Ayahuasca Morphology Research Project
Modern Spirit is now supporting the master’s thesis work of Shipibo researcher Mateo Cairuna Tutusima. Mateo Cairuna Tutusima is from the Native Shipibo Konibo community of Paoyhan in the Ucayali province of Peru. He arrived in Iquitos with the help of his mother, a traditional artisan, seeking opportunities to pursue his university studies. He is currently a graduate of the National University of the Peruvian Amazon (UNAP) in Agronomic Sciences. It was in Iquitos that he began to collaborate with Master Ricardo Amaringo and his work at Nihue Rao Centro Espirtual.
As part of his commitment to the community, Mateo thesis work has focused on the sustainable utilization of native Amazonian plants, including Ayahuasca. He seeks to integrate scientific methodology with the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous and Amazonian peoples.
His thesis, titled "Morphological Characterization and Growth of Three Morphotypes of Banisteriopsis caapi (ayahuasca) from Cuttings in Zungarococha” will include laboratory analysis of the three morphotypes.
Currently, Mateo is in the final phase of analysis of his thesis project, after three years of research. In this project, he aims to evaluate whether the 'amaranti huasca' morphotype belongs to the same species as 'boa huasca' and 'cielo huasca', and to determine if the three morphotypes of Banisteriopsis caapi differ morphologically and chemically. The objective is to contribute to the effective propagation of these species through planting with cuttings and expand their cultivation, according to the morphological and chemical characteristics that each one demonstrates.
“My thesis proposal focuses on demonstrating the morphological characterization and growth patterns of three distinct Ayahuasca morphotypes (from cuttings harvested in the Zungarococha area), both under laboratory conditions and through experimentation. We hope this research will contribute to our knowledge of other populations in the Amazonian region and have international relevance.”