Chilean researchers develop marine biotechnology for industrial ingredients

Researchers in Chile are advancing marine biotechnology to create sustainable industrial ingredients from biological resources.

At the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, academic Suleivys Nuñez is leading a project to convert salmon skeletal waste into high-value protein hydrolysates. Using enzymatic hydrolysis, the process breaks down bone tissue, cartilage, and residual proteins into smaller fragments. These hydrolysates can be used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, addressing the environmental challenge of the salmon industry, where nearly 50% of raw material is currently discarded as waste.

Separately, a team at the Universidad de Concepción, led by Dr. Jessy Pavón Pérez, has developed a method to produce lambda carrageenan using the red microalga Porphyridium cruentum. This hydrocolloid is widely used as a thickener and stabilizer in products such as yogurt, ice cream, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. By using metabolic engineering, the researchers created a sustainable bio-factory to meet global demand, reducing reliance on traditional red seaweed harvesting which faces biomass availability and ecosystem pressure challenges.