Martin Schmeing is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Director of the CRBS. His research program explores nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), huge macromolecular machines that produce a vast variety of small molecules with diverse biological activity, including antibiotics, anti-virals, anti-cancers and immunosuppressants such as penicillin, gramicidin and cyclosporin. Dr. Schmeing uses structural and biochemical techniques to expand our understanding of how NRPS synthesize their bioactive products. He addresses topics ranging from the precise chemical mechanisms NRPSs use to link together building blocks and to release product, to the architecture and huge conformational changes required by NRPSs to processively synthesize important compounds. Full understanding of NRPSs will allow them to be bioengineered to create novel therapeutics and green chemicals.