Revitalizing actinobacteria research: an urgent response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis

doi:10.1007/s13659-025-00587-8

Abstract

Abstract: The crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating while the antibiotic pipeline remains stagnant. Our bibliometric analysis of eight decades of literature reveals a critical imbalance: research on AMR has grown, yet fundamental research on antibiotic discovery has declined. Most strikingly, research attention to Actinomycetota, the source of most clinical antibiotics, has sharply decreased since its mid-twentieth-century peak. This therapeutic disinvestment coincides with the intensifying AMR crisis. We argue for a strategic reinvestment in natural product discovery, now enabled by advances in genomics, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. These tools can unlock the vast, silent biosynthetic potential of actinobacteria, transforming discovery into a targeted and efficient endeavor. Rebalancing research priorities by coupling this historically proven source with modern technology is essential to revive the antibiotic pipeline. We urge funding agencies and industry to bridge the growing gap between a well characterized problem and a neglected solution.Graphic abstract

Key words: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Actinobacteria, Antibiotic discovery, Natural products, Bibliometric analysis

摘要： The crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating while the antibiotic pipeline remains stagnant. Our bibliometric analysis of eight decades of literature reveals a critical imbalance: research on AMR has grown, yet fundamental research on antibiotic discovery has declined. Most strikingly, research attention to Actinomycetota, the source of most clinical antibiotics, has sharply decreased since its mid-twentieth-century peak. This therapeutic disinvestment coincides with the intensifying AMR crisis. We argue for a strategic reinvestment in natural product discovery, now enabled by advances in genomics, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. These tools can unlock the vast, silent biosynthetic potential of actinobacteria, transforming discovery into a targeted and efficient endeavor. Rebalancing research priorities by coupling this historically proven source with modern technology is essential to revive the antibiotic pipeline. We urge funding agencies and industry to bridge the growing gap between a well characterized problem and a neglected solution.Graphic abstract

关键词: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Actinobacteria, Antibiotic discovery, Natural products, Bibliometric analysis

Samuel Paulo Cibulski, Valnês da Silva Rodrigues-Junior. Revitalizing actinobacteria research: an urgent response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis[J]. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2026, 16(3): 35-35.

Samuel Paulo Cibulski, Valnês da Silva Rodrigues-Junior. Revitalizing actinobacteria research: an urgent response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis[J]. 应用天然产物, 2026, 16(3): 35-35.

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