Focus on natural products
In this issue - pv
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-v
Focus
Focus on Natural Products
- Focus issue:
- July 2007 Volume 3, No 7
Investigations into natural products have recently regained prominence with the increasing understanding of their biological significance and increasing recognition of the origin and function of their structural diversity. This issue highlights some of the major questions and advances in natural products research, from recent synthetic approaches to access complicated natural products to a new educational program which utilizes natural products as a basis for discovery-based research.
Top of page
Editorial
Focus on natural products
All natural - p351
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-351
Natural products research focuses on the chemical properties, biosynthesis and biological functions of secondary metabolites. As our scientific understanding of all things 'natural' is rapidly expanding, we should also make time to communicate the subtleties of chemical distinctions to the public.
Top of page
Commentaries
Focus on natural products
One pathway, many products - pp353 - 355
Michael A Fischbach & Jon Clardy
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-353
Biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolites usually make many products, not just one. In this Commentary, we consider why molecular promiscuity might be an evolutionarily advantageous feature of these pathways.
Full Text - One pathway, many products | PDF (460 KB) - One pathway, many products
Focus on natural products
Plant endophytes as a platform for discovery-based undergraduate science education - pp356 - 359
Scott A Strobel & Gary A Strobel
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-356
Project ownership is an essential but sometimes overlooked ingredient for a successful undergraduate research experience. We have embarked on an experiment in undergraduate education that targets isolation of microbes from rainforest plants and characterization of natural products as objectives for discovery-based undergraduate research.
Full Text - Plant endophytes as a platform for discovery-based undergraduate science education | PDF (2,690 KB) - Plant endophytes as a platform for discovery-based undergraduate science education
Focus on natural products
Revisiting the ancient concept of botanical therapeutics - pp360 - 366
Barbara M Schmidt, David M Ribnicky, Peter E Lipsky & Ilya Raskin
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-360
Mixtures of interacting compounds produced by plants may provide important combination therapies that simultaneously affect multiple pharmacological targets and provide clinical efficacy beyond the reach of single compound–based drugs. Developing innovative scientific methods for discovery, validation, characterization and standardization of these multicomponent botanical therapeutics is essential to their acceptance into mainstream medicine.
Full Text - Revisiting the ancient concept of botanical therapeutics | PDF (647 KB) - Revisiting the ancient concept of botanical therapeutics
Top of page
Elements
Focus on natural products
Natural products at the Hans Knöll Institute - p367
Catherine Goodman
doi:10.1038/nchembio0707-367
Understanding the creation, induction and function of natural products that are important for microbial communication are central aims for scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute.
Full Text - Natural products at the Hans Knöll Institute | PDF (344 KB) - Natural products at the Hans Knöll Institute
Top of page
Perspectives
Focus on natural products
Mining and engineering natural-product biosynthetic pathways - pp379 - 386
Barrie Wilkinson & Jason Micklefield
doi:10.1038/nchembio.2007.7
Abstract - Mining and engineering natural-product biosynthetic pathways | Full Text - Mining and engineering natural-product biosynthetic pathways | PDF (1,329 KB) - Mining and engineering natural-product biosynthetic pathways
Focus on natural products
Production and engineering of terpenoids in plant cell culture - pp387 - 395
Susan C Roberts
doi:10.1038/nchembio.2007.8
Abstract - Production and engineering of terpenoids in plant cell culture | Full Text - Production and engineering of terpenoids in plant cell culture | PDF (12,820 KB) - Production and engineering of terpenoids in plant cell culture
Top of page
Top of pageReviews
Focus on natural products
Modern synthetic efforts toward biologically active terpenes - pp396 - 407
Thomas J Maimone & Phil S Baran
doi:10.1038/nchembio.2007.1
Abstract - Modern synthetic efforts toward biologically active terpenes | Full Text - Modern synthetic efforts toward biologically active terpenes | PDF (948 KB) - Modern synthetic efforts toward biologically active terpenes
Focus on natural products
The function of terpene natural products in the natural world - pp408 - 414
Jonathan Gershenzon & Natalia Dudareva
doi:10.1038/nchembio.2007.5
Abstract - The function of terpene natural products in the natural world | Full Text - The function of terpene natural products in the natural world | PDF (688 KB) - The function of terpene natural products in the natural world
© 2018 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All Rights Reserved.
