I am a computational biologist studying the intricacies of microbial metabolism. I am amazed by the complexity of even the most ‘simple’ organisms and by how they have evolved (and are evolving). Driven by the intriguing possibility to study this complexity computationally through genomic and postgenomic data, I dived into the fascinating world of informatics. By constructing computer programs and developing new ways to explore large datasets, I strive to understand microbial metabolites from a quantitative and evolutionary perspective. My research has various applications in microbiome research, bioengineering and drug discovery.