Directed Biosynthesis of Avermectin Derivatives

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a biosynthetic route to produce the insecticide emamectin from the natural product avermectin. Emamectin is a broad spectrum insecticide with low environmental impact that is not widely used due to the high cost of the current chemical production process. A more efficient biosynthetic process would lower the cost of this compound, increasing the use of emamectin as an environmentally compatible alternative to traditional chemical insecticides. Successful development of this process will lead the way to directed design of biosynthetic routes to new and existing natural product derivatives for pharmaceutical, agricultural and other applications. The proposed research project may also generate novel avermectin derivatives with new or altered bioactivities for insecticidal, antiparasitic or other uses.