Yeast: A microbe with macro-implications to antimicrobial drug discovery

Abstract

Paramount to any rational discovery of new antibiotics displaying novel mechanisms of action is a deep knowledge of the genetic basis of microbial growth, division and virulence. The bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, illustrates the highest understanding of the genetic underpinnings of microbial life, and from this framework, a systems biology paradigm has evolved, begging to be emulated in antibacterial discovery. Here, we review landmark events in the history of yeast genomics that provide this new foundation for antibacterial drug discovery.