[3] Cultures of different strains of S. hygroscopicus can be used to produce several chemical compounds or enzymes.

Sirolimus (also known as rapamycin) is an antifungal and immunosuppressant that has been isolated from S. hygroscopicus from soil samples from Easter Island.

[4] Ascomycin is another immunosuppressant produced by some strains of S. hygroscopicus; it has a similar structure to sirolimus and can be used to treat autoimmune diseases and skin diseases and can help prevent rejection after an organ transplant.

The antibiotics geldanamycin, hygromycin B, nigericin, validamycin, and cyclothiazomycin are found in S. hygroscopicus.

[5] The enzymes alpha,alpha-trehalose-phosphate synthase (GDP-forming), carboxyvinyl-carboxyphosphonate phosphorylmutase, and hygromycin-B kinase can be isolated from cultures of S. hygroscopicus.