Consider the lobster

Lobsters have long sacrificed their luscious interiors for human gastronomy, but their blood is traditionally drained and discarded in processing plants. But it turns out lobster blood may be even more valuable than entrails on a buttered roll.

A biotech startup in Maine — aptly called Lobster Unlimited — has discovered both antiviral and anticancer properties in lobster blood, and is attempting to develop drugs out of it. It’s particularly interested in a protein called hemocyanin that can be a powerful stimulant for the immune system. One experiment found that hemocyanin can reduce the viral load of herpes simplex in infected cells, according to a patent held by the company.