Dr. Sylvia Adjoa Mitchell, Senior Lecturer, has established Medicinal Plant Biotechnology Research (MPBR) in 1999 to ‘Harness the potential of our locally-grown plants for health and wealth.’ By combining old and new bioknowledge (ethnobiotechnology), we are enabling local communities to harness their biodiversity and traditional knowledge for health and wealth in a climate just manner. Solutions have been developed for agriculture, horticulture, and biodiversity conservation all along the value chain. Development of techniques to provide clean micropropagated planting material for indigenous and local communities has been a specific aim of this research group. Impacts have included production of clean microplantlets, seed banks, ancestral school gardens, climate-smart & just agriculture practises, field data collection, ethnobotanical studies, bioprospecting, value added product development, monographs and business plans, and website development.

 

As part of the ‘Caribbean Food for Climate Justice’ group, we show how local crops can deter global warming. Areas of expertise include plant tissue culture (clonal and biofarming protocols), ethnobotany, bioactivity screening, biochemical analyses and biogeography. For example, I assist with national gene bank development, standard development (bamboo) to ensure compatibility with climate justice and sustainable development. In 2023, the Yam Youth Farmer Training Program was initiated to provide clean planting material to farmers and yam knowledge to youth through the 4H Clubs. Dr Mitchell believes the Caribbean has real potential to realize in the sustainable utilization of its native plant biodiversity for food, herbs, species, fine chemicals, medicinals, nutraceuticals, cosmeceutics, aromatherapy, furniture, and biofuels through the judicious use of biotechnology, a goal she is diligently working towards.