The LM-UGent research group has built up a unique bacteria collection over the past 40 years. This collection includes more than 25,000 publicly available strains (BCCM / LMG Bacteria collection) isolated from humans, animals and nature worldwide. In addition, there is also a closed research collection with more than 70,000 isolates. Specific parts of this collection have become global reference collections. This collection has never been approached as a source of innovative natural products valuable for economic and social valorization. The troubling issue of antibiotic resistance gave rise to the initiative to screen this collection for unique substances that can be used as a basis for drug discovery. Within the larger LM-UGent collection, the Burkholderia collection was identified as the most direct opportunity.