Unlocking the power of plants for people
Plants and fungi are the most extraordinary chemical factories. And, over the decades, Kew’s scientists have gone beyond botany to help develop sustainable new plant-based pesticides, dyes, drugs and more – all for human benefit.
Not all of our work is focused on entirely new discoveries. People have always relied on plants. So, as well as investigating new properties, we seek to understand and better exploit the known uses of plants. We often rediscover or validate traditional knowledge about medicines, diet or crops. But we always retain our rigorous commitment to science and sustainability.
In our science-led research projects, we collaborate widely with companies, universities and non-profit organisations that share our interests. We have partnered with the University of Oxford on HIV treatments and with the Alzheimer’s Society on the calming effects of herbs. Evaluating the importance of plants to our lives supports the case for their conservation. This area of work at Kew is led by Professor Monique Simmonds.
Through our campaign, you can invest in a particular area of research or a specific project on using plants sustainably for people’s benefit – putting plants to use for health, food, or energy security.
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Target:
£15 million
Campaign objectives
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Campaign objectives
Explore our Work
Stories of the Breathing Planet
The bittersweet promise of the lemon balm
Kew is investigating the beneficial properties of snowdrops and other plants, to improve quality of life for Alzheimer's patients.
The iron miners and the golden daisy
Kew is participating in a new vegetation survey, for the construction of a railway from the mining are to Guinea's capital and port.
People of the Breathing Planet
