Meet The Member: Mpho Mohlakoana – A Plant For Every Ailment

There’s a story botanist Mpho Mohlakoana likes to tell – a story that encapsulates her passion for plants, and explains why she’s dedicated years to getting to know them better. And it’s a story that starts with one of the most commonly-used drugs in the world: aspirin.

Mpho Mohlakoana’s passion for plants and pharmacology has brought her to the SANBI Indigenous Plant DNA Biobank

“Millions of people use aspirin every day to help with pain and inflammation and the like. And the active ingredient in that aspirin – salicylic acid – was first discovered in willow trees thousands of years ago. Since then, we’ve found tons of important chemicals in plants that have changed our lives. And the more we know, the more we find. We could almost say that there’s a plant for every ailment – so we’d better take care of them.”

It’s that kind of thinking that’s carried her through a BSc in Botany and Biochemistry at the University of Johannesburg – and then an Honours degree in Botany after that, and a Masters degree after that (with a Specialization in Ethnobotany and phytochemistry – and a publication to boot, dealing with South African plants used ethnobotanically as soap substitutes).

It took her through her work as an academic tutor, a lab demonstrator, and a research assistant at SANBI and GDARD, where she assisted with recommendations for natural resource management issues on biodiversity stewardship sites (among other things).

And it brought her to the newest addition to the Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa (BBSA) network, the SANBI Indigenous Plant DNA Biobank at the National Herbarium in Pretoria. As the name implies, the biobank focuses mainly on indigenous plants – and that’s something Mpho definitely knows about.

Here’s what she has to say about her biobank journey, and what comes next.

So what drew you to botany?
My passion for botany came more from my dad. He used to give us herbs when we were sick – and I became really interested in what different plants can do, and the many different properties of plants. There’s so much you can discover by studying plants, whether it be DNA, or the type of chemicals in the plant, what family it belongs to, what a plant can do for humans. There’s so much to discover – and that really interests me.

What’s a typical work day like for you?
Well, I’m still just starting out, and there’s so much I need to know. And the biobank is still starting out as well – we’re collecting plants, storing them in silica gel, trying to get the equipment and infrastructure set up to do DNA extraction and PCR. So for now, most of the work I’m doing is reading reading reading – and thinking about what I’ve been reading. Gaining knowledge about biobanks, and the BBSA (the Forum was great for that), and where it’s going – and then trying to see how I can fit into it, and what I can do to play a role in making it all work..

What’s the most exciting part of your job?
Biobanking has been spoken about more than being done, especially in South Africa. There aren’t a lot of plant biobanks – and especially DNA plant biobanks. It’s something that’s fresh and new, something that’s innovative. So the biobank is a spectacle – a state of the art lab where we get to do cutting-edge research. It’s basically a candy store for scientists. So everyone is excited, and they all want to be a part of it. It’s a really exciting project…and I’m lucky enough to actually get to be a part of it.

What do you do to relax?
I love watching series, and movies – I’m a bit of a movie fanatic, actually (my favourite is August Rush – it’s just so beautiful). And I love being outdoors, out in nature.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
So like I said, I love being outdoors, out in nature. And I’m a biologist, so I’m often out in the field collecting plants. But I’m really afraid of insects, and all other sorts of creepy crawlies…and guess where you find a whole lot of those? Oh, and I’m not sure how surprised people should be to learn this, but I like baking, and making treats for people. And I can sing pretty well, and hold a note. Really!

What’s on your bucket list? What are your dreams?
Well, I’d like to continue doing research. And I’d like to travel the world. And I’d like to start my own company. So maybe one day I’ll be able to combine all three: I’ll start a phytopharmaceutical company and travel the world doing research on plant pharmaceuticals. Now that would be living the dream…

Want to know more about the SANBI Indigenous Plant DNA Biobank? We’ve got you covered. Or find out about the other BBSA partner institutions here. And while you’re at it, why not learn more about some of the women who made biobanking possible?