Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery

doi:10.1007/s13659-025-00565-0

Natural Products and Bioprospecting ›› 2026, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (1): 12-12.DOI: 10.1007/s13659-025-00565-0

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Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery

Yu-Jie Li^1,2,3, Ming-Hua Qiu^1,2, Xing-Rong Peng^1,2

1. State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China;
2. Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China;
3. Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Highly-Efficient Utilization of Forestry Biomass Resources in Southwest China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, People's Republic of China

Received:2025-10-15 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-02-14
Contact: Xing-Rong Peng,E-mail:pengxingrong@mail.kib.ac.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program “Young Talent” Project (XDYC-QNRC-2022–0480), and the Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province (202301AT070332).

Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery

Yu-Jie Li^1,2,3, Ming-Hua Qiu^1,2, Xing-Rong Peng^1,2

1. State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China;
2. Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China;
3. Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Highly-Efficient Utilization of Forestry Biomass Resources in Southwest China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, People's Republic of China

通讯作者: Xing-Rong Peng,E-mail:pengxingrong@mail.kib.ac.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program “Young Talent” Project (XDYC-QNRC-2022–0480), and the Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province (202301AT070332).

Abstract

Abstract: Microorganisms represent Earth's most abundant biological resource, producing metabolites of immense value across medicine, agriculture, and industry. Conventional cultivation and screening techniques, however, suffer from inefficiency and fail to meet contemporary demands. Providing a comprehensive overview, this review details how the One Strain Many Compounds (OSMAC) strategy—addressing cultivation bottlenecks—and genomics-driven mining approaches are revolutionizing the discovery of novel microbial metabolites. Crucially, it underscores the broad adoption of innovative technologies like machine learning to enable faster, more effective gene and structure targeting. Synthesizing case studies from 2019 to 2025, the review catalogs newly identified compounds and their bioactivities, while outlining future research directions to establish a theoretical framework for efficient microbial natural product exploration. These advanced discovery strategies are significantly accelerating the identification of structurally diverse lead compounds with novel mechanisms of action, thereby revitalizing pipelines for new antibiotic, anticancer, and therapeutic drug development.

Key words: Microbial natural products, OSMAC strategy, Genome mining, Machine learning

摘要： Microorganisms represent Earth's most abundant biological resource, producing metabolites of immense value across medicine, agriculture, and industry. Conventional cultivation and screening techniques, however, suffer from inefficiency and fail to meet contemporary demands. Providing a comprehensive overview, this review details how the One Strain Many Compounds (OSMAC) strategy—addressing cultivation bottlenecks—and genomics-driven mining approaches are revolutionizing the discovery of novel microbial metabolites. Crucially, it underscores the broad adoption of innovative technologies like machine learning to enable faster, more effective gene and structure targeting. Synthesizing case studies from 2019 to 2025, the review catalogs newly identified compounds and their bioactivities, while outlining future research directions to establish a theoretical framework for efficient microbial natural product exploration. These advanced discovery strategies are significantly accelerating the identification of structurally diverse lead compounds with novel mechanisms of action, thereby revitalizing pipelines for new antibiotic, anticancer, and therapeutic drug development.

关键词: Microbial natural products, OSMAC strategy, Genome mining, Machine learning

Yu-Jie Li, Ming-Hua Qiu, Xing-Rong Peng. Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery[J]. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2026, 16(1): 12-12.

Yu-Jie Li, Ming-Hua Qiu, Xing-Rong Peng. Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery[J]. 应用天然产物, 2026, 16(1): 12-12.

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Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery

Revolutionizing microbial treasure troves: innovative strategies for natural products discovery

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