ECOLOGICALLY GUIDED BIOPROSPECTING IN PANAMA

描述：（申请人的描述） 我们的目标是在巴拿马建立一个可持续的生物勘探计划， 加强保护，发现新的医药产品， 农业 巴拿马的森林覆盖率比任何其他中美洲国家都高 国家，并被认为是一个受威胁的多样性热点。 其独特的p o 作为连接北方和南方的生物走廊 对区域和国际都有影响 保护战略。 促进保护和可持续发展 在巴拿马的生物勘探中，我们强调技术转让和有效的 药物发现。 首先，我们将利用生态研究， 收集具有高生物学活性的物种和组织 活动 我们还将提取新鲜样品，最大限度地减少活性物质的损失， 化合物. 第二，我们非常重视培训， 向巴拿马转让技术。 我们正在与人类建立生物测定 艾滋病毒和癌症，巴拿马大学， 巴拿马城戈尔加斯纪念研究所的热带疾病。 活性 化合物将在巴拿马大学进行纯化。 此外，蛋白质 将测试提取物对粉虱的活性，粉虱是一种作物害虫， 可能成为全球主要害虫之一。 有机物和蛋白质 提取物将被送到我们的工业合作伙伴孟山都公司。 孟山都 致力于为制药行业提供强有力的技术支持， 在巴拿马进行农业调查，特别是与 鉴定活性化合物，从而提供实质性组分 能力建设。 这种对培训和技术转让的重视 为巴拿马带来直接利益，并帮助建立科学的 终止后继续进行生物勘探所需的基础设施 补助金 此外，我们将协助巴拿马的库纳和纳索印第安人 永久记录他们的民族植物学知识， 参与保护和土地管理规划。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Description) Our objectives are to build a sustainable bioprospecting program in Panama, to e n hance conservation, and to discover new products for medicine and agriculture. Panama has more forest cover than any other Central American country, and is considered a threatened diversity hotspot. Its unique p o sition as a biological corridor joining the northern and southern hemispheres has implications for both regional and international conservation strategies. To promote conservation and sustainable bioprospecting in Panama, we are stressing technology transfer and effective drug discovery. First, we will use ecological research to target collections towards species and tissues that have a high biological activity. We will also extract fresh samples, minimizing the loss of active compounds. Second, we are placing a large emphasis on training and technology transfer to Panama. We are establishing bioassay with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer at the University of Panama and with tropical diseases at Gorgas Memorial Institute in Panama City. Active compounds will purified at the University of Panama. In addition, protein extracts will be tested for activity against whitefly, a crop pest that could become one of the major pests worldwide. Both organic and protein extracts will be sent to Monsanto, our industrial collaborator. Monsanto has committed to providing strong technical support for the pharmaceutical and agricultural investigations in Panama, especially with the identification of active compounds, thus providing a substantial component of capacity building. This emphasis on training and technology transfer creates immediate benefits to Panama and helps establish the scientific infrastructure necessary to continue bioprospecting after the termination of the grant. In addition we will assist the Kuna and Naso Indians of Panama to make a permanent record of their ethnobotanical knowledge and to increase their involvement in conservation and land management planning.