The origin and evolution of antibiotics

Abstract

Microbes are the most prevalent living organisms in the biosphere; they constitute about 50 % of the Earth's weight. They are also the most prolific in terms of the production of antibiotics and other bioactive small molecules. This rich store of chemical diversity (termed the Parvome) provides an inexhaustible source of therapeutic agents that has barely been investigated. Devising new ways of harvesting these compounds is a major challenge that requires developing new insights into their origin and evolution and also predictions of their roles in chemical and biological evolution. Only with this information will it be possible to exploit their pharmaceutical potential to the full.