Creation of a national medicinal plants collection and research consortium to catalyze drug discovery in San Diego and beyond

Scope of Work: The project encompasses four major activities. First (1), a national medicinal living plant collection is being established and maintained through field collecting and acquisitions from other institutions nationally and worldwide. Second (2), SDBG is creating a medicinal plant demonstration garden and implementing educational programming to teach visitors and community members about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine, plant-derived Western medicines, and related medical innovation. Third (3), SDBG is organizing a research consortium of drug development, plant biology, and other pertinent scientists and stakeholders based in San Diego to help use this unique plant collection to maximally serve the San Diego biotech and medtech community by enabling and facilitating research and development of plant-based medicines for various human diseases. Fourth (4), SDBG is conducting proof-of-concept research to demonstrate the value and impact of collecting and curating genetic diversity within a medicinal plant species or genus, as well as evaluating the impact of growing and processing conditions on the production of biologically active plant compounds using multi-omic (genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic) methods. 

Timeframe: 2022 to present

Funding source(s): The Conrad Prebys Foundation, The Dickinson Foundation, Dickinson Family, private philanthropic donations

Key partners and stakeholders: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Kumeyaay Community College, Tribal Historic Preservation Office for Jamul Indian Village of California, other members of the SDBG Medicinal Plants Research Consortium

Periodic Table of Food

Scope of work: Scope of work: The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) is building a global network of collaborators who are working collectively to uncover the biomolecular composition of the world’s edible biodiversity. As a participatory research project, the PTFI aims to encourage nutrition researchers and other food and agricultural professionals worldwide to profile edible biodiversity using standardized, advanced analytical approaches, and centralized data processing tools. SDBG is participating in the PTFI’s design process by helping to select the list of foods targeted for analysis, developing data and analysis standards, and communicating about the PTFI to researchers and to the wider public.

Timeframe: 2021 to present

Funding source(s): Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Rockefeller Foundation, other donors

Key partners and stakeholders: American Heart Association (AHA), Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Rockefeller Foundation, other participants in the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)

Restoration of culturally significant plants of the Pa Ipai Indigenous community of Santa Catarina, Baja California, Mexico

Scope of work: SDBG is honored to partner with the Santa Catarina Pa Ipai community, Terra Peninsular, Expediciones Botánicas, SUVA Research, and other colleagues to nurture community wellbeing, preserve cultural knowledge, and conserve culturally significant plants in their native habitats in the Pa Ipai Indigenous community of Santa Catarina, Baja California Norte, Mexico. The project aims to support the community in establishing more reliable, sustainable sources of native medicine, food, and other plants for community use and for sale.

Timeframe: 2024 to present

Funding source(s): Swift Foundation 

Key partners and stakeholders:  Santa Catarina Pa Ipai community, Terra Peninsular, Expediciones Botánicas, SUVA Research

Partnership pilot program for tribal community revitalization and planning for climate resiliency and adaptation

Scope of work: SDBG is collaborating to develop a partnership of tribal government, community-based non-profit, academic, and industry groups to support the federally-recognized tribal communities of Jamul and Viejas Bands of Kumeyaay and Pala Band of Mission Indians in San Diego County in their adaptation and resilience to climate change, drought, and wildfire, especially pertaining to plants of cultural significance, tribal health, and wellbeing. The partnership will build capacity for habitat restoration projects, evaluate how culturally important plants are faring due to environmental change, and develop seedbanks, gardens, and greenhouses in tribal communities to care for and propagate culturally significant plants.

Timeframe: 2024 to 2027

Funding source(s): Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, U.S. Forest Service

Key partners and stakeholders: Jamul Indian Village of California, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Coastal Roots Farm, Flower Hill Institute, Cota Holdings, Tree of Life Nursery, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), San Diego State University (SDSU), University of California Cooperative Extension, The Morton Arboretum

Climate change mitigation, genomics, and other collaborative projects with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Scope of work: SDBG is collaborating with the Salk Institute to examine the genomes of interesting plants in the Garden, conduct joint research, and contribute to related educational activities. Through this work, the cork oak (Quercus suber L.) genome was sequenced for the first time. Cork oak is particularly good at capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as a substance called suberin. Suberin is highly unlikely to break down under most circumstances, so the suberin in cork roots is able to sequester CO2 underground for a very long time. Since all plants produce suberin, SDBG and Salk are working to understand how widely-grown crop plants, like corn and soybean, could manufacture more suberin in their roots. 

The Garden is also working with Salk to sequence species of the ocotillo genus (Fouquieria Kunth). These plants have fascinating adaptations to desert life, including unique regulation of photosynthesis, and this research will contribute to understanding how photosynthesis is optimized in the driest climates. SDBG has an ongoing partnership with the Salk Institute to share plant tissue of many other species for further genomic study. Genera of interest include Adansonia, Ephedra, Manihot, Melaleuca, Quercus, and Tillandsia.

In March 2020, Salk and SDBG co-hosted a two-day Carbon Plant Drawdown Symposium, where scientific leaders from around the world gathered to present cutting-edge, plant-based innovations that use photosynthesis to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Timeframe: 2019 to present

Funding source(s): Funders of the Harnessing Plants Initiative

Key partners and stakeholders: Salk Institute