Detection and assay of antitumor antibiotics

Cell culture techniques and antimicrobial systems can be used as detection systems for new antibiotic structures. Antimicrobial systems by virtue of their speed, economy, ease of use, and adaptation to chromatographic (bioautographic) techniques are definitely superior for assay and for dereplication purposes. A prescreen assay system which combines the advantages and minimizes the disadvantages of the two approaches is described.