Genomes mining approaches, which often involve identifying the genes involved in secondary metabolite production, have revealed an unprecedented biosynthetic potential in many microbial species. Associated techniques include molecular biology techniques, chemical analysis, cellular biology techniques, and bioinformatic analysis, etc. The genomes mining approaches can be applied in different ways based upon:
(i) phenotype of the producer (e.g. bioactivity and biosynthesis of specific compounds or enzymes);(ii) targeted chemical class of natural products (e.g. terpenes, lasso peptides and aromatic polyketides);(iii) the potential uniqueness of the bacterial isolate that may yield novel compounds (e.g. novel or taxonomically divergent species, and isolates from unique environmental sources).