occidental de Panamá
Think Tank project bringing together academic, government and productive-sector actors around the sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity.
2021
Productividad, composición nutricional y actividad antioxidante de Pleurotus djamor cultivado en diferentes formulaciones de residuos agroindustriales
Manuscript in preparation listed in CIRN's January–July 2021 activity report.
2021
Análisis de riesgo asociado a los niveles de aflatoxina M1 en leche cruda producida en Chiriquí y sus efectos a la salud
Manuscript in preparation in 2021; this research line culminated in the 2025 publication on aflatoxin M1.
2021
Micotoxinas en el arroz almacenado en Chiriquí, Panamá y evaluación de la exposición alimentaria
Manuscript in preparation in 2021; this research line led to the article on mycotoxins in rice published in 2022 in the Journal of Toxicology.
2021
Sustainable development strategies for the agricultural sector in Western region of Panama
English-language manuscript in preparation, listed among CIRN's 2021 research outputs.
2023–2027
Plan Estratégico de Manejo Sostenible de los Recursos Naturales de la Provincia de Chiriquí 2023–2027
Strategic plan translating the Think Tank's research into regional priorities for the sustainable management of natural resources.
2025
CIRN science outreachCampamento Científico y Tecnológico Verano 2025
Science outreach for secondary-school students that used edible fungi, HPLC and infrared spectroscopy to showcase research in chemistry and natural resources.
2016 · 2020
CIRN edible-mushroom germplasmProduction and technology transfer
CIRN maintained and produced edible mushroom species for research and sale, and transferred Pleurotus and shiitake production technology through training.
2024
Analytical study of green and roasted specialty coffee (undergraduate thesis support)
CIRN provided scientific advice and analytical support; the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama supplied green and roasted coffee samples.
2015
Molecular characterization of an unidentified fungus
In 2015 CIRN reported an unidentified fungus undergoing molecular tests to determine whether it represented a new genus or species, with potential pharmacological and food applications; biology students collected material for their theses.
2025
Identificación del origen geográfico de café producido en Panamá, utilizando espectroscopía NIR acoplado a quimiometría
Research project using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics to identify the geographic origin of Panamanian coffee.
2025
Evaluación del contenido de taninos y flavonoides en el café (verde y tostado) de especialidad cultivado en la provincia de Chiriquí-Panamá
Undergraduate chemistry thesis assessing tannin and flavonoid content in green and roasted specialty coffee from Chiriquí.
2024
Identificación de compuestos volátiles y su relación con la calidad sensorial del café de especialidad de Panamá
Master's thesis on the volatile compounds of Panamanian specialty coffee and their relationship with sensory quality, carried out at CIRN.
2012
Determinación de los niveles de ocratoxina A y aflatoxinas totales (B1, B2, G1 y G2), en granos de café procesado, provenientes de beneficios de Boquete, Bugaba, Dolega y Renacimiento, provincia de Chiriquí, por el método de inmunoafinidad ELISA
Undergraduate chemistry thesis that used immunoaffinity ELISA to determine ochratoxin A and total aflatoxin levels in processed coffee from mills in Boquete, Bugaba, Dolega and Renacimiento (Chiriquí).
2014
Determinación de cafeína en diferentes marcas de café comercial de Panamá
Student research on caffeine quantification in commercial Panamanian coffee brands, which preceded the scientific article on caffeine published in 2014.
2015
Suplementación de paja de arroz (Oryza sativa L.) con harina de pescado como sustrato, y su efecto en el perfil lipídico y nutricional de los cuerpos fructíferos de Pleurotus djamor
Undergraduate chemistry thesis (December 2015) on how supplementing rice-straw substrate with fishmeal affects the lipid and nutritional profile of Pleurotus djamor.
2015
UNACHI Biology theses on saprobic and ectomycorrhizal fungi linked to CIRN fieldwork
Two undergraduate Biology students working on theses about fungal groups joined a CIRN scientific field trip in 2015, collected specimens and used the activity for their graduation work.
2015
Panamanian macrofungal biodiversityTaxonomic fieldwork linked to the 2015 CIRN–Goethe University exchange
In 2015 Hermine Lotz and Javier De León collected and reviewed fungal specimens in Panama, and samples were sent to Germany for identification.
