Noticias en español
- María Gómez Higuera recently visited the Universidad de Concepción to collaborate with Dr. Raimund Bürger, principal investigator at the Center for Mathematical Modeling at the Universidad de Chile.
The three-month research stay of María Gómez Higuera, a student in the Master’s program in Mathematical Engineering at the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP), was extended until September 30 to collaborate directly with Dr. Raimund Bürger, principal investigator at the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) at the Universidad de Chile.
The visit took place at the Center for Research in Mathematical Engineering (CI²MA) at the Universidad de Concepción (UdeC), where Prof. Bürger is subdirector. He is a renowned expert in Numerical Analysis of Partial Differential Equations, which are extremely useful for the development of María’s thesis, related to the application of mathematical models to rice cultivation, focusing on the potential of certain bacteria as sustainable biofertilizers.
“I am grateful to María for her interest in spending time with us. She has done an excellent job and has implemented a numerical method for a coupled reaction-diffusion system in cylindrical coordinates”, said Dr. Bürger, a professor at the UdeC’s Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, where he also directs the PhD Program in Applied Sciences with a minor in Mathematical Engineering.
“I was very impressed by her ability to implement numerical methods based on general information from the literature and her high level of independence. Now we need to formulate conclusions based on the numerical results obtained”, the researcher added.
Applications in agriculture
The research conducted by the mathematics graduate from the Universidad de Panamá seeks to model the growth and dispersion of plant growth-promoting bacteria in the rhizosphere, which is the thin zone around plant roots, specifically in rice plants.
“Rice is widely used in Panama, and production is quite costly due to the chemical fertilizers that are necessary,” explained Gómez Higuera. The modeled bacteria, however, offer a sustainable alternative. “They are inserted into the plant’s seed and act as a biofertilizer,” she explained.
The mathematical model developed during her stay in Concepción describes the diffusion of the bacteria and the substrate (the compound released by the root that the bacteria feed on), which requires the use of two coupled equations. “The research is expected to have a direct impact on the productive and economic activity of rice cultivation in Panama”, the researcher explained.
The basic information for the study comes from data and research carried out by the Agricultural Research Institute of Panama (IDIAP). “They conducted research to characterize the bacteria, working with engineers, agronomists, and biologists in the field and in the laboratory, and then they provided us with data about the bacteria”, María explained.
“After 30 days, it was observed that the highest concentration of bacterial biomass is located in the region near the tip of the root,” explained the researcher.
Rice plants used in IDIAP research that proved that bacteria promote their growth.
International connections and projections
Meanwhile, her collaboration with Dr. Bürger arose after she participated in the 2024 edition of the traditional Spring School of Numerical Analysis (EPANUM) at the UdeC. After she presented a thesis summary, Dr. Bürger offered her ideas to develop within the context of her research and agreed to work with her alongside UTP academics Dr. Idulfo Arrocha and Dr. Yolanda Vásquez, who holds a doctorate from the UdeC.
The research stay was crucial for the progress of the project. “I arrived with one equation solved, and today I am leaving with the complete model, two coupled equations, solved with finite volumes”, María explained, adding that “a moving boundary was incorporated into the model”-
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Figure from María’s thesis showing the spatial distribution of bacteria in the area surrounding plant roots, where warmer colors represent a greater presence of these microorganisms.
In the near future, María will continue to collaborate with Prof. Bürger and Professors Arrocha and Vásquez on her thesis, which she will defend early next year. She then hopes to pursue doctoral studies. In addition, they hope to submit a co-authored scientific article for publication in the coming months.
María Gómez’s internship at the UdeC was funded by her scholarship from Panama’s National Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT), which covers her postgraduate studies.
By Iván R. Tobar Bocaz, CMM Communications.
Posted on Oct 21, 2025 in News
