Harnessing Insect Microbiomes for Novel Antibiotic Discovery: An Agricultural Perspective

Abstract

The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices have intensified the search for novel antibiotics from natural sources. Insect microbiomes have recently gained significant attention as rich reservoirs of diverse microorganisms capable of producing bioactive compounds with potent antimicrobial properties. This review explores the diversity and functional roles of insect-associated microbial communities and highlights their potential in the discovery of next-generation antibiotics for agricultural applications. It discusses how advances in metagenomics, functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have transformed the characterization of insect microbiomes, enabling the identification of biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity. The review further examines the role of bioinformatics and artificial intelligence in accelerating antibiotic discovery through microbial classification, biosynthetic pathway prediction, antimicrobial peptide identification, and virtual screening of candidate compounds. The integration of multi-omics technologies with machine learning provides an efficient framework for identifying environmentally sustainable alternatives to conventional antibiotics and chemical pesticides. Finally, the review addresses current challenges, including microbial cultivation, experimental validation, biosafety, regulatory considerations, and large-scale commercialization, while outlining future research directions in precision microbiome engineering and sustainable agriculture. Harnessing insect microbiomes offers a promising strategy for combating antimicrobial resistance while supporting eco-friendly crop protection and global food security.