From fighting disease to developing alternative agricultural systems, our faculty’s research with small-molecule natural products is generating big results. We work with the University of Arizona’s Natural Products Center to discover and research small-molecule natural products and associated microorganisms, mainly from Sonoran Desert plants. These are used to create potential drugs to treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Our research also has applications for alternative agriculture systems, the sustainable use of natural resources, and improving the competitiveness of agriculture in Arizona, the Southwest, and semi-arid lands around the world.