
RESeARCH
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Natural Products (NPs) originating from plants, fungi or bacteria represent a major source of medically important agents with antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer or immunosuppressive properties. They are produced as secondary metabolites and not necessarily required for the survival of the organism. However, their use for human purposes is immense. For decades these metabolites are used to develop suitable medication against human diseases or as insecticidal/herbicidal agents for agricultural purposes.
Many parts of the bio-economy reach their limits based on traditional approaches and struggling to meet the challenges of the modern world. For example, the biotechnological sustainable production of bulk chemicals is doing very hard to be competitive with the petrol industry.
