<p>Nature, Published online: 04 March 2026; <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00652-3">doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00652-3</a></p>A workflow was developed to selectively capture bacterially produced compounds containing a reactive diazo chemical group. This enabled the discovery of two diazo-containing molecules from a bacterium that causes lung disease. Investigation of the bacterial synthesis of these molecules revealed an enzyme that constructs the diazo group, with broad synthetic applications.