About this Research Topic
As we begin to understand the mechanistic underpinnings of such host-microbe interactions, the complexity of this ecosystem challenges our ability to develop a reductive or deep systems-level understanding of the roles of these chemical communications. This problem is compounded by a lack of tools and pipelines to help elucidate and manipulate these systems for mechanistic and translational studies.
In this Research Topic, we will explore the diversity of bioactive compounds produced by resident microbes, their biosynthesis, their mechanistic impacts on host physiology, and ongoing efforts to bioengineer this chemistry to unlock therapeutic benefit and discovery. We welcome the submission of original research, reviews and mini-reviews, methods, resources, and perspectives on future directions and challenges. The submissions may focus on the chemical biology of microbiomes from any organ, including the gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, skin, vagina, lung, etc. Potential topics may include, but are not limited to:
• Discovery and structural characterization of novel bioactive compounds derived from the microbiome.
• Mechanistic and structural characterization of microbial-derived bioactive compounds
• Elucidation of biosynthetic pathways that contribute to the bioactive compounds with metagenomic libraries of the human microbiome.
• In situ engineering the chemical biology of the microbiome, with applications in human therapeutics.
• Engineering of probiotic and colonizing strains of the human microbiome.
• Novel genetic tools and precision engineering of chemical and/or genetic space of human microbes.
• The chemical contributions of understudied viral, fungal, and archaeal members of the human microbiome.
Topic Coordinator Jhe-Hao Li holds shares in Empress Therapeutics. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Chemical biology, microbiome, secondary metabolites, biosynthetic gene clusters, bioengineering, probiotics, genetic tools, virome, mycobiome
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.