Hello! My name is Carolina Cervantes, and over this past year, I participated in the Rare Plant RaMP (Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates) Program at San Diego Botanic Garden. Over the course of my time here, I gained knowledge and new skills in plant conservation and overall botanic garden operations, while gaining further research experience in plant metabolomics and natural products!

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in June 2025, with two degrees, a B.A. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Plant Science. Throughout my time in college, I had been interested in plant natural products and metabolomics, before I even knew those terms existed, but I lacked the time to partake in chemistry research opportunities. After learning about the RaMP program and SDBG’s focus on the science and conservation of medicinal plants, I applied, hoping to learn more about how chemistry can inform plant conservation practices. 

During my time at SDBG, I have gained technical experience in analytical chemistry by working with laboratory instruments (e.g. liquid chromatography mass spectrometry) and learning how to analyze data to focus on interesting features in plant extracts. I also learned how to create research questions and projects, problem-solve, and work independently in the lab. 

This past year, I focused on analyzing the culturally important plant California Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum), an evergreen shrub endemic to the California Floristic Province. This species of Yerba Santa has been used in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments, and currently has great importance in neurodegenerative disease research. For my research project, I wanted to identify and quantify key phytochemicals (natural chemical compounds produced by plants that provide color, flavor, fragrance, protection against pests or diseases, and more), and compare their concentrations in old vs. new growth within individual plants. I was also interested in understanding the difference between common and rare genotypes of this plant species.

You can learn more about this project through a preview of my mini comic strip…

 

                                               

 

Not only is identifying new phytochemicals present important for informing the design and production of new plant-derived products, but it also ties into plant conservation. Public interest in this species may increase due to its study in neurodegenerative and Alzheimer’s research as well as traditional uses. This could lead to a conservation concern due to increased poaching of wild populations, an issue that we saw with the last decade’s crisis of white sage (Salvia apiana). By conducting metabolomics studies of plants, specifically looking at where and when specific metabolites are found in plants, we can help to inform the responsible production and harvesting of these species, promoting sustainable growing of plants for research and commercial purposes. This increased access to the plants would then hopefully reduce the threat of poaching. 

Identifying what metabolites are present in plants can also help to create a standardized method for identifying and confirming plant species in botanical products. Yerba Santa is sold as a botanical dietary supplement and natural flavor ingredient; thus, it is important to have methods to accurately confirm that products labeled as Yerba Santa, or Eriodictyon californicum specifically, are indeed that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from my work with Yerba Santa, through the RaMP program I also gained experience in public speaking and science communication by presenting for the SDBG Science Seminar Series, at department meetings, and by helping table at community outreach events, such as SuperSTEM Saturday at California State University San Marcos, various tribal Earth Days, the Cohen Military Family Clinic STEM night, and at SDBG’s Members Only Morning.

Additionally, I attended various scientific symposia and conferences related to plant conservation, mass spectrometry, and pharmacognosy (the study of medicinal products that originate from plants and other natural resources). I presented my research progress during poster sessions and had opportunities to network, discover other fascinating research opportunities, and learn about careers in fields I was interested in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, this past year has been an amazing opportunity for me to grow professionally, gain further research experience, meet amazing collaborators and mentors, and learn about how botanic gardens are helping to shape the future of plant conservation!

 

 

San Diego Botanic Garden is one of four public gardens nationwide—along with Atlanta Botanical Garden, California Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum—participating in the Rare Plant RaMP (Research & Mentoring for Post-baccalaureates in Biological Sciences) network, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The program was developed to investigate the unprecedented global decline of plant biodiversity while also providing professional opportunities and workforce development to individuals who were not able to participate extensively in research during their undergraduate studies. For more information about the program, visit the website here.