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An August 12, 2008 posting in the on line journal, New Scientist, tells us that brightly colored bugs tend to be found on medicinal plants. This finding could well help researchers looking for antibiotics, cancer cures, or other pharmaceuticals. The article notes that such research requires intact ecosystems which are found in Panama. Eco tourism is popular in Panama because of Panama’s untouched natural beauty. Panama residents have the unique opportunity of panama investment in natural settings and still be close to and invest in first world services.

Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute headquartered in Panama came across an interesting finding that may speed up the search for naturally occurring medicines.
According to the August 12, 2008 New Scientist, “Bioprospectors searching for medicinally-active plants in a rainforest face a problem of needle-in-haystack proportions. Plants do not advertise the fact that they contain potential medicines. The insects that feed on them, on the other hand, do.
“Insects ingest bio-active chemicals from the plants and advertise the fact that this makes them poisonous to predators with their flashy colors.
“Plants which look like many others may nevertheless contain active chemicals that can be used to fight parasites, viruses and even cancer. Artemisinin, for instance, is a powerful anti-malarial drug extracted from a Chinese plant, while vincristine, based on a compound extracted from rosy periwinkle, is used to treat leukemia.”

The scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute canvassed four of Panama’s national parks. They looked at plants that are known to have medicinal properties and plants that are known not to have medicinal properties. What they found was that medicinal plants are much more likely to have bright bugs on them. The researchers hope that this finding will help researchers looking for new medicines to be more efficient and successful in finding new drugs.

Tropical Research, Eco Tourism, and Real Estate Investment in Panama

Since 1923 the Smithsonian Institution has run a tropical research station on an island that was formed from a hill when they damned the Chagras River to make Lake Gatun as part of the Panama Canal. The research for above mentioned article could only have been done in an unspoiled tropical location. Beside pharmaceutical opportunity we see continuing panama real estate investment opportunity in Panama’s natural beauty.

Although many visitors to Panama only see the Panama Canal and Panama City others are fortunate enough to engage in eco tourism or cultural tourism here. As Panama protects its environmental and cultural heritage we can expect to see eco and cultural tourism continue to attract visitors to Panama and provide investment opportunities in Panama real estate. Panama Law 8 provides numerous tax incentives for real estate investment and development of “green” services in previously undeveloped areas. This would include services in natural settings for eco tourism as well as environmentally friendly hotel and recreation services in undeveloped areas. The same untouched nature that is the subject of tropical research and eco tourism provides ideal settings for eco tourism investment or “green” real estate housing investment in Panama.

If you are interested in investment in eco tourism, real estate, or any type of business in Panama come to see us at ABPanama. We have over 23 years experience managing real estate portfolios and do business throughout Panama. We do not have much experience with brightly colored bugs, however.