Exploring and Conserving Bioactive Endophytes
Author Information
Author(s): Smith Stephen A., Tank David C., Boulanger Lori-Ann, Bascom-Slack Carol A., Eisenman Kaury, Kingery David, Babbs Beatrice, Fenn Kathleen, Greene Joshua S., Hann Bradley D., Keehner Jocelyn, Kelley-Swift Elizabeth G., Kembaiyan Vivek, Lee Sun Jin, Li Puyao, Light David Y., Lin Emily H., Ma Cong, Moore Emily, Schorn Michelle A., Vekhter Daniel, Nunez Percy V., Strobel Gary A., Donoghue Michael J., Strobel Scott A.
Primary Institution: Yale University
Hypothesis
Undiscovered biodiversity will yield products of great use to humans.
Conclusion
The study highlights the hidden diversity of endophytic fungi and the urgent need to explore and conserve this microbial diversity.
Supporting Evidence
- The study isolated and cultured 135 endophytic fungi and bacteria from tropical plants.
- Ten endophytes were found to be significantly different from any known sequences in GenBank.
- 65 out of 88 assayed endophytes showed bioactivity against various test organisms.
Takeaway
Scientists found many tiny organisms in plants that can help make new medicines and other useful products, showing we need to look for more of them.
Methodology
The study involved isolating and culturing endophytic fungi and bacteria from plants, followed by genetic analysis and bioactivity assays.
Limitations
The study is limited to endophytes from specific regions and may not represent global diversity.
Participant Demographics
The study involved undergraduate students from Yale University.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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