Abstract Detail

Economic Botany Section

Graf, Brittany [1], Kellog, Josh [2], Ayeni, Albert [3], Joseph, Gili [1], Lila, Mary Ann [2].

Establishing a global network of transdisciplinary research in medicinal botany.

The medicinal and economic value of natural resources holds great potential to drive sustainable development and environmental conservation on a global scale, yet developing countries are limited in their capacity to discover and develop pharmacologically active natural products. Furthermore, 80% of the world population still uses botanical medicine for disease treatment. However, many traditionally used medicines lack scientific validation. Through training programs and continued support, the Global Institute for BioExploration (GIBEX) transfers pharmacological lead discovery technologies to collaborating institutions using a “screens-to-nature” (STN) approach. This approach brings simple, inexpensive, field-deployable, yet reliable pharmacological screens (lead-detection assays) to developing countries without removing any biological materials from these countries, thus creating a new paradigm for ethical and culturally sensitive pharmacological discovery. STN assays can detect natural products with antibacterial, antifungal, antihelminthic, antiprotozoan, and antidiabetic potential. Most recently, GIBEX led academic researchers, botanists, and traditional healers at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in the STN technologies, promoting communication across their disciplines to facilitate natural product discovery, conservation, validation and preservation of traditional medicinal knowledge, and the empowerment of local intellectual property. So far GIBEX scientists have conducted seven STN training programs in Ecuador, Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, and Native American institutions in North Dakota and Alaska.

Broader Impacts:

1 - Rutgers University, Plant Biology, 59 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
2 - North Carolina State University, Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Science, 201 North Main Street, Kannapolis, NC, 28081, USA
3 - Rutgers University, Plant Science, 59 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

Keywords:
pharmacognosy
ethnobotany
International outreach
medicinal plants
conservation
sustainable development.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 16
Location: 552B/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 2:30 PM
Number: 16005
Abstract ID:715