The editorsAnne Osbourn is Professor at the University of East Anglia, UK, and Director of the Norwich Research Park Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Alliance, and is based at the John Innes Centre.Rebecca J. Goss is Reader in Organic/Biomolecular Chemistry at the School of Chemistry and also at the Biomedical Sciences Research Complex at the University of St Andrews, UK.Guy T. Carter has over 30 years of experience working in Pharmaceutical R&D, primarily in the discovery and development of microbial products. He is currently CEO of Carter–Bernan Consulting and Chief Scientific Officer at Biosortia Pharmaceuticals, USA.