IPBio- Biodiversity Research Institute

Simply put I would say, bioluminescent mushrooms, the long term goal of creating 5 research centers, and although it sounds boring, “organization”. The bioluminescent mushroom program makes IPBio truly unique. Our little town of Iporanga holds approximately 25% of the world's glowing mushrooms. There is so much more research that needs to be done in this field and so many ways to apply the research. From simply finding new species which was a major success in 2017 when a volunteer found 7 new species of glowing mushrooms, to developing our local communities tourism sector by attracting visitor to our town with a museum of bioluminescence. And who knows if we find medical, energy or other interesting uses that come from our fundamental research on these mushrooms. As an economist/political scientist, I always look for the social impact our research would have so while the biologists busy trying to understand the evolutionary emergence of bioluminescence. I fantasize about the ways we could apply the research to the benefit of society and our environment. Not to mention, after searching for these natural lanterns at night in the forest and arriving at a point where the entire floor was glowing green like in Avatar, I was hooked!

What core values do you think are most important at IPBio?

Being the daughter of an American diplomat and a dual French/Swiss citizen I travelled a lot growing up. As cliché as it may sound traveling has proven itself to be more than just a hobby for me but rather a lifestyle. I really do have a hard time staying in one place for too long. Every couple years I feel the tingling desire to embark on a new adventure. I love discovering all the different facets of a country's culture: the food, the art, the traditions, the history, the current geopolitical situation and everything that goes along with it. I truly believe that exploring the world and coming to an understanding and respect of different cultures is one of the greatest forms of education an individual can be lucky enough to experience.