Abstract Microalgal lipids and fatty acids are important components for achieving biofuel because of their potential high productivity. Although that have a hydroxy group adjacent to the end acyl chain might be an chemical feedstock, most algae do not accumulate it. To produce (ω−1)-hydroxy from 3-hydroxybutylyl-CoA, intermediate polyhydroxybutylate biosynthesis in cyanobacterium Synechocystis ...

Platensimycin was recently discovered by Merck Research Laboratories and has created considerable interest given its potent antibacterial activity and mode of action. The use of RNA gene-silencing techniques and screening libraries of natural products allowed Merck to find this antibiotic which may have otherwise been missed using conventional methods. Interestingly, platensimycin has shown goo...

Delineating the mechanisms for genetically acquired antibiotic resistance is a robust approach to target validation and anticipates the evolution of clinical drug resistance. This study defines a spectrum of mutations in fabH that render Staphylococcus aureus resistant to multiple natural products known to inhibit the elongation condensing enzyme (FabF) of bacterial type II fatty acid synthesis...