We have determined biological, chemical, and physical factors in the northwestern region of Mexico that represent a threat to environmental health. The metabolic syndrome, together with cancer, tumoral diseases, and cardiovascular pathologies, occupy the first places in morbility and mortality in Mexico.  Based on this situation and with results from the Environmental Health and Biomedicine Strategic Line, we will use physiological, biochemical, and molecular tools to determine the effects in health of marine and land organisms and ecosystems,  including man, of such environmental disturbances...

- Projects in process

The coastal zone is the point of entry of different elements that are generated in the land area of influence (waste of human activities, dragging of sediments by rain wash). In arid or semi-arid areas, tropical rain is important because it takes organic material and sediments with its dragging to the coastal area. Drainage is capable of modifying, temporarily or permanently, the shape of the coastline (sediments) and the quality of the water that receives these contributions (nitrogen, phosphorus); at the same time it can promote changes in the populations of marine organisms (red tides).

- Projects in process

Biodiversity constitutes the live richness of our planet and represents a very important resource for the social and economic welfare of humanity. This strategic line performs scientific research to contribute relevantly to knowledge of biodiversity of the country, and that such knowledge has a significant bearing on establishing public policies and decision making to preserve biodiversity and use it sustainably...

- Projects in process

Since 1986, CIBNOR has been working on determining, assessing, and quantifying  with precision the effects that productive human activities generate on the natural resources of Northwest Mexico, especially to minimize those that have impact on sensitive habitats, ecosystems, and relevant species, as well as to develop top level human resources in these research topics ...

- Projects in process

This line studies the participation of beneficial soil microorganisms associated to wild plants and to those of agricultural interest to solve environmental problems. It is based on the record that plant growth promoting bacteria have been used exclusively for agricultural purposes. However, the proposal considers that its potential use in fields, which are different to agriculture, is immense.These bacteria can be used for increasing micro-algal growth and for their efficiency in the removal of organic compounds of sewage water; they can also improve mangrove tree reforestation because of their massive growth in the peripheral area of the root by supplying the plant with the required bio-fertilizers for its growth. Likewise, bacteria can prevent soil erosion by improving survival possibilities in small cacti, which serve as soil stabilizers...

- Projects in process

Biological collections are essential tools for research on diversity, use, and conservation of the genetic capital (species) of a country, entity, or region. Likewise, they are invaluable support in studies on ecology and biotechnology, because some species are source of prime matter for the production of food and chemical substances of high economic value. Mexico is acknowledged as one of the regions of the greatest biological diversity in the planet; recent estimates indicate that around 8 to 10% of the world's plant and animal species are native of Mexico and that most likely, there could be a minimum of five hundred thousand species of all the groups...

- Projects in process