The rainforest isn't the only place to discover natural remedies and other botanical treasures that may aid human health ... look no further than lowly birch bark, a leftover from lumber and paper-making operations and usually burned on-site for heat.
But birch bark has some natural chemicals that are in demand. The problem is that, up until now, you could only extract them in grams at a time - not in the quantities that would make it commercially feasible.
But a National Science Foundation grant, the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) and a company called The Actives Factory in Two Harbors may now be on the road to an eventual biotech center here in the Northland.
