Patrick Cramer

Patrick Cramer is a renowned scientist and Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry since 2014. Previously, he held a Professorship in Biochemistry at the University of Munich (2004–2014) and led the Gene Center Munich (2004–2013). His research focuses on structural biology, gene transcription mechanisms, and chromatin regulation, combining cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, and functional genomics.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Chemistry (Stuttgart, Heidelberg)
• Diploma in Chemistry (Heidelberg, 1995)
• PhD in Biochemistry (Heidelberg/EMBL Grenoble, 1998)

Research Interests: His work deciphers the molecular machinery of transcription, including RNA polymerase structures and Mediator complex interactions. Recent breakthroughs include transient transcriptome sequencing (TT-seq) and multi-omics approaches for kinetic parameter extraction. Projects explore enhancer function, differentiation, and transcription-coupled RNA processing.

Awards:

• 2023 Shaw Prize (Life Science)
• 2020 Otto Warburg Medal
• 2006 Leibniz Prize

Advising & Grants: Supervised >20 postdocs, >50 PhD students, and secured >€33.4M in funding (ERC, DFG, EU). Established the International Max Planck Research School for Genome Science. Collaborates globally on initiatives like the Green Deal Ukraїna.

Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in structural biology and functional genomics. Co-developed methods like TT-seq and cryo-EM structural analysis of transcription complexes.