Natural products have always played a key role for medicinal chemists in the process of drug discovery. Employing the structural scaffolds and biological activity of these compounds as a starting point, our group intends to use synthetic chemistry as a tool to probe biological problems. Specifically, in Dr. Fuch’s lab they will utilize synthetic methods to prepare these bioactive natural products and their analogues, gain insight into the structure–activity relationships of ligand/receptor systems, and investigate biosynthetic pathways. Ultimately, the goal is not simply to prepare these natural products, but to improve upon their activity and pharmacological profiles.