A collaborative effort has revealed a new type of triterpene, a group of organic compounds which are an important source of many medicines. Until now, all triterpenes were believed to be derived from squalene, itself a type of triterpene. However, for the first time, researchers witnessed biosynthesis of triterpenes in fungi without the use of squalene. This important discovery opens up a whole new world of possibilities for pharmaceutical science.
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Source: Phys.org