Natural Products

Iwokrama began a natural products (e.g. oils, resins, medicinal plants) development programme through partnership with CABI Bioscience, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, University of Guyana, University of the West Indies, and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology.

The main focus of this programme has been the establishment of a national biodiversity screening laboratory in Guyana as well as research on bioactive metabolites of pharmaceutical and insecticidal significance from endophytic fungi and their host plants.

Iwokrama employs staff from the University of Guyana and the University of the West Indies in the laboratory. In addition, laboratory technicians, who also do field surveys, have been recruited from the local Amerindian communities.

Further development of the project requires additional funding.