Bent Creek Bio-Botanical Research and Economic Development Update

Description:

Bent Creek Institute (BCI), Inc. is a non-profit affiliate of The North Carolina Arboretum founded in 2006 and focused on growing the botanical natural products and integrative wellness economic sectors in North Carolina. This involves coordinating and forming collaborative and consulting service relationships with academic, governmental, and private entities who are actively engaged in growing raw medicinal herbs, manufacturing value-added components and finished products, conducting botanical quality and identity testing, and carrying out botanical research.Greg Cumberford, BCI's president, will present an overview of BCI's current strategic initiatives including its collaboration with the BioNetwork's Natural Products Laboratory to form a nationally branded botanical quality and safety testing enterprise called the US Botanical Safety Laboratory (USBSL). BCI also works closely with the Bent Creek Germplasm Repository (BCGR), which is directed by Dr. Joe-Ann McCoy and which is the research arm of The North Carolina Arboretum.