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Bush medicine opportunities go under the microscope

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Trainee preparing a solution of bacteria to test plant extracts in the Menzies Lab(Supplied: Menzies)

Indigenous medicinal plants will be put under the microscope as part of an Australian-first research project to look at commercialisation opportunities for bush medicine.

The research partnership between Menzies School of Health Research, Traditional Homeland Enterprises, Integria Healthcare and the University of Queensland has just received $363,363 in funding from the CRC for Developing Northern Australia.

The project aims to develop a sustainable agribusiness model for bush medicine plants found across Northern Australia.

"Our industry partner believes there's a real niche in the complementary medicines market to actually develop some products that could generate some employment and enterprise on country for those [Indigenous] communities that are interested in participating in this project," said Menzies Honorary Fellow Dr Greg Leach.

"So Menzies will bring that expertise in laboratory and health research to try and prove up some of these plants, and it's those ones which we can then document and offer to take into a commercial arena."

Broadcast 
Darwin, Broome, Cairns, Bush Tucker, Alternative Medicine, Environment, Rural, Indigenous Culture
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