Figure 1.

Schematic overview of new approaches for antibiotic discovery in Streptomyces. (A,B) Biosynthetic clusters and regulatory elements can be predicted with bioinformatic tools, opening up new possibilities to metabolic engineering. (C) Modification of the culture medium that is crucial in antibiotic production such as different carbon sources. (D) Searching for the signals that activate different regulatory systems triggering antibiotic production. (E) Communication molecules like antibiotics and hormones may also boost secondary metabolism. (F) Co-culture of Streptomyces species with fungi and bacteria might simulate interspecies interactions and thus induce antibiotic production. (G) The discovery of new Streptomyces species could also reveal new compounds with antibiotic activities. (H) The compounds produced have to be identified and isolated. (I) All these approaches contribute to the elucidation of the nature and activity of new antibiotics.