Genetic recipe book for natural products from fungi
Read about Radio New Zealand's coverage of the fungal factories project
Researchers at Victoria University of Wellington, led by chemical biologist Emily Parker, are exploring how fungi produce natural medicinal compounds.
The team aims to create a "genetic recipe book" by identifying the genes responsible for these bioactive chemicals. Their work focuses on indole diterpenes, compounds with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer properties.
PhD students Rose McLellan and Rudy Bundela are investigating how to produce these compounds on a larger scale, which could lead to new pharmaceuticals.