EcoLogic™: Applying ecology in the search for new drug leads from nature

Nature is a rich and diverse source of biologically-active small molecules. The pharmaceutical industry was founded on small molecule discovery from nature (biodiscovery), with almost half of all marketed human pharmaceuticals still based on molecules, or molecular scaffolds, that were discovered in nature.

At QBiotics we saw the opportunity of using an understanding of ecology to more effectively unravel the complexities of nature's chemistry and tap into an abundant source of molecular scaffolds with potential as novel pharmaceuticals. This was the genesis of our proprietary drug discovery platform EcoLogic™ which allows us to generate specific search strategies for particular types of bioactivity based on predictions of cell signalling pathways that are involved in plant-environment, plant-animal and plant-microbe interactions.  The end result is a rich pool of biologically active molecules from which we then have the opportunity to select only those with the strongest potential for development as pharmaceuticals.

Chemistry is the language that underpins the rich diversity of the tropical rainforest and its complex web of interactions between plants, animals and microbes. We use an understanding of rainforest ecology to help decode this language and guide our search for new chemicals to solve problems in human and animal health.

Dr Paul Reddell
Co-founder and CSO at QBiotics

Our discovery laboratory: Australian megadiverse tropical rainforests

We undertake our biodiscovery programme in Australia's unique and ancient tropical rainforests, where high plant phylogenetic diversity and endemism equates to high chemical diversity and novelty. The end result is a rich pool of biologically active molecules from which we then have the opportunity to select only those with the strongest potential for development as pharmaceuticals.

EcoLogic story thumbnail
EcoLogic story thumbnail

QBiotics story - EcoLogic™