The team led by Prof. Christian Jogler of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, has succeeded in cultivating several dozen marine bacteria in the laboratory—bacteria that had previously been paid little attention. The researchers then carried out a functional characterisation of the bacteria, thus enabling a systematic screening for active substances. Initial bioinformatic analyses and cell biological observations indicate potential for the production of new antibiotics. The research team reports on this work in the current issue of the journal Nature Microbiology.