Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · Germany
Max Planck and University of Marburg researchers link bacterial natural-product diversity to three forces
Researchers at a Max Planck institute and the University of Marburg say they have systematically explained, for the first time, why certain bacteria produce a striking variety of natural products.
Why it matters: Researchers studying bacterial natural products have a new account attributing their diversity to selection, chance and a 'genetic tunnel vision'.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the University of Marburg report that they have, for the first time, systematically worked out why certain bacteria produce a remarkable variety of natural products.
According to the announcement, the explanation lies in a complex interplay of natural selection, chance and what the researchers call a 'genetic tunnel vision'.
The Max Planck Society said the study is the first to shed light on the interplay of evolutionary forces that shape some of the world's most versatile natural products.
Editor’s view
Scott James, Research and Innovation Editor
For researchers working on bacterial natural products, the study from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the University of Marburg attributes their diversity to three interacting forces: natural selection, chance and a 'genetic tunnel vision'.
