Complex Bioactive Natural Products

In the course of evolution nature has developed an unimaginable abundance and diversity of organisms. Apart from their primary metabolism, these have evolved biosynthetic pathways that generate small molecules - so-called natural products - with functions that offer them advantages over their competitors in their daily fight for survival. The application of such chemical entities is also of utmost importance for human health. Well-known examples include antibiotics (e.g. penicillins, glycopeptides, etc.), anti-infectives (e.g. artemisinin), cancer chemotherapeutics (e.g. taxol) or compounds with sedating functions (e.g. morphine). This success of Nature-derived drugs can be rationalized by the often observed high selectivity and potency of these agents towards distinct targets, which is the result of millions of years of (chemical) evolution.

In our research we are particularly interested in discovering the secrets of the microbial natural product world. Using bioinformatics and applying and developing cloning technology we contribute to the streamlined discovery of novel bioactives by using recombinant production systems. Special interest lies in compounds that are assembled by unknown enzymatic processes. The mechanisms of these transformations get elucidated in vivo and/or in vitro. Furthermore, we engage in pathway genetic refactoring and biosynthetic redesign to increase the structural and functional space covered by the respective biosynthetic pathway. In addition, we apply particularly interesting and efficient biosynthetic enzymes in highly streamlined biocatalytic total syntheses, we thus aim to access complex natural products efficiently and to systematically eplore their biological potential beyond structures directly accessible by Nature.

You can now follow us on twitter by clicking here!