Jerry Kukor, Lena Struwe, Jim White and David Zaurov from Cook College and Mary Ann Lila from the University of Illinois will be among the scientists accompanying Raskin on this major biodiversity exploration designed to improve human health, protect natural resources and benefit the economies of the host countries.
Rutgers' International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) Central Asia Program is rooted in existing collaborations with scientists in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. These cooperative relationships have placed Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in a unique position in that part of the world.
"The extent of the goodwill, hospitality and friendship we encounter in these countries is truly unprecedented," said Raskin, a professor in the department of plant biology and pathology at Cook. "We feel fortunate to be a part of the rapidly developing political and economic ties between the United States, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. We are pleased that the world's geopolitical situation favors the development of strong and lasting ties with these two U.S.-friendly Muslim nations."
Rutgers' five-year undertaking is funded through NIH's ICBG program, which has three stated objectives: drug discovery, biodiversity conservation and economic development. The NIH vision contends that the discovery and development of products, such as pharmaceuticals, from natural sources can pave the way for new business and industries in developing countries. At the same time, these activities offer fresh research opportunities and provide a training ground for a new generation of scientists. The search for and identification of the biological resources from which these products are derived also can form the basis for conserving the native biodiversity.
Raskin described the biodiversity of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as extremely varied and largely unexplored, and spread over a wide range of climatic zones. "It holds the promise of a wealth of potentially useful compounds," he said.
Asian partners in this innovative venture on the Uzbekistan side will include: Tashkent State Agrarian University, Uzbek Scientific Institute of Botany, Uzbek Scientific Research Institute of Forestry, Uzbek Institute of Microbiology of the National Academy of Sciences, Cardiology Institute of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Institute of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan partners will include Kyrgyz Agricultural Institute, Kyrgyz Agricultural Academy (composed of five research institutes), National Academy of Kyrgyz Sciences and Kyrgyz National Botanical Garden.
All of these institutions and their principal scientists have research ties with Rutgers.