Plant protection is the key to sustaining life. Singapore’s example

Photo: The Singapore General Hospital Bicentennial Garden, authors: Abner Herbert Lim, Bin Tean Teh

Genomic gardens of plants necessary to cure impaired people may be the only way to secure biodiversity, as urbanization and climate change lead to green destruction.

Modern medicine would not have reached the level of today’s advancement without plants. They have been accompanying humans since the beginning, healing wounds and securing food. The learning of their properties was strictly protected within the first societies, at the same time being one of the first goods to exchange with separate groups, establishing the first allies. Healers held the highest position in prehistoric society, possessing great power to either cure or kill. Today, medicine also draws from this past; however, modern legal and ethical standards make its application more challenging, though not impossible, in the western hemisphere. Modern medicine is based on evidence-based knowledge, which requires plenty of studies, proofs, and technologies before being released to practice. However, this does not change the fact that plants further constitute a crucial base for modern medications, enabling them to heal and extend the lifespans of those who need them most often because of civilization’s diseases.

As urbanization and climate change accelerate, humans are losing biodiversity that has developed over millions of years, beginning with the emergence of lycophytes as possibly the first plants. Countries in Southeast Asia have not been spared from the biodiversity loss seen across the globe. Scientists at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine in Singapore have proposed the creation of a genomic garden. In a newly published study in ,,Cell Genomics”, they suggest that this collection of selected genomes could help preserve biodiversity and, in turn, protect human life.

 – The biodiversity conservation efforts may be further enhanced by leveraging the latest technological advances. One such avenue is the establishment of a genomic garden, where the genome of each plant grown in the garden is sequenced, assembled, and analyzed,

say Abner Herbert Lim and Bin Tean Teh of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine, Singapore.

Singapore, both a city and a nation that achieved its independence through self-determination, has created a notable garden known as the “Garden City.” This designation comes after the loss of 34 percent of its flora due to urban development. Scientists report that the first genomic garden was established at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Center, and it is named the Singapore General Hospital Bicentennial Genomic Garden. The current size of the garden is 3,400 m2, with plans to expand the space to 8,500 m2. Currently, the garden includes a curated selection of 100 SEA regional ethnobotanical species. The scientists emphasize that the genomic garden can be organized into distinct sections based on the types and functions of the plants in each area. This arrangement not only simplifies navigation but also enhances the educational experience.

– Priority can be given to species that help fill genomic data gaps in underrepresented taxa, contributing to the conservation of genetic diversity. Ethnobotanical knowledge provides further insight by identifying plants with traditional medicinal uses, which may contain bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potential,

claim Abner Herbert Lim and Bin Tean Teh of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine, Singapore.

Equally important are species with unique adaptive traits that can drive agricultural innovation, enhance ecological restoration, and strengthen food security. For developed countries like Singapore, the genomic garden epitomizes one of the practical ways to preserve biodiversity and promote human health while serving the needs of modern nations with forward-looking economies – conclude scientists, adding that in 2015, Singapore Botanic Gardens was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming the first and only tropical botanic garden on the list.