Is there a natural source of rapamycin?: The Story of a Life-Saving Soil Bacterium
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4 min read
The discovery of rapamycin reads like a true scientific odyssey, starting with a 1964 Canadian medical expedition to a remote island. **Is there a natural source of rapamycin?** Yes, this potent and versatile macrolide compound is naturally produced by the soil-dwelling bacterium *Streptomyces hygroscopicus*, which was famously isolated from a soil sample taken from Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui. From this natural origin, rapamycin has become a cornerstone of modern medicine, with applications spanning immunosuppression, cancer therapy, and longevity research.
