Microbial Genomics and Novel Antibiotic Discovery: New Technology to Search for New Drugs

Thomas   J.   Dougherty; John   F.   Barrett; Michael   J.   Pucci

Abstract

The process of prokaryotic drug discovery has been a model of success for over fifty years, yet the number of exploited bacterial targets is a mere fraction, less than 0.1% of the potential targets (based on total number of bacterial genes identified by gene sequence projects). To better understand the potential for drug intervention, multiple paradigms have been established in the pharmaceutical industry, all with some semblance of commonality and uniqueness to provide proprietary positioning, yet no company has been successful to date in taking a ‘genomics approach’ to the finish line of having a genomics-based drug on the market. Within this overview, we provide a strategic overview of a sample process for the identification, validation and exploitation of novel antibacterial targets ascertained through a bioinformatics-based genomics drug discovery program.

Keywords: microbial genomics, antibiotic discovery, prokaryotic drug, genomics approach, genomics-based drug

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