Combing slot hair for rainforest fungi, scientists uncover anti-malaria, anti-cancer and antibiotic activity

Hosting the highest biodiversity of any biome on Earth, tropical rainforests may represent a goldmine of “bioactive” compounds- medicinal chemicals produced naturally by plants, insects and microorganisms. Given a full 50% of all medicines introduced between 1981 and 2006 came directly from nature, the notion of “bioprospecting”, or combing the diversity of tropical forests for new drugs, has enticed imaginations for decades. But Big Pharma’s interest in bioprospecting has waned in recent decades due to the slow pace of discovery. However, hope is still alive amongst microbiologists working in the field.  And for good reason. In a study published last week in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists report on a new, highly promising source of bioactive compounds from a rather unusual suspect: the three toed sloth.

Sloths are famous for their green coloration, a result…