Natural Products as a Source of Inspiration in Chemistry and Biology

The study of natural products and bioactive compounds has had far reaching impacts from chemistry to biology, basic research to applications. As we study their synthesis in both biological and laboratory settings, we fill in gaps in the reported literature and become inspired by the possibilities of unexplored chemical space. In this way, natural product research has led to advancements across disciplines, including development of new synthetic methodologies, implementation of new technologies to enable their isolation and preparation, and increased understanding of the biosynthetic pathways and biological targets that underpin their bioactivity. Given their role of inspiration and innovation, it is no surprise that natural products play an important role in drug discovery, with many therapeutics being either derived from or inspired by natural products.