Drug discovery, opportunities and future trends

The discovery of new drug plays an important role regarding biotechnology and it has increased human lifespan and quality of life significantly in the last century. Since the growth of computerized and automated research sites, drug discovery is now clustered into large centers and academic groups to optimize the results. The screening for genes, peptides, proteins, and other substances is the basis of modern drug discovery, besides the genetic engineering. We may now study more deeply the molecular dynamics simulations to have a hypothesis-driven target-based approach. Biotechnology in drug discovery goes far beyond microbial and cell cultivation, it goes in the marine area screening for new sources of biomolecules. In this Special Issue of American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, we will explore the biodiversity and dive into the ocean in our quest for the discovery of new drug, new mechanisms and strategies, and new approaches to define the future trends in biotechnological on upstream and downstream processing.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Upstream processing on drug production: an economical and technological opportunity.
2. New trends on downstream processing, how to make drug safer and to reduce pharmaceutical wastes.
3. Use of biomass as raw material for high-value products, from waste to drug.
4. Precision medicine, a new trend on clinical treatments.
Green cosmetic drug: the sweet spot between prices and productivity.