The Natural Product Research Group focuses on discovering microbial natural products from the Baltic area. These Baltic microbial natural products are relevant to human health, and our interest extends to gaining a fundamental understanding of their structures, biosynthesis, and biological activities. To further drive our research, we are closely collaborating with other groups at LIOS and the Italian biotech company, NAICONS.

Group leader Dr. Chin-Soon Phan was trained in marine natural products chemistry and obtained his PhD in 2018 in Malaysia. He was then exposed to natural products biosynthesis at the University of Western Australia (Visiting Fellow at Dr. Yit-Heng Chooi group, 2018–2019), Hokkaido University (JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Dr. Tatsufumi Okino and Dr. Toshiyuki Wakimoto groups, 2019–2021), and National University of Singapore (Postdoctoral Fellow at Dr. Brandon I. Morinaka group, 2021–2023). He started his independent research group at the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis in December 2023.

Selected publications

1. Phan, C.-S.; Chang, L.; Nguyen, T. Q. N.; Suarez, A. F. L.; Ho, X. H.; Chen, H.; Koh, I. Y. F.; Morinaka, B. I. Substrate promiscuity of the triceptide maturase XncB leads to incorporation of various amino acids and detection of oxygen adducts. ACS Chem. Biol. 2024, 19, 855–860.

2. Phan, C.-S.; Morinaka, B. I. Bacterial cyclophane-containing RiPPs from radical SAM enzymes. Nat. Prod. Rep. 2024, 41, 708–720.

3. Phan, C.-S.; Morinaka, B. I. A prevalent group of Actinobacterial radical SAM/SPASM maturases involved in triceptide biosynthesis. ACS Chem. Biol. 2022, 17, 3284–3289.

4. Phan, C.-S.; Mehjabin, J. J.; Anas, A. R. J.; Hayasaka, M.; Onoki, R.; Wang, J.; Umezawa, T.; Washio, K.; Morikawa, M.; Okino, T. Nostosin G and spiroidesin B from the cyanobacterium Dolichospermum sp. NIES-1697. J. Nat. Prod. 2022, 85, 2000–2005.

5. Phan, C.-S.; Matsuda, K.; Balloo, N.; Fujita, K.; Wakimoto, T.; Okino, T. Argicyclamides A-C unveil enzymatic basis for guanidine bis-prenylation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 10083–10087.

6. Li, H.; Glichrist, C. L. M.; Phan, C.-S.; Lacey, H. J.; Vuong, D.; Moggach, S. A.; Lacey, E.; Piggott, A. M.; Chooi, Y.-H. Biosynthesis of a new benzazepine alkaloid nanangelenin A from Aspergillus nanangensis involves an unusual L-kynurenine-incorporating NRPS catalyzing regioselective lactamization. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 7145–7152.

7. Phan, C.-S.; Li, H.; Kessler, S.; Solomon, P. S.; Piggott, A. M.; Chooi, Y.-H. Bipolenins K–N: new sesquiterpenoids from the fungal plant pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 2019, 15, 2020–2028.

 Selected patents

1. Morinaka, B. I.; Sugiyama, R.; Yao, Z.; Ee, P. L. R.; Tram, D. T. N.; Morishita, Y.; Phan, C.-S.; Lim, J. Peptides with antimicrobial properties. 2024. Patent No. WO/2024/025474.

2. Wakimoto, T.; Okino, T.; Matsuda, K.; Phan, C.-S. Novel prenylating enzyme “新規プレニル化酵素”. 2022. Patent No. WO/2022/168952.