Alanzi Abdullah R
Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024 Nov 18;35:e2407064. doi: 10.4014/jmb.2407.07064.
The objective of this review is to investigate microbial dark matter (MDM) with a focus on its potential for discovering novel natural products (NPs). This first part will examine the characteristics and abundance of these previously unexplored microbial communities, as well as the challenges faced in identifying and harnessing their unique biochemical properties and novel methods in this field. MDMs are thought to hold great potential for the discovery of novel NPs, which could have significant applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring MDM to unlock its potential. In fact, developments in genome-sequencing technologies and sophisticated phylogenetic procedures and metagenomic techniques have contributed to drastically make important changes in our sights on the diversity of microbial life, including the very outline of the tree of life. This has led to the development of novel technologies and methodologies for studying these elusive microorganisms, such as single-cell genomics, metagenomics, and culturomics. These approaches enable researchers to isolate and analyze individual microbial cells, as well as entire communities, providing insights into their genetic and metabolic potential. By delving into the MDM, scientists hope to uncover new compounds and biotechnological advancements that could have far-reaching impacts on various fields.
本综述的目的是研究微生物暗物质（MDM），重点关注其发现新型天然产物（NP）的潜力。第一部分将考察这些此前未被探索的微生物群落的特征和丰度，以及在识别和利用其独特生化特性方面所面临的挑战，还有该领域的新方法。人们认为微生物暗物质在发现新型天然产物方面具有巨大潜力，这些新型天然产物可能在医学、农业和工业中具有重要应用。近年来，探索微生物暗物质以释放其潜力的兴趣日益浓厚。事实上，基因组测序技术、精密系统发育程序和宏基因组技术的发展极大地改变了我们对微生物生命多样性的看法，包括生命之树的整体轮廓。这促使了用于研究这些难以捉摸的微生物的新技术和方法的发展，如单细胞基因组学、宏基因组学和培养组学。这些方法使研究人员能够分离和分析单个微生物细胞以及整个群落，从而深入了解它们的遗传和代谢潜力。通过深入研究微生物暗物质，科学家们希望发现可能对各个领域产生深远影响的新化合物和生物技术进展。
