Exploring Nature ’s Treasure Trove of Helpful Compounds

A cone snail shell. Credit: Kerry Matz, University of Utah. Over the years, scientists have discovered many compounds in nature that have led to the development of medications. For instance, the molecular structure for aspirin came from willow tree bark, and penicillin was found in a type of mold. And uses of natural products aren’t limited to medicine cabinet staples and antibiotics. A cancer drug was originally found in the bark of the Pacific yew tree, and a medication for chronic pain relief was first isolated from cone snail venom. Today, NIGMS supports scientists in the earliest stages of investigating natural products made by plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals. The results could inform future research and bring advances to the field of medicine. Seaweed Empowers Neuroscience Research Red seaweed is the original source of kainic acid. Credit: Toshiaki Teruya, University of Ryukyus, Japan. Helpful natural products have originated in a vast range of environments, from a golf course in Texas to the forests of India. One place researchers continue to explore because of its rich biodiversity is the ocean. Bradley Moore, Ph.D. , a professor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences and a member of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, studies how marine microbes produce antibiotics, anticancer agents, and other natural products. One of his areas of focus is developing new tools and approaches to identify gene...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Bacteria Cool Tools/Techniques Medicines Microbes Source Type: blogs