Secondary Metabolism - Pharmaceuticals
Novacta scientists played major roles in the discovery and development of
- β-lactams (carbapenems and clavams)
- Polyketides (endectocides and macrolide antibiotics)
- Nucleosides (aristeromycin and nikkomycins)
- Isoprenoids (sordarins)
- Lantibiotics
- Knockouts (gene replacements) of tailoring enzymes, eg hydroxylases, methyltransferases, glycosyltransferases, deoxysugar biosynthesis
- Genetic "mix and match"; large number of analogues generated
- Alternative hydroxylases/epoxidases
- Generation & introduction of alternative sugar biosynthesis cassettes and glycosyltransferases
- Modification of the backbone through manipulation of the modular polyketide synthase