Baker’s yeast engineered to produce precursor for essential cancer drugs
Biosynthesis potentially offers a more efficient way to produce etoposide and teniposide than current synthetic pathways
A modified baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been engineered to produce a precursor compound for two essential cancer medicines. By reconstructing a complex 45-enzyme biosynthetic pathway inside yeast, researchers in China have unlocked the direct microbial synthesis of key precursors for etoposide and teniposide, potentially offering a more efficient way to make the drugs than the current synthetic routes.