Chen Shi-lin

Research strategy for model medicinal species

Use of model organisms in biology research enables understanding of mechanisms and properties of biological systems. The investigation of model organisms has also led to the development of experimental techniques for different areas of biology. Species like Ganoderma lucidum and Salvia miltiorrhiza have been nominated for candidate model medicinal organisms. In this review, we discuss the concept of model medicinal organisms and define the aims of its research. Then, we analyze the feasibility of applying model organism research strategies to medicinal species. We also summarize the selection criteria for model medicinal organisms. Further, we introduce strategies for creating model medicinal organisms from different aspects including genome sequencing, genetic transformation platforms, and mutagenesis. Finally, we discuss the application of the model medicinal species system in gene function analysis, metabolic pathways, and biosynthetic metabolite analysis. We conclude that the model medicinal organism system will enhance understanding of the genetic basis of synthetic metabolites and accelerate the improvement of medicinal species research.