Microbes are outstanding producers of structurally diverse natural products, which serve as communication signals amongst microbes and/or between the microbial producer and a non-microbial host. The underlying biosynthetic pathways are often intertwined with complex cellular regulatory mechanisms to orchestrate the production levels and cellular responses related to these highly bioactive molecules.

This thematic issue aims to reflect recent advances in the field of natural product chemistry with a special focus on (new) natural products from microbial symbionts and/or symbiotic interactions, and insightful studies on their ecological functions, biosynthesis and evolution.

The articles within the topic series may cover 1) the identification and characterization of natural products from defined symbiotic microorganisms; 2) synthetic approaches towards microbial natural products serving as chemical communication signals in combination with ecological test (purpose: structure elucidation and functionalization), and 3) targeted analysis of their biosynthetic pathways to enhance structural diversity and an understanding of their biosynthesis.