Dr Gary Fights back with Endophytes

 

 

Dr Gary Strobel amazed me and gave me hope for the future of the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Ok so let me introduce this man who inspired me with his story so much that I had to blog about him. Gary Strobel is a Dr. and a plant pathologist whose job has taken him to every major rain forest and every continent except Antarctica. He has made such a name for himself that his hat yes this red one is in the Smithsonian. In 1987 Stroble made some key discoveries about pine trees that could have helped keep them alive and thriving however the federal government warned him about tapping those trees and threaten to put him in jail and strip him of his job. Dr. Strobel was in every major magazine and newspaper in America because of his decision to disobey the federal government.

 

Many years later Strobel is still practicing has plant discoveries; he studies plants particularly and their endophytes, micro organisms that live between the cells of plants. These endophytes have powerful organisms that can fight common aliments that kill millions of people each year like Malaria and cancer. The amazing thing about Gary is that he hasn’t just made these discoveries he has put these discoveries into action and has even sold some of these plant discoveries to major pharmaceutical companies; whose job it is to turn these disease fighting endophytes into drugs for humans. Gary has found an endophyte for malaria that he has sold to a pharmaceutical company; imagine that very soon there will be a drug made of plants that would help millions each year.

 

Gary’s work really gives hope to the drug companies of the future, if they are using plants to combat illnesses more and more people who are diagnosed with a chronic illness that they have tried to cure with nutrition and exercise alone but couldn’t could instead take a drug made of plants.

 

Share your thoughts

 

Comments

[Patricio]

I was watching his trip to Bolivia y Peru, it is interesting his job, but there si something that bothers me, he asks key questions to the medicinal man or woman, he will come back to US, then the Drug Industry as usual and how it has happened in the past. They will pattent and make the millions and medicine man in jungle gets nothing,

I hate this taking avantage of the poor peasants in third world country for cientists like Dr. Strobel.

Sad

Patricio

[Shernell Cooke]

Hello Patricio,

Great addition to the conversation this is why I encourage many to comment because this opens up very important dialogue. I truly think that what Gary does is fine. Lets look at it yes Gary is getting paid and the pharmaceutical company is also getting paid but millions are also going to get relief. In the piece that I saw on Gary he did go back and give recognition to the village that he got the endophyte from. However I truly think that they should get a percentage but if millions are going to be helped with the discovery then I say that's good too. However I see you your point.