Provided herein are synthetic pathways from Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae genes for the production of new, synthetic nonribosomal peptides, and methods and compositions comprising the same. Some aspects of the present disclosure are directed to modified bacterial cells comprising a compressed biosynthetic pathway that comprises (a) biosynthetic genes obtained from one species encoding enzymes active in the bioassembly of a nonribosomal molecule, (b) biosynthetic genes obtained from another species encoding enzymes active in the bioassembly of a nonribosomal molecule that is different from the nonribosomal molecule of (a). In some embodiments, the biosynthetic genes of (a) are Escherichia coli biosynthetic genes and may include entD gene, an entC gene, an entE gene, an entB gene and an entA gene. In some embodiments, the biosynthetic genes of (b) are Vibrio cholera biosynthetic genes and may include a vibH gene and a vibF gene.