We have published our first paper on our research in the Prairie to Pharmacy Project. In this project, we are investigating plants from the prairie region of Canada for bio-active compounds in cancer and infectious diseases (antibiotics). There were a number of hurdles that had to be overcome to launch this project: a short growing season, re-organizing the laboratory, and finding like-minded colleagues. Fortunately with the help of excellent collaborators in Lethbridge and in France, we were able to organize the project and describe our first bio-active plant.
The scientific name of the plant is Thermopsis rhombifolia; it is commonly known as the buffalo bean. Our contribution includes providing new DNA sequence (a bar code) and describing its toxic properties at the cellular level. We used "phenotypic assays", which are a powerful scientific method to find information that eventually leads to the precise biological mechanism of action. Our next step is to work with expert chemistry partners, who are from France, to identify the active ingredients. The project is growing: there are more plants to investigate and questions to answer. Thank you those who have helped us - much appreciated.
If you would like a copy of the paper it will be published in Natural Product Research, or contact us directly.
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