Waste becomes a resource when you know what to do with it
Along the coast of Chile's Coquimbo region, where fishing boats return with more waste than profit, a university laboratory is quietly rewriting the relationship between what the sea discards and what medicine might need. Researchers at Universidad Católica del Norte's CancerLab are extracting omega-3 compounds from fish byproducts and cultivated microalgae — materials of near-zero commercial value — and testing their capacity to fight and prevent cancer. The work, funded by regional government innovation grants, asks an old question in a new register: whether the overlooked residue of one economy might become the foundation of another, one measured not in pesos alone but in lives.
- Gastric cancer and antibiotic-resistant H. pylori infections continue to threaten communities in northern Chile, where access to early, reliable diagnosis remains uneven.
- Cuttlefish oil — routinely discarded as fishing waste — is showing early laboratory evidence that it can selectively kill gastric cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue intact, a distinction that most conventional therapies struggle to achieve.
- Researchers are now testing whether cuttlefish oil can amplify the effects of standard first-line cancer treatments, potentially making existing therapies more powerful and less damaging.
- Regional council advisors visited the lab to assess how public innovation funding is being used, and found projects spanning cervical cancer self-screening and breast cancer genetic mutation detection — all aimed at reaching patients who currently lack access to specialized care.
- If the science holds, low-value fish byproducts could be reformulated as high-value nutraceuticals, redirecting economic benefit toward small-scale fishermen and microalgae farmers while expanding the regional health toolkit.
On a May afternoon, two members of the Coquimbo Regional Council's productivity and innovation commission arrived at the Faculty of Medicine of Universidad Católica del Norte to see what their public funding had produced. What they found was CancerLab — a research unit within the university's molecular and cellular biology division — working at the intersection of marine waste, biochemistry, and oncology.
The lab's director, biologist Claudia Vilo, oversees three concurrent research lines. One targets Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium behind gastric ulcers and a known precursor to stomach cancer. Working with biopsy samples from a local clinic, the team maps antibiotic resistance patterns and develops molecular tests for earlier, more accurate detection — helping clinicians choose treatments that will actually work.
A second project belongs to marine biologist and doctoral candidate Yohana Defranchi, who is investigating cuttlefish oil as an anticancer agent. The oil, a byproduct of fishing operations with almost no existing market value, is rich in EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Early results suggest it can destroy gastric cancer cells while protecting surrounding healthy tissue — a combination that, if confirmed, could make it a meaningful complement to conventional cancer therapies.
The broader logic of the work is economic as much as medical. Small-scale fishermen and microalgae farmers in the region generate this raw material constantly, and it is largely wasted. If omega-3 compounds extracted from these byproducts can be formulated into effective nutraceuticals, the value chain transforms: discarded material becomes a health product, and a regional waste stream becomes a regional asset.
After the visit, council advisor Ximena Ampuero emphasized the human dimension. The lab is also developing self-administered cervical cancer screening tools for women without access to specialists, and tests to detect genetic mutations in breast cancer patients. These are not distant research ambitions — they are attempts to close the gap between what medicine can do and who it currently reaches.
Two regional advisors walked into the Faculty of Medicine at Universidad Católica del Norte on a May afternoon to see what their funding had built. Ximena Ampuero and Valeria Chacana, members of the regional council's productivity and innovation commission, were there to witness the work emerging from money the government and regional council had invested through what used to be called the Competitiveness Innovation Fund—now rebranded as the Regional Fund for Productivity and Development.
What they found was a laboratory called CancerLab, housed in the university's molecular and cellular biology division, pursuing something that sits at the intersection of waste, chemistry, and survival. The lab is developing nutraceuticals—food-based compounds with medicinal properties—built from omega-3 fatty acids extracted from fish byproducts and farmed microalgae. The goal is direct: to treat and prevent cancer. The funding came from the Coquimbo Regional Government and the regional council, allocated through the innovation fund for 2022 and 2023.
Claudia Vilo, a doctor of biology and project director at CancerLab, explained the lab's three active research initiatives. One, awarded in 2023, focuses on antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes gastric ulcers and is linked to stomach cancer. The team evaluates bacterial samples for resistance patterns, then develops molecular biology tests to catch the infection early, allowing doctors to prescribe more effective treatments. They work with Clínica Mediterráneo, which provides gastric biopsy samples. The lab analyzes the tissue, returns reliable results to patients, and helps clinicians decide whether second-line treatments are necessary.
The second project belongs to Yohana Defranchi, a marine biologist and lab manager who is writing her doctoral thesis on gastric cancer. She is testing cuttlefish oil—a byproduct of fishing operations that would otherwise be discarded—for its cancer-fighting potential. Cuttlefish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA. Early results show promise. The oil appears to kill gastric cancer cells while simultaneously protecting healthy stomach tissue from damage. Defranchi is now moving into the next phase: testing whether cuttlefish oil can work alongside standard first-line cancer therapies, potentially amplifying their effect while shielding normal cells from harm.
The project's logic extends beyond the laboratory. Fish waste has almost no commercial value. Small-scale fishermen and microalgae farmers in the region produce it constantly. If this research succeeds—if omega-3 compounds extracted from what would otherwise be garbage can be formulated into effective cancer preventatives or treatment aids—the economics shift. Low-value raw material becomes high-value health product. The regional economy gains. Patients gain access to a new therapeutic tool. And the waste stream becomes a resource.
When Ampuero spoke to reporters after the visit, she framed it in terms of access. The lab is also working on self-administered cervical cancer screening for women without access to specialized care, and on detecting genetic mutations in women with breast cancer. These are not abstract research problems. They are about diagnosis reaching people who need it. The innovation fund, she suggested, was doing what it was designed to do: turning regional resources and regional problems into regional solutions.
Notable Quotes
The oil has an anticancer effect and also a protective effect on normal gastric cells— Yohana Defranchi, marine biologist and lab manager
The cuttlefish oil could help strengthen the effect of therapy while protecting healthy tissue in patients— Yohana Defranchi
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a lab in northern Chile care specifically about cuttlefish oil?
Because it's there. The region fishes for cuttlefish. The oil is waste. But it's waste that happens to be loaded with omega-3s—the same compounds that show up in expensive supplements and pharmaceutical research. Why buy it when you can extract it from what you're already throwing away?
And the cancer connection—is that proven, or still theoretical?
Still being proven. The early work on gastric cells looks real. The oil kills cancer cells in the lab while leaving healthy cells intact. But that's petri dishes. The next step is seeing if it actually helps patients, either preventing cancer or making existing treatments work better.
Who benefits if this works?
Three groups. The fishermen and microalgae farmers, because their waste becomes valuable. Patients, because they get a new tool. And the region itself—it's not outsourcing its health innovation to Santiago or abroad.
What's the risk if it doesn't work?
You've spent money on research that doesn't pan out. That happens. But you've also built a lab, trained researchers, and created infrastructure. That doesn't disappear.
Why show it to the regional council members?
Accountability. They funded it. They need to see what their money is doing, and whether it's actually solving problems people in the region face.