Nyikina Mangala man John Watson and Professor Ronald Quinn. Credit: Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering
Key points:
- A crocodile bite sparked a nearly 4 decades-long partnership between the Nyikina Mangala people and Griffith University.
- John Watson and Ron Quinn have created a topical pain relief gel based on the complex mixtures present in the bark of Mudjala mangrove trees.
- They hope the gel can be supplied to athletes at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
In 1986, John Watson’s finger was bitten off by a crocodile. Being a Nyikina Mangala man from the Jarlmadangah Burru Aboriginal Community of the Kimberley, Watson immediately knew what to do—he chewed on a strip of bark from a Mudjala mangrove tree and applied it as a dressing to his wound. The pain stopped.
When Ron Quinn, professor at Griffith University (UK), heard of Watson’s ingenuity, he was intrigued. Thus started a partnership between the Nyikina Mangala people and Griffith University to identify what active compounds could be present in the bark.
Now, 37 years later, Watson and Quinn have created a topical gel for pain relief based on their findings. They discovered that the bark contains two classes of compound: one is effective for inflammatory pain while the other mitigates sciatic nerve injury. The resulting product, a topical gel, will be based on the complex mixtures present within the bark paste.
The researchers say the gel heralds widespread application for traditional knowledge, while maintaining Aboriginal ownership.
Watson and Quinn hope the gel can be supplied to athletes at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
In recognition of their researcher, the duo has been named as the inaugural recipients of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering’s Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award.