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Small molecules often mediate or modulate interactions between species. Roseobacticide A, shown in the foreground, is a potent anti-algal secondary metabolite that is produced as a result of a relationship between the bacteria Phaeobacter inhibens and the alga Emilianiahuxleyei that begins as mutualistic but later becomes parasitic. There are multiple examples of natural products that result from such ‘group effort’ but such interactions are underappreciated in laboratory studies that often focus on a single-species.
See Wang and Seyedsayamdost, Nat. Rev. Chem. 1, 0021 (2017)
Laboratory studies of natural product biosynthesis often focus on a particular secondary metabolite that is produced by a single species. This Perspective article considers examples in which bacteria and hosts work in concert to produce hybrid natural products.
Elaborate molecules can be assembled in a relatively mild manner through organic cross-coupling reactions, with those mediated by group 10 metal complexes being particularly useful. This Review covers the development of nickel and palladium precatalysts, comparing state-of-the-art systems and offering design principles for future technologies.
Electrodes colonized by microbial electrocatalysts can serve as useful components in the electrosynthesis of valuable chemical products. This Review outlines the mechanisms by which electrons are transferred between microorganisms and electrodes, and describes the challenges involved in designing robust and efficient systems.