During periods of intense rainfall and spring tides in Guayaquil, overflowing water bodies frequently force wildlife to flee their natural habitats. In response to rising urban sightings, biologist and research professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS-ESPOL), Julián Pérez Correa, provided scientific insight into wildlife behavior and outlined citizen safety protocols.
On October 14, 2026, the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS-ESPOL) held a welcome ceremony for the ten students comprising Cohort 11 of the Master’s Program in Applied Biosciences with a concentration in Biodiscovery.
The transition zone where the Andean mountain range meets the Amazon basin constitutes one of the most biologically diverse, complex, and environmentally sensitive regions on Earth. In this ecological corridor, alterations in temperature and precipitation regimes threaten not only endemic biodiversity and critical watersheds, but also rural livelihoods that depend directly on ecosystem stability.
Accurate identification and epidemiological surveillance of emerging viral pathogens threatening fruit crops are vital technical priorities to safeguard national agricultural production. In this context, the oral defense was held for the postgraduate thesis in the Master’s Program in Applied Biosciences with a concentration in Biodiscovery, presented by researcher Nelson Santiago Cubi Insuaste.
Throughout July and August 2026, the Laboratory for Biological Assays and Diagnostics (ENBIDIA) hosted Milene Vera Sánchez, an undergraduate student from the Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Spain. Upon her arrival at the faculty, she was formally welcomed by FLS Associate Dean Ana Tirapé Bajaña, Ph.D., and Romina Cueva, External Relations Analyst at ESPOL.
On August 31, 2026, the ESPOL Administration Building Auditorium (Auditorio de Rectorado) hosted a major edition of #5MinPitch, an academic initiative directed by Valeria Guzmán that challenges undergraduate students to present the technical relevance, methodology, and impact of their capstone projects (materias integradoras) within a strict five-minute limit.
Developing genomic and biotechnological tools to confront high-impact phytosanitary diseases in Musa crops represents a strategic priority for the agricultural sector. Within this scope, the oral defense was held for the postgraduate thesis in the Master’s Program in Applied Biosciences with a concentration in Biodiscovery, presented by researcher Estefany Margarita Paredes Salgado.
Public concern was sparked in Guayaquil after a video went viral showing a man carrying an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) on his shoulders, with its jaws and limbs bound. The incident opened a debate on the presence of this species in urban tidal branches such as the Estero Salado, as well as the appropriate way the public should respond to sightings.
FLS-ESPOL professor and researcher Julián Pérez demystified the perceived inherent aggression of these reptiles during everyday encounters across the city:
Neighborhood concerns near kilometer 8.5 of Vía a la Costa raised questions about whether the presence of these animals was driven by climate anomalies. In response to these inquiries, biologist and FLS-ESPOL research professor Julián Pérez clarified that these sightings are not necessarily tied to the onset of climatic events like El Niño, as the species has historically inhabited the tidal channels and mangrove branches of Guayaquil.
On August 19, the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS) hosted the final presentation and defense session for formative research projects carried out by students enrolled in the Aquatic Ecology course.
The academic session was coordinated by professor and researcher Félix Morales, Ph.D., with the support of Biology student Josué Romero. During the event, student teams delivered detailed ecological assessments of various water bodies across the coastal region, including:
