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6/25/07

SLU BIOLOGY PROF GETS GRANT TO STUDY CHINESE MEDICINAL PLANTS

CANTON - The Center for Invasive Plant Management at Montana State University has awarded a grant to St. Lawrence University Assistant Professor of Biology Aswini Pai to do a comparative study of two medicinal plants, Chinese goldthread and American goldthread.

The $5,000 grant will allow Pai to hire St. Lawrence University junior Eden Mohammed as a research assistant for the project.

Pai states in her abstract, "The cultivation of exotic Chinese medicinal plants to feed a booming dietary supplements and nutraceutical industry is gaining popularity among herb-growers and practitioners. However, there has been no screening protocol in place to assess the weediness risk of an introduced medicinal plant. The project will assess the commercially popular, yet exotic, Chinese goldthread (Asian Coptis chinesis) and its capacity to compete with the native American goldthread (Coptis trifolia)."

The Center for Invasive Plant Management (CIPM) promotes ecologically sound management of invasive plants by facilitating collaboration and partnerships among scientists, educators, and land managers in order to build and support a network of well-informed invasive plant professionals who have the contacts, information, and resources necessary to accomplish their goals.

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