# Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21

*PRI Rank #7 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-natural-products-and-biosynthesis/2026/rank-7*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #7 |
| 18m citations | 64 |
| Journal | Nature Chemical Biology |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5 |
| Corresponding authors | Anne Osbourn |
| Institution | John Innes Centre, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-natural-products-and-biosynthesis/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5)

## Topics

QS-21 · vaccine adjuvant · Chilean soapbark tree · glycosylated triterpene scaffold · 18-carbon acyl chain · T cell proliferation · acyl chain biosynthesis · heterologous expression · tobacco expression system · 20-step biosynthetic pathway · triterpene glycoside · immunostimulant activity · structure-activity relationships · bioengineering vaccine adjuvants · saponin biosynthesis

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-natural-products-and-biosynthesis/2026. Accessed 2026-10-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```