Metabolic engineering of antibiotic factories: new tools for antibiotic production in actinomycetes

[ABSTRACT]

Actinomycetes contain diverse antibiotic gene clusters that have not been fully explored yet. Existing and recently developed tools now allow us to perform metabolic engineering of actinomycetes to enable the identification and enhanced production of novel antibiotic compounds. In pages 15–26 of this issue, Sang Yup Lee and colleagues discuss state-of-the art techniques, tools and strategies for the metabolic engineering of actinomycetes. Cover images from Sang Yup Lee and cover design by Ernesto Andrianantoandro.