Joining the MIBiG 5.0 Annotathon: Powering the Future of Natural Product Discovery

What happens when hundreds of scientists around the world join forces to curate the molecular blueprints of nature’s chemistry?

You get the MIBiG 5.0 Annotathon, a large-scale, community-driven effort to strengthen one of the key resources in natural product research: the MIBiG database.

MIBiG, short for Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster, is both a data standard and a repository dedicated to biosynthetic gene clusters i.e. groups of genes that encode the production of specialized metabolites, also known as secondary metabolites. These molecules are produced by microbes, plants and other organisms, and many of them have major relevance for medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and ecology.

In simple terms, MIBiG helps scientists connect the dots between genes, enzymes and the bioactive molecules they produce. By providing standardized, high-quality information on experimentally characterized biosynthetic gene clusters, the database makes it easier for researchers worldwide to compare data, build predictive tools and explore the chemical potential of the living world.

Following the success of the MIBiG 4.0 Annotathon in 2024, the initiative returned in 2026 with its 5.0 edition: bigger, broader and more collaborative than ever. This international online event brought together more than 450 scientists at all career stages. Together, the community created, reviewed and updated over 900 database entries.

Several members of ShySM joined this collective effort for the second time, contributing to the careful curation of high-quality data for MIBiG. Their participation reflects a shared commitment to open science, community annotation and the improvement of resources that support natural product discovery.

This year’s effort also extended beyond MIBiG. ShySM members contributed to the enrichment of the MITE database (Minimum Information about a Tailoring Enzyme) a resource dedicated to enzymes that modify immature specialized metabolites. These so-called tailoring enzymes are crucial: they refine molecular structures, influence biological activity and help generate the remarkable chemical diversity found in nature.

By focusing on enzymatic reactions and substrate specificities, MITE complements MIBiG and offers researchers a deeper view into how natural products are assembled, decorated and transformed.

The MIBiG 5.0 Annotathon is more than a data-curation event. It is a snapshot of science at its best: international, collaborative, rigorous and open. Each curated entry strengthens the foundation for future discoveries — from new antibiotics and crop-protection molecules to innovative tools for synthetic biology.

Congratulations to the ECCP team and especially Axelle Deroubaix, Illona David and Jean-Félix Dallery for their participation.

As the scientific article for the 5.0 edition is being prepared, why not dive in and explore the previous edition (https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkae1115)?