MITO-MAP
Mitochondria
Mapping Altitude Physiology
MITO-MAP
Mitochondria
Mapping Altitude Physiology
Establishing and maintaining a satellite laboratory in La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 m) is central to the research program of Professor Jorge Soliz. Unlike simulated hypoxic environments at sea level, La Paz provides direct access to natural high-altitude hypoxia, offering a unique living laboratory where both human and animal populations are chronically exposed to reduced oxygen availability. This setting enables the study of genuine physiological, molecular, and evolutionary adaptations that cannot be fully reproduced in artificial conditions.
The Andean populations of La Paz, largely of Aymara and Quechua ancestry, represent a rare model of long-term human adaptation to hypoxia. Their distinct hematological, ventilatory, and metabolic traits are crucial for understanding resilience and vulnerability to hypoxia-related diseases such as pulmonary hypertension, chronic mountain sickness, and apnea of prematurity. Parallel studies in rodent and insect models provide comparative insights into mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, highlighting the role of mitochondria as the central oxygen sensor and bioenergetic hub in extreme environments.
The satellite laboratory is also a vital platform for clinical and translational research. By partnering with local hospitals, it enables studies on high-altitude neonatal care, including redefining guidelines for premature babies born in hypoxia (High-Altitude Baby Project), as well as investigations into the outcomes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or COVID-19 in high-altitude intensive care units. These projects bridge basic mitochondrial biology with urgent public health challenges, generating knowledge of global medical relevance that could not be obtained elsewhere.
Beyond advancing scientific discovery, the La Paz facility fosters international training and knowledge exchange. It provides Bolivian researchers and students with access to cutting-edge technologies such as Oroboros O2k high-resolution respirometry, while Canadian trainees gain first-hand experience in high-altitude physiology and medicine. This reciprocal mobility strengthens bilateral academic ties and builds sustainable capacity in Bolivia’s scientific community.
Finally, the La Paz laboratory has strategic relevance beyond altitude research. The hypobaric hypoxia of the Andes represents the closest terrestrial analogue to space conditions, positioning this facility as a launchpad for applying mitochondrial and respiratory physiology to aerospace medicine and space exploration.
In sum, the La Paz satellite laboratory is not a peripheral extension of Professor Soliz’s program, but its cornerstone. It provides unparalleled access to natural hypoxia, unique human and animal models, and clinically relevant populations, while creating an international hub for innovation, training, and translational science. Through this dual structure—Université Laval in Québec and the satellite lab in La Paz—Professor Soliz’s team is uniquely positioned to lead the global frontier of research in neurophysiology, mitochondria, high-altitude biology, and human adaptation to extreme environments.
Mito-MAP se encuentra en la Univesidad Loyola (seguencoma bajo) en la Paz, Bolivia.
MSc Pablo Iturri & MsC. Karen Losantos Ramos, son los responsables de Mito-MAP en La Paz, Bolivia.
Our laboratory is honored to sustain a valued institutional association with Universidad Loyola, located in La Paz, Bolivia. As a private university founded in 1995, Universidad Loyola has quickly risen to become one of the notable institutions in the country. According to web‑based university rankings, Universidad Loyola is currently placed around #21 among Bolivian universities in national rankings (out of approximately 53 universities), and holds a position of #29 in the La Paz region by uniRank’s web‑metrics methodology. Globally, it is ranked in the lower thousands (for instance, a world ranking around 10,787) by certain ranking services. While rankings are only one indicator and can vary by methodology, this standing reflects the university’s growing presence in Bolivia’s academic and research landscape. Our collaboration with Universidad Loyola is therefore built on a foundation of mutual ambition: to elevate scientific output, foster innovation, and raise visibility both nationally and internationally. Through this association, we are able to embed part of our operations in La Paz at high altitude (3,600 m), giving us access to unique environmental and physiological conditions not reproducible elsewhere. This natural “living laboratory” enables cutting‑edge research in adaptation to hypoxia, mitochondrial physiology, respiratory pathophysiology, and related translational investigations. Beyond logistics and infrastructure, our partnership represents a shared vision: to contribute to the scientific and educational development of Bolivia, to train future generations of scholars, and to enable global research that is rooted in local context and excellence.
The image shows a -80 °C ultra-low temperature freezer, an essential piece of equipment for preserving biological samples with long-term integrity. It allows reliable storage of tissue, blood, DNA/RNA, and mitochondrial preparations without degradation, which is critical for high-quality molecular and omics research.
Having this freezer in La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 m) gives our team the capability to securely store sensitive samples collected under chronic hypoxia, ensuring they remain stable for downstream analyses such as proteomics, transcriptomics, and mitochondrial respirometry. This capacity not only supports local
The equipment in the photo is the Oroboros Oxygraph-2k (O2k), a state-of-the-art high-resolution respirometer designed to measure mitochondrial oxygen consumption with exceptional precision. It allows researchers to assess oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport system capacity, and reactive oxygen species production in a wide range of biological samples, from isolated mitochondria to intact cells and tissues.
Having an O2k in La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 m) is of enormous value: it provides direct insights into how mitochondria function under chronic hypobaric hypoxia, a condition impossible to reproduce fully at sea level.
This enables unique investigations into high-altitude adaptation, respiratory pathophysiology, and energy metabolism in both humans and animal models. Moreover, it strengthens local research capacity, fosters international collaborations, and places Bolivia at the forefront of global studies on mitochondria, hypoxia, and high-altitude biology.
experiments but also enables safe international shipment of samples, reinforcing Bolivia’s role as a hub for cutting-edge high-altitude biology and translational medicine.
BIOMOLAB is a leading molecular biology and clinical diagnostics laboratory based in La Paz, Bolivia. Strategically located in the Obrajes district, it is fully equipped to perform a wide range of clinical and molecular tests using high-quality instrumentation and a rigorous quality management system endorsed by Bolivian health authorities. Beyond its clinical services, BIOMOLAB stands out nationally for its strong commitment to research and innovation. A core part of its institutional values is the active promotion and support of scientific research, fostering collaborations with universities and research centers in Bolivia and abroad. This dual mission—combining diagnostic excellence with research engagement—positions BIOMOLAB as a unique and forward-thinking institution within the Bolivian biomedical landscape.
We are currently leading a project focused on mitochondrial function and bioenergetic adaptation in Phyllotis, a genus of Andean leaf-eared rodents. This work is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Jorge Salazar-Bravo, a renowned mammalogist at Texas Tech University (TTU), whose expertise in Andean rodents and evolutionary biology provides invaluable depth to the project.
Phyllotis species represent an extraordinary evolutionary lineage that has persisted in the Andes for over 11 million years, as evidenced by mitochondrial DNA phylogenies and fossil-calibrated divergence estimates (McFarland 2023, Quiroga-Carmona & Liphardt 2025).
These rodents are distributed across an extreme elevational gradient, ranging from approximately 1,200 meters to over 6,700 meters above sea level, with Phyllotis xanthopygus rupestris holding the record as the highest-dwelling mammal on Earth, found on the summits of Andean volcanoes such as Llullaillaco (Storz et al., 2020).
These animals have evolved remarkable physiological traits that allow them to thrive under severe hypoxic and cold conditions. Mitochondrial adaptations in Phyllotis include shifts in oxidative phosphorylation capacity, altered substrate utilization, and elevated carbohydrate metabolism at high altitudes—all of which are central to our investigations (Schippers et al., 2012, Steppan et al., 2022). Together with Dr. Salazar-Bravo, we are conducting high-resolution respirometry, mitochondrial genomics, and cross-population analyses to better understand how these rodents have adapted at the cellular level to life in one of the most extreme terrestrial environments on Earth. This collaboration not only deepens the scientific impact of the project, but also reinforces international partnerships between Bolivia, the United States, and Canada in advancing high-altitude biology and evolutionary physiology.
PhD Project of Pablo Iturri at Université Laval (in Collaboration with BIOMOLAB, La Paz, Bolivia). This doctoral research project, led by Pablo Iturri, PhD candidate at Université Laval (Quebec City, Canada), investigates the molecular and physiological adaptations to chronic hypoxia in high-altitude human populations. Conducted in close collaboration with Dr. François Billaut (Department of Kinesiology, Laval University) and supported by BIOMOLAB in La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 m), this project takes a systems biology approach to explore how lifelong exposure to high-altitude hypoxia influences mitochondrial function, cardiovascular performance, and systemic metabolic health.
The study compares physically active adults living at sea level (Quebec City) and high altitude (La Paz), integrating physiological testing (VO₂ max, lactate dynamics, oxygen saturation, muscle oxygenation), mitochondrial bioenergetics in white blood cells, and multi-omics profiling—including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Preliminary findings indicate that high-altitude residents maintain preserved aerobic capacity and efficient oxygen utilization, with enhanced glucose regulation and metabolic stability under chronic hypoxia.
Pablo Iturri plays a central role in coordinating this binational collaboration, overseeing physiological assessments, sample collection, and multi-omics workflows between Canada and Bolivia.
His dual background as a molecular biologist and UCI-certified athletic coach enables him to bridge molecular mechanisms with performance physiology in real-world high-altitude environments. In recognition of the project's excellence and his leadership, Pablo was awarded the Propulsion Fellowship by the IUCPQ in 2025. His work contributes to advancing our understanding of high-altitude resilience, with direct relevance to translational medicine in cardiopulmonary disease and mitochondrial health.
This project explores how the developing brain adapts to chronic high-altitude hypoxia, focusing on mitochondria as central regulators of neuronal maturation and synaptic development. Situated at 3,600 meters in La Paz, Bolivia, it leverages a unique FVB mouse line that has been continuously bred for over two decades under natural hypoxic conditions, providing an unparalleled model for studying oxygen-sensitive developmental processes.Led by Fernanda Aliaza-Raduan, PhD candidate at Université Laval (Québec, Canada), this research investigates how long-term hypoxia shapes hippocampal bioenergetics, accelerates critical periods of plasticity, and promotes resilience against neurodevelopmental injury. The hippocampus, essential for learning and memory, is especially vulnerable to oxygen deprivation during early life. By comparing high-altitude and sea-level mouse cohorts, the project seeks to reveal how mitochondrial adaptations can protect brain development in low-oxygen environments.This work is carried out in close collaboration with Dr. Edith Schneider, a neurobiologist at the University of Zurich (Switzerland), whose expertise in neuronal plasticity and mitochondrial signaling enriches the project’s conceptual and technical depth. Research is based at our fully equipped satellite laboratory in La Paz—hosted by BIOMOLAB and Universidad Loyola—which houses high-resolution respirometry systems (Oroboros O2k) and molecular biology platforms to assess mitochondrial function in situ.Beyond its fundamental scientific contributions, the project has strong translational relevance. Hypoxia-related brain injuries are among the most pressing challenges in neonatal medicine—from prematurity and perinatal asphyxia to congenital heart and lung diseases. By identifying naturally evolved bioenergetic strategies that support healthy brain development under hypoxia, this project aims to inform new neuroprotective approaches for vulnerable newborns worldwide.
