About SPICe Lab
A developing isotope and trace-element centre in southern Chile, designed to connect advanced geochemistry with real-world challenges.
The South Pacific Isotope Centre (SPICe Lab) is an emerging initiative to bring high-level isotope and trace-element expertise closer to the environmental, agricultural and resource questions that matter in southern Chile and the broader South Pacific region.
Mission
Our mission is to help researchers, companies and public institutions use isotopes and elemental signatures to understand how natural and industrial systems behave, interact and change — from water and soils to carbonates, mineral resources and critical materials.
Vision
SPICe Lab is being developed as a bridge between advanced isotope geochemistry and practical decision-making in agriculture, environmental management and resource development. Our long-term vision is a regional centre in southern Chile that:
- supports high-quality geochemical work in the South Pacific region,
- connects academia, industry and public institutions, and
- helps train new professionals in isotope-based approaches.
Background and expertise
SPICe Lab builds upon experience in:
- isotope geochemistry of carbonate and mineral systems,
- trace-element and rare-earth element geochemistry,
- laser ablation and micro-analytical techniques, and
- environmental and paleoenvironmental reconstruction using geochemical archives.
This experience comes from work in international research environments and collaborations with universities and laboratories across different countries. SPICe Lab aims to translate that foundation into applied support for projects in Chile and the region.
Why southern Chile?
Southern Chile is a region shaped by:
- rapid environmental and climatic changes,
- intensive agricultural and forestry activity, and
- growing interest in critical materials and mineral resources.
Establishing SPICe Lab here makes it possible to develop isotope and trace-element tools closer to local questions, while remaining connected to international analytical infrastructure.
Current stage of development
SPICe Lab is currently in the development and installation phase. At this stage:
- consulting, data interpretation and project design services are fully available,
- most analytical work is carried out in partner laboratories in Chile and abroad, and
- planning for future local facilities is progressing step by step.
Collaboration and confidentiality
SPICe Lab is being developed as a reliable partner for both academic and private-sector work. We value collaboration while fully respecting the confidentiality and data ownership requirements of commercial and strategic projects.
If you are interested in discussing a project or exploring a potential collaboration, feel free to get in touch.