Pharmaceutical Discovery from Microbial Communities

Abstract

In this block course, students explore the metabolic potential of microbial communities from unique environments located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch. We will identify microorganisms cohabitating with extremophile mosses, and discover bioactive metabolites produced within these ecological niches.

Objective

Natural products have long been used as medicine. In this block course, students explore the metabolic potential of microbial communities from peat bogs located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch. Peat moss is an incredibly important source of carbon storage, sequestering more CO2 than all of the rainforests. Degradation of these mosses would cause a massive release of greenhouse gases. For this reason, the peatlands in the Entlebuch are one of the most protected natural resources in Switzerland. We are interested in studying the microbial populations of these mosses in order to understand the contributions of secondary metabolites toward peat moss sustainability. In this course, you will learn taxonomic identification of biologically relevant microbes and mosses as well as proper field collection techniques. Lab work will include the extraction and purification of natural products in the lab, followed by assays for therapeutic properties. From discovery by organic extraction, fractionation, and column chromatography, to analysis via HPLC and mass spectrometry, you will learn first-hand how a natural compound becomes a therapeutic drug. The students will receive an introduction to relevant subjects of the secondary metabolism of bacteria and plants. Lectures will include an introduction to natural products and drug discovery, bioprospecting and industrial fermentation, relevant analytical methods, microbial communities and metagenomics. The students will receive training in practical work in a research laboratory as well as scientific literacy skills in the form of a research report and oral presentation.

Content

The students will work on a research project focusing on the discovery of bioactive natural products from environmental samples which they will collect in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch. Students will learn from lectures in class, lab and in the field and gain experience with field collection techniques and the sequence of steps required for natural products discovery including organic extraction, fractionation, and column chromatography. They will use analytical techniques such as HPLC and mass spectrometry for initial characterization of the purified secondary metabolites. Primary biological assays will be conducted to identify natural product extracts and fractions with antibiotic activity as a first step in the drug discovery process.

Resources