Open AccessUnlocking the potential of natural products in drug discovery
Author(s) -
Wright Gerard D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
microbial biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.287
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 1751-7915
DOI - 10.1111/1751-7915.13351
Subject(s) - natural product , drug discovery , natural (archaeology) , biochemical engineering , product (mathematics) , natural product research , drug development , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , drug , biology , engineering , pharmacology , bioinformatics , biochemistry , pharmacognosy , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , biological activity , in vitro
The natural product specialized metabolites produced by microbes and plants are the backbone of our current drugs. Despite their historical importance, few pharmaceutical companies currently emphasize their exploitation in new drug discovery and instead favour synthetic compounds as more tractable alternatives. Ironically, we are in a Golden Age of understanding of natural product biosynthesis, biochemistry and engineering. These advances have the potential to usher in a new era of natural product exploration and development taking full advantage of the unique and favourable properties of natural products compounds in drug discovery.