Beyond the beaten path: improving natural products bioprospecting using an eco-evolutionary framework - the case of the octocorals

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Ledoux, JB (Author) Other; Agostinho Antunes (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Critical Reviews in Biotechnology

Vol. 38

Pages: 184-198

ISSN: 0738-8551

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-SEF

DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2017.1331335

Abstract (EN): Marine natural products (NPs) represent an impressive source of novel bioactive molecules with major biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, the usual chemical and applied perspective leading most of bioprospecting projects come along with various limitations blurring our understanding of the extensive marine chemical diversity. Here, we propose several guidelines: (i) to optimize bioprospecting and (ii) to refine our knowledge on marine chemical ecology focusing on octocorals, one of the most promising sources of marine NPs. We identified a significant phylogenetic bias in the octocoral bioprospecting, which calls for the development of a concerted discovery strategy. Given the gap existing between the number of isolated NPs and the knowledge regarding their functions, we provide an ecologically centered workflow prioritizing biological function ahead of chemical identification. Furthermore, we illustrate how -omic technologies should rapidly increase our knowledge on solving different aspects of the ecology and evolution of marine NPs.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15