Bacteria are spectacular biochemists, capable of producing extraordinary molecules with functions that range from interspecies communication to all-out chemical warfare. Our research seeks to understand these molecular exchanges and exploit them for human benefit. Specifically, our focus is on understanding chemical interactions within a remarkable group of bacteria, the actinomycetes. We combine innovative mass spectrometry techniques with metagenomics, transcriptomics, microscopy, and molecular biology to illuminate the chemical ecology of these strange and surprising microbes.