Most antibiotics and many common cancer, chemotherapy, and cholesterol-lowering drugs originate from microbes. Although researchers have identified many microbial-derived bioactive molecules by culturing microbes, as many as two to three orders of magnitude more microorganisms may be resistant to laboratory culture. Metagenomics offers a culture-independent approach to tap into the unexplored microbial world.
Download this Technology Guide ebook from Drug Discovery News to learn about different approaches to metagenomics and how best to use those approaches to discover microbial-derived bioactive molecules with therapeutic potential.