The article explores a new method for discovering new natural products from uncultivated soil microorganisms. It focuses on the concept of cloning the metagenome, that is, the set of genomes of the soil microflora, to access its biosynthetic machinery. This approach uses bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors to clone large fragments of DNA directly from the soil in E. coli, then the resulting clones are examined for biological activity. The authors argue that this technique overcomes the limitations of traditional farming methods and offers quick and efficient access to soil chemical diversity. Finally, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between biologists and chemists to make the most of this potential is highlighted.

Handelsman, J., Rondon, M. R., Brady, S. F., Clardy, J., & Goodman, R. M. (1998). Molecular biological access to the chemistry of unknown soil microbes: A new frontier for natural products. Chemistry & Biology, 5(10),
R245-R249. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1074-5521(98)90108-9