With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rising rapidly around the world, there is an urgent need for the development of new antibiotics. Natural products have long been an invaluable treasure trove for the identification of novel antibacterial agents and also inspired a significant number of anti-cancer drugs.

Actinomycetes are a class of bacteria that is one of the richest sources for the discovery of new antibiotics for therapeutic, veterinary or agricultural use. Within the actinomycetes group, Streptomyces is best known as the most successful origin of antibiotic drugs.

Despite the fact that a huge number of novel bioactive compounds has been discovered to date, the supply of sufficient amounts of these compounds for further pharmacological studies is a significant bottleneck hampering further drug discovery and development.

To overcome this major obstacle MISSION aims to create a robust, ready-to-use natural products supply platform based on a powerful and industrially used Streptomyces rimosus strain. It will enable tailored optimised production of valuable bioactive compounds for downstream development as pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the key enabling technology developed in MISSION will serve as a role model for future research and development with high potential for upscaling and flexible adaption to various novel drug candidates.