Advancing Botanical Science

The Institute of Botany (IB) set out to highlight the importance of botanical science—not only in conservation but also as a key component of human culture and innovation. With this vision in mind, five grants were awarded to interdisciplinary research projects exploring how plants intersect with history, medicine, and urban resilience. 

On December 6, 2024, the results of these pioneering projects were presented at Casa Ramón Power y Giralt in Old San Juan, showcasing innovative ways in which botany can shape our understanding of the past, present, and future. Meet the researchers and their projects below: 

• Lara Sánchez: Phytoliths of Modern Soils as an Auxiliary Method for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean 

• Ileana Rodríguez: Eastern Urban Garden 

• Jannette Gavilán & Margara Reyes: Tramil Medicinal Botanical Garden 

• Fabiola Guzmán: Flora Rural: The Botany of Living Walls 

• Kevin Alicea: Evaluation of Extracts from Kalanchoe Plant Species on the Viability of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Cancer

These five projects were selected from over forty proposals in a rigorous review process that narrowed the field down to sixteen finalists, ultimately leading to the five most promising studies receiving funding. Thanks to generous donations to the Institute of Botany of Para la Naturaleza, these researchers are pushing the boundaries of botanical science, conservation, and sustainable innovation. 

This is just the beginning. As these studies unfold, their findings could transform the way we understand history, design cities, treat diseases, and interact with the natural world.