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Dr. J.H. Primavera: Hero of Environment |
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Dr. Jurgenne H. Primavera, a multi-awarded scientist made the list of TIME magazine’s “Heroes of the Environment 2008” (October 6, 2008 Issue). Dr. Primavera is one of six heroes under the category, “Scientists and Innovators.” The other categories are “Leaders and Visionaries;” “Moguls and Entrepreneurs;” and “Activists.” Primavera graduated from the UP Marine Science Institute in 1995 with a PhD in Marine Science. Her doctoral dissertation on “Mangrove habitats as nurseries for juvenile shrimps (Penaeidae) in Guimaras, Philippines” influenced her commitment to the conservation and protection of mangroves. Congratulations Dr. Primavera! |
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Discovering Drugs, Biofuels In Tropical Seas |
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The National Institutes of Health has awarded $4 million to a group of Philippine and American scientists led by Oregon Health & Science University to aid in the discovery of new molecules and biofuels technology from marine mollusks for development in the Philippines. The project will concentrate its research in the Philippine archipelago whose waters are inhabited by an estimated 10,000 marine mollusk species, or about a fifth of all the known species, and are regarded by marine biologists as the world's epicenter of marine biodiversity. Mollusks are among the most diverse of marine animals and include shelled creatures like snails, clams and slugs.
The wide-ranging Philippine Mollusk Symbiont International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups, or PMS-ICBG, project aims to provide new information to catalog and preserve these diverse mollusk species while providing scientific opportunities for the Philippines. U.S. scientists will work closely with colleagues from the University of the Philippines to uncover interactions between mollusks and their bacterial partners. The project is expected to yield leads to potential central nervous system, cancer and antimicrobial drugs as well as enzymes for cellulosic biofuels production. |
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