dcbio.org

“Pharmacognosy” derives from two Greek words, “pharmakon”or drug, and “gnosis” or knowledge. Thus, Pharmacognosy (chemistry and biology of natural products) is the study of bioactive natural substances found in terrestrial and marine organisms (plants, animals, or microbes).

–From the University of Mississippi’s web site a.k.a. University of Ole Miss.

I visited their department for a few weeks, and I was knocked out by such a positive, upbeat, and energetic department.  They were excited about the ideas they were working on, and the out come seemed not so much to be a possibility but a fact.   Grad students were willing to work late into the night help others with projects as if it was their own.

How does this effect the world of DC area bio tech?  Beyond my career, it doesn’t.  Though today I was re-reading the data we produced there, and I was curious how many of you were aware of the roots of the word Pharmacognosy.