Dr. Zabriskie is the dean of the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. Research in his laboratory focuses on the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptide and peptidyl nucleoside antibiotics. All of the compounds being studied are effective in treating various drug resistant bacterial infections and most are produced by Streptomyces spp. soil bacteria. Representative target compounds include the antitubercular agent viomycin, the antibacterial peptide enduracidin and the antifungal compound blasticidin S. Dr. Zabriskie’s approach involves a combination of genetic and chemical methods to generate analogs that may have improved therapeutic properties.