ABSTRACT
The need for new and useful compounds to provide assistance and relief in all aspects of the human condition is ever growing. Drug resistance in bacteria, the appearance of new, life-threatening viruses, the recurrent problems of diseases in persons with organ transplants, and the tremendous increase in the incidence of fungal infections in the world’s population all underscore our inadequacy to cope with these medical problems. Environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and spoilage of land and water also add to problems facing mankind, and each of these in turn can have health-related consequences.
