Abstract
The genetic potential to synthesize specialized metabolites by far exceeds the number of experimentally observed molecules. With decreased costs of obtaining high-quality genome sequences, in silico genome mining has become an indispensable tool to complement the classical chemistry-centered approach to identify and characterize
novel secondary / specialized metabolites. Bioinformatics platforms, such as the opensource genome mining pipeline antiSMASH (https://antismash.secondarymetabolites.org), which we develop in collaboration with the group of M. Medema (U. Wageningen, Netherlands; see talk by Kai Blin) give us convenient access to assess the genetic potential of microbial producers of natural products.

In order to make practical use of these in silico obtained data, efficient engineering approaches for the specialized metabolite producers, in our case filamentous actinomycetes, are required. We have therefore developed an extensive CRISPR-based toolkit for streptomycetes that also includes tools that utilize multiplexing and DSB-free
base editing technology.

These tools allowed us to identify and characterize various novel BGCs in actinomycetes such as the epemicin, pyracrimycin or gargantulide BGCs
 

Coffee will be served prior to the lecture