Novel assays and novel strains – promising routes to new antibiotics?

Abstract

There is a need to develop novel antibiotics for treating infections caused by multiresistant pathogens. Notwithstanding a plethora of novel targets and intensive high-throughput screening, conventional chemistry has yet to deliver these badly needed new drugs. Microorganisms have provided many of the existing antibiotics, but there is a general feeling that the large majority of compounds have already been discovered. Novel assays, used to screen common microbes, can provide novel structural scaffolds for antibiotic discovery. However, the highest impact may come from unexplored microbial sources. Fortunately, there is plenty of previously undescribed, antibiotic-producing bacteria in the environment.

Keywords::

• actinomycetes
• antibiotic
• natural product