The nursery construction for the Mineral Recovery Research of McKeough Marine Center (MMC) has started last June 10 at the Manresa Research Station.  The research project aims to identify and mass propagate local hyper-accumulator plants capable of extracting arsenic and copper metals stored in abandoned mining sites in Mindanao.

Xavier University engages in this research project in collaboration with Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB), Caraga State University (CSU) and University of Melbourne through Dr Augustine Doronila. The 3-year project is funded by PCIEERD-DOST. Implementation of research is supervised and coordinated by Fr Mars Tan SJ with his project assistant Ms Mary Jean B Apuan, an agriculture graduate of this university. XU has adopted this project as part of the ridge to reef initiatives of the Research and Social Outreach cluster.

The XU College of Agriculture through Dean Roel Ravanera, Chair Veneranda Laroza, Crop Science Unit Head Prof Floro Dalapag, and Farm Manager Hernando Pacana has made possible the construction of the nursery in Manresa Farm.

The nursery research on mineral recovery may also create opportunity and venue for collaborative student and faculty research between and among different units of XU.