Abstract Microorganisms produce a number of novel and useful molecules including insecticides. Avermectin and spinosad are fermentation secondary metabolites with excellent insecticidal activities with combined sales over US$ 1.25 B. Both products are classified under the category of Agricultural Antibiotics although they post very weak to no antimicrobial activities. By nature, they should be classified as bio-insecticides. ROC government has committed to biopesticides research since 1995 and their focuses were on Bt-based products, a primary metabolites from fermentation. There is no screening operation as yet for insecticides from fermentation secondary metabolites on the island. Chance, serendipity and luck played a critical role in the discovery of avermectin and spinosad. The serendipity aspect in the spinosad discovery has never been published and will be discussed here.
摘要 微生物發酵所產生的第二代謝物非常多樣化，其中不乏具有殺蟲效果的化學結構，亞弗素及賜諾殺是兩個傑出的發酵代謝物殺蟲藥。該兩產品總年銷額高達12.5億美元。台灣百泰生技的〝台灣寶〞與賜諾殺同為微生物第二代謝物。台灣寶列為生物農藥，而亞弗素及賜諾殺目前歸類於農用抗生素，這種歸類有待探討，因為這兩種藥只有殺蟲性而沒有殺菌的效果。
台灣早於1995年選定生物農藥為重點研究項目，並繼續推出生物農藥產品，諸如昆蟲費洛蒙、線蟲、微生物殺菌劑及蘇力菌等產品。但這些生物農藥市場相對於微生物第二代謝物殺蟲藥的市場是微乎其微，而微生物發酵第二代謝物殺蟲劑的研發，在台灣尚未展開。亞弗素及賜諾殺的發現是團隊努力加上運氣的結果，本文為首次公開發表如何幸運地研發出賜諾殺的過程。
| Key words: Fermentation secondary metabolites, avermectin, spinosad, discovery | | 關鍵詞: 發酵第二代謝物、亞弗素、賜諾殺、研發。 |
|