The ICBG will explore the rich biodiversity of the second largest continuous moist tropical forest in the world (2.8-3.2 million square kilometers in West and Central Africa) as a source of new molecular leads for drug development and as an important economic resource for communities inhabiting the area. The ICBG strategy is to use data from field ethnobotanical and ethnomedical studies, plus existing chemotaxonomic and pharmacologic publications (AFRICMED & NAPRALERT data bases) to generate a prioritized list of plants for investigation. In our previous studies, such focus markedly enhanced the probability of anti-parasite/fungal drug discovery, and would be expected to yield effective leads for other therapeutic applications. This ethnographic approach will be augmented by the random mass screen in which targeted enzymes and receptor-specific assays will be used to evaluate a large quantity of additional biologic samples. Active compounds identified in either system will be isolated and characterized using modern chemical techniques. A 50 hectare inventory plot to obtain long-term data on ecologic forest dynamics in the Korup (Cameroon) and in the Oban Hills-Okwango-Boshi (Nigeria) contiguous forest reserves will be completed. Comprehensive biologic inventory and economic value assessment of other non-timber forest products will also be undertaken using 1 hectare plots encompassing 5 unique vegetative zones (within a 100 mi radius of the forest plots). The ICBG Associate Program structure is task management based. Investigative staff of the 5 ICBG Associate Programs all have extensive experience in successfully accomplishing the respective research/training tasks proposed. This ICBG management exploits existing institutional functional associations/contractual agreements then adds research capacity required to meet the diverse ICBG program objectives. For example, use of the Lead Institution's on-going program for preclinical drug evaluation and chemical inventory, will allow ICBG funds to be directed primarily to natural products drug discovery, biodiversity conservation, and modern chemical analytic capacity strengthening functions in Cameroon and Nigeria.
