Our basic research on the defenses of young leaves led to an applied project where we are trying to use bioprospecting as a tool for conservation of tropical forests. We are hoping to show that the "prospecting" of compounds and genes from the forest can be a more sustainable, ecologically gentle, and financially lucrative use of intact forests than alternatives such as logging. We recently received a $2,500,000 grant from NIH's International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) to pursue these goals in Panama.

Two of the biggest challenges facing the use of bioprospecting as a conservation tool are to bring products to market and to direct short-term benefits to the host country. To address the first challenge, we are using our ecological insight on patterns of plant defenses to direct searches towards classes of species and tissues that should have a higher probability of containing useful compounds. Results to date are extremely promising. To address the second challenge of promoting short-term benefits, we have attempted to bring as much of the drug discovery process to Panama as possible. Instead of simply sending samples to pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the US, our collaborators are establishing screening programs at Panamanian universities and research labs. They are currently running screens for cancer, HIV, several tropical diseases (malaria, Leishmania and Chagas' disease) and agricultural pests. Should royalties or milestones be received, all benefits return to Panama to promote conservation.