Actinomycetes
Actinomycetes are gram-positive bacteria, which are commonly found in nature. They produce interesting natural products, which are the basis of many of the antibiotics developed so far.
Detailed description
Some species of actinomycetes can cause disease in humans. Others are of great importance for drug discovery because they produce a wide variety of biologically active natural products. Numerous antibiotics have been derived from such compounds or developed based on them.
Researchers therefore systematically study actinomycetes and their metabolic products in search of new active compounds that could, for example, be developed into drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Some actinomycetes form branched, filamentous structures that resemble fungal mycelia under the microscope. This appearance gave rise to the historical term "ray fungi." However, actinomycetes are bacteria, not fungi.
