Natural products exist in a world of reductionism and complexity. Large complex systems are composed of simpler components although it is not clear that additive rules apply. The example of the similarity between light and electrons (wave:particle duality) suggests that as yet undiscovered convergences between components may exist. The biosynthesis of natural products can provide clues as to how living systems evolved and how control of living systems works on a cellular level. The concept of Dark Matter can be applied to biological systems and to natural products and may explain why metagenomic analysis suggests that the numbers of natural product biosynthetic genes seems to exceed the numbers of products isolated and characterised. Future directions will include further progress in the study of bioactive peptides and the discovery of new species and structures. The Nagoya protocol will help to provide a regulatory framework for natural product discovery and exploitation. Further research on extremophiles will uncover new natural products and pathways. The development of new techniques will pave the way for the real time investigation of the production of natural products and their interaction with living systems.