Project:

Predicting potential medicinal applications of barcoded plants using evolutionary pharmacology

Students:

Amy Lin, Neha Maskey

Institution:

Long Island University, Brooklyn

Mentors:

JEANMAIRE MOLINA

Abstract:

At least 25% of modern pharmaceuticals originated from plant natural products discovered through traditional medicine (ethnopharmacology). Pharmaceutical companies continue to pursue natural product research to uncover drug leads. Taxonomic identification of ethnomedically important plants precedes any type of research into their chemistry and pharmacology. DNA barcoding, a technique that utilizes a short DNA sequence from a genome to identify a species of a particular organism, can facilitate taxonomic identification. Once the identity of the plant is known, one can predict the specific medicinal application of the plant based on the phytochemical and pharmacological properties known from its close phylogenetic relatives. This concept of evolutionary pharmacology can expedite drug discovery, focusing efforts on a definite application in lieu of random bioassays and screens.

Poster:

Team samples: