How can conservation and environmental stewardship lead to disease cures and cancer treatments? Join Dr. Jeff Carlson in a discussion about bolstering conservation practices with old and new paradigms in bioprospecting; highlighting the importance of the protection of ecology, scientific curiosity, and the benefits that can be found in Earth's wonderful biomes. From the beauty of the Tropical Andes to the intricate complexity of ants' communication systems, you'll learn how every small and large member of nature can yield functional benefits, as green really is gold. Jeff received his PhD from Baylor College of Medicine, and worked in industrial science before leaving to use his biomedical background to help support conservation. Jeff co-founded RioRaiz: a Houston-based, 501c3 non-profit that uses biotechnology to bolster conservation efforts around the world. Along with his co-founder Joshua Ortiz-Guzman, PhD., RioRaiz preserves ecosystems through educational outreach and scientific research by using nature as a discovery platform to find new classes of natural medicines to treat diseases. RioRaiz has formed numerous partnerships with indigenous tribes, local communities, and academics across the globe to preserve local ecosystems while identifying novel bioactives for drug discovery found in threatened biomes. The team is actively pursuing projects of protecting at-risk biological corridors, performing whole organism multi-omics, and building educational platforms that bring nature into the classroom. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx