Streptomyces are the most prolific source of structurally diverse microbial natural products. Advancing genome-based analysis reveals the previously unseen potential of Streptomyces to produce numerous novel secondary metabolites, which allows us to take natural product discovery to the next phase. However, at present there is a huge disproportion between the rate of genome reports and discovery of new compounds. From this perspective of harnessing the enduring importance of Streptomyces, we discuss the recent genome-directed advancements inspired by hidden biosynthetic wealth that provide hope for future antibiotics.
Keywords: Streptomyces; antibiotics; genome-mining; natural products.