The Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy studies drugs of botanical origin: the plants themselves, the traditions that used them and the evidence behind what is claimed for them. This page lists the Institute’s current programmes and the directions it plans to take, each with its status:
- Under way: work is happening now.
- In preparation: the groundwork is being laid.
- Planned: a stated direction that has not started.
Methods and unpublished findings are not shown here. News of progress appears on the News & Updates page and the blog.
Botanical survey of the wet tropics
Status: under way
Field surveys across north Queensland began in January 2026 and are continuing around Cardwell. Observations are recorded on iNaturalist and added to the Institute’s botanical reference library, which now holds 31 plant and fungus records. The Institute’s iNaturalist account holds 29 field observations of 27 different organisms. Identifications made from photographs stay marked provisional until they are confirmed to research grade. The records are curated by the Botanical department.
Microscopy of plant material
Status: in preparation
Reference microscopy profiles, compiled from published pharmacopoeial descriptions, are in place for four dried herbs: chamomile, damiana, senna leaf and thyme. The next step is to add the laboratory’s own microscopy to specimen records, starting with these four herbs.
Identity and quality checking
Status: planned
The laboratory plans to set up thin-layer chromatography (TLC) for routine checks on the identity and quality of plant material.
Evidence-graded monograph series
Status: under way
AIP Monographs are public plant profiles. Each statement is labelled with the strength of its evidence, so readers can tell traditional use, laboratory findings and results in people apart. No. 1 covers Abrus precatorius (rosary pea) and is being rebuilt to the current standard. No. 2 covers Peganum harmala (Syrian rue) and was published in September 2026. Further monographs are numbered in publication order. Led by the Education and Research department, which also checks the evidence and citations in every new post the Institute publishes.
Research agenda from the monographs
Status: planned
Each monograph ends with a list of the research still needed. The agenda set out in Monograph No. 2 covers:
- voucher specimens, meaning preserved, documented reference samples
- reference sets for microscopy and chromatography
- ethnobotany drawn from primary historical sources
These are research directions, not studies that have started.
Plant dossiers and the research library
Status: under way
The Institute’s research library holds 868 catalogued volumes on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, pharmacopoeias and the history of plant use. The library team has begun a set of plant dossiers, many on wet-tropics species, and will extend them, starting with local plants. A public reading list for the monograph series is planned.
Grimoire Herbal: plants in historical magical texts
Status: under way
The Esoteric Studies department is examining the plants named in historical magical and alchemical texts, one text at a time. It begins with the medieval Picatrix (Ghayat al-Hakim) and asks how confidently each plant can be identified today. The series reports what the texts claim without endorsing it: ritual use is history, not clinical evidence. Identification and safety questions are reviewed before anything is published.
Laboratory standards
Status: under way
The Cardwell laboratory now has an equipment register and written bench-safety rules. Standard operating procedures and calibration of measuring equipment are next. Led by the Operations and Facilities department.
Laboratory information system
Status: under way
An in-house laboratory information system is being built to support the Institute’s research, including specimen records, microscopy notes and literature management.
Research partnerships
Status: planned
The Institute intends to explore research partnerships with universities. None is in place yet. Researchers interested in working with the Institute are welcome to get in touch.