Bioactivities and metabolites of microorganism from special environments of Taiwan

Taiwan is an island with very diverse environments and is rich in biodiversity, especially in microorganisms. For example, over 5000 fungal species have been found in Taiwan. However, the researches of bioactivities and metabolites in these microorganisms have less been studied thoroughly. The Bioresource Collection and Research Center (BCRC) have been dedicated to the collection and preservation of Taiwan’s microorganisms and to the exploitation of which in food, agriculture, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. In this project, thousands of microorganisms from various special habitats, including marine, freshwater, sewage, hot spring and native plants, were fermented and screened for their bioactivities by several different assays, including the assays of hormone regulation, enzyme inhibition, antitumor and anti-microorganism. The results showed that some strains expressed their significant activities at the specific platforms. Furthermore, some active compounds were obtained, which may be potential for the further development in new drugs or dietary supplements.