Elusive ‘dark matter’ diazo compounds captured from a human lung pathogen
Discovery might lead to simpler, safer ways to make diazo-based reagents
A new method that captures and detects ‘hidden’ diazo metabolites has identified two in a bacterium that causes lung disease – the first time diazo-containing natural products have been discovered in a human pathogen. The approach could be useful for drug development, biocatalysis and synthetic chemistry, as well as offer insight into the potential role of such metabolites in disease.