Herbgenomics: Unraveling natural product biosynthesis in traditional Chinese medicine

Medicinal plants synthesize structurally diverse pharmacologically active natural products through conserved precursor pathways, which are further diversified by lineage-specific tailoring enzymes. Although the biosynthetic pathways of well-studied compounds (e.g., berberine, paclitaxel, and ginsenosides) have been extensively characterized, most bioactive components in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) remain poorly understood. The emerging discipline of Herbgenomics has significantly advanced biosynthetic gene discovery and pathway elucidation. By employing genomics-driven strategies such as biosynthetic gene cluster mining, co-expression analysis, and integrated transcriptome-metabolome profiling, Herbgenomics enables systematic identification of key biosynthetic enzymes and uncovers evolutionary mechanisms (e.g., whole-genome and tandem gene duplications) driving metabolic innovation. Furthermore, it provides a foundation for drug development by leveraging gene-encoded natural diverse components and genome-wide pan-receptor platforms (e.g., pan-GPCR). Through the integration of pathway analysis, regulatory mechanisms, molecular breeding, and synthetic biology, Herbgenomics establishes a comprehensive framework for exploring and engineering TCM natural product biosynthesis, offering a sustainable pathway to the discovery and production of bioactive compounds.