Nature's Chemical Architects: How Bacteria Build Complex Molecules

Published September 11, 2025

Using the MagLab’s world leading high field NMR at AMRIS, scientists from UC Davis and UF uncovered how certain bacteria create complex molecules called terpenes through an unusual chemical process that involves short lived, highly reactive intermediates. This discovery may allow scientists to produce terpenes more efficiently, leading to new pharmaceuticals and crop protectants.

What is the finding

Scientists at University of Florida and University of California-Davis have uncovered how certain bacteria create complex molecules called terpenes through an unusual chemical process that involves short-lived, highly reactive intermediates. This process allows bacteria to construct intricate molecular structures with remarkable precision, despite working with unstable chemical components.

Why is this important?

Terpenes represent one of nature's most diverse chemical families with applications in medicine, agriculture, and materials science. Understanding how bacteria naturally synthesize these compounds could ultimately enable scientists to engineer biological systems that produce terpenes more efficiently, potentially leading to new pharmaceuticals and environmentally-friendly agricultural products like crop protectants, and bioactive compounds.

Who did the research?

Wei, X.¹; DeSnoo, W.²; Li, Z.¹; Ning, W.¹; Kong, W-Y²; Nafie, J.³; Tantillo, D.J.²; Rudolf, J.D.¹

¹University of Florida; ²University of California-Davis; ³BioTools, Inc.

Why did they need the MagLab?

The MagLab’s world-leading high-field NMR allowed scientists to detect and map the enzyme’s products and intermediates, making it possible to unravel these hidden chemical steps. This study was achieved with a 600 MHz spectrometer at the MagLab equipped with a cryoprobe that enabled sensitive detection and resolution of key signals in 1D and 2D experiments.

Details for scientists

View or download the expert-level Science Highlight, Uncovering Novel Carbocation Dynamics in Terpene Biosynthesis
Read the full-length publication, Avoidance of Secondary Carbocations, Unusual Deprotonation, and Nonstatistical Dynamic Effects in the Cyclization Mechanism of Tetraisoquinane, in Journal of the American Chemical Society

Funding

This research was funded by the following grants: J. D. Rudolf (NIH R35 GM142574, the University of Florida); D. J. Tantillo (NIH R35 GM153469, NSF ACCESS program)

For more information, contact Joanna Long.