# Global Health, Biodiversity, and Therapeutics Seminar, Harvard University Herbaria. June 9, 2023 ## expand\_more [Opening remarks ](/file_url/124) *Prof. Donald Pfister*, former director of the Harvard Herbarium and curator of the Farlow Library and Herbarium *Veronica Vargas, Ph.D*. Research Associate, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences **Mining a hundred thousand fungal genomes – the LifeMine approach to drug discovery** *Martin Stahl, Ph.D. LifeMine* Fungi are a rich source of secondary metabolites, many of which have become important drug classes. LifeMine has built a platform that systematically identifies novel compound-target pairs, enabling a new paradigm for identifying advanced lead molecules. This talk will overview the platform and highlight areas where advanced data science and machine learning methods have become indispensable. **The MEDINA Foundation Pioneering Work in Natural-Products Based Drug Discovery** *Olga Genilloud, Scientific Director MEDINA Foundation, Spain* This Foundation is dedicated to discovering drugs for neglected diseases overlooked by pharmaceutical companies, such as antibiotics and antiparasitic molecules. [Novel approaches to identifying natural products for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases](/file_url/118) *Pamela Maher, Research Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California* This Institute collaborates with the San Diego Herbarium at the San Diego Natural History Museum. [The search for antivirals for emerging and neglected viruses at the Rega Institute](/file_url/120) *Dirk Jochmans, Ph.D., The Rega Institute, Leuven University Belgium* An introduction to the antiviral drug discovery capacity at the Rega Institute. From virus assays, library screening through lead optimization, and in vivo efficacy models. Some examples on dengue, corona, and Hendra/Nipah viruses. [Exploiting the plant Quillaja saponaria as a source of therapeutic compounds - discovery and industrial production](/file_url/114) *Gaston Salinas, CEO of Botanical Solutions* BSI has developed “ABM-01” based on a plant native to Chile. This product is the active ingredient used in producing therapeutics. **Unlocking the therapeutics power of fungi** *Paul Stamets, CEO MycoMedica* Emerging companies offer valuable lessons on translating scientific discoveries into practical applications that benefit society. [Using natural extracts in the fight against COVID-19 and its sequelae](/file_url/121) *Tamara Rubilar, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Argentina* Updates on the project that searches therapeutics for COVID-19. [Biodiversity-Access Platforms as an innovative approach to accelerating bioprospecting in Latin America ](/file_url/119) *Cristian Desmarchelier, Ministry of Sciences and Technology, Argentina* Libraries of extracts with the region's most interesting taxa could reduce bioprospecting limitations with high-throughput screening platforms. [Latest advances on the INDICASAT Panama project: Natural product development without borders ](/file_url/113) *Dr. Carmenza Spadafora , Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases (CBCMe), Panamá* The project establishes a novel partnership between indigenous knowledge holders and scientists with the University College of London collaboration. [Exploring Costa Rica’s potential for novel drug development ](/file_url/122) *MSc. Gustavo Carazo Berrocal* Director of the Industrial Department, Pharmacy Faculty, University of Costa Rica. Coordinator of Phytochemical Section and Quality Assurance LAFITEC The Pharmacy Faculty of the University of Costa Rica's research projects and the biodiversity law reforms will be discussed. [An update on Brazil´s Nagoya Protocol implementation and R&D of natural products](/file_url/115) *Daniel Wainstock, Global Health Law Researcher at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)* This talk will present the latest development in implementing the Nagoya protocols and their impact on the R&D of natural products. [Bioprospection and study of endemic plants from South America](/file_url/117) *Mario J. Simirgiotis A., Director of the Pharmacy Institute, University Austral, Chile* The ongoing research of native plants and their importance as biological sources of human health will be discussed. [Exploring Patagonia's Native Resources for Medicines](/file_url/123) *Dr. Pamela Leal-Rojas and Dr. Adinson Altamirano, Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of La Frontera, Chile* Interdisciplinary research from Rucamanque Ecological and Cultural Park, a biodiversity hotspot. [Natural Products-based Bioprospecting Program at INDICASAT: Tackling the Panamanian biodiversity hotspot for Drug Discovery ](/file_url/116) **Dr. Marcelino Gutiérrez – INDICASAT Center for Biodiversity and Drug Discovery** Panama is in one of the megadiverse zones of the planet. Our program explores different taxa of our biodiversity as a source of novel molecules with biomedical applications. [Building molecular barcoding capacities in Guyana](/file_url/125) Daniel E. Neafsey, Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute The talk will describe our molecular barcoding capacity-building project in Guyana, aimed at identifying the ecological elements and mosquito bionomic features conducive to vector-borne disease transmission.