Sidney Becker

Sidney Becker serves as a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, affiliated with TU Dortmund University's Chemical Biology department within the Dortmund Life Science Center. His research bridges prebiotic chemistry and molecular evolution.

His primary research focuses on the chemical origins of life, particularly the formation of RNA building blocks on early Earth and the development of novel sequencing methods for DNA modifications. Becker's work integrates organic chemistry with molecular biology to explore fundamental questions about life's emergence.

• NRW Postdoc Return Program (2021)
• Max-Planck Research Group Leader (2021)
• Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (2020)
• Travel Award, Center for Nanoscience, Munich (2017)
• Poster Award, Orchem (2016)

Becker previously held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge with Sir Shankar Balasubramanian (2019-2021) focusing on modified bases in the genome, and at LMU Munich with Prof. Thomas Carell (2018-2019) as subgroup leader for prebiotic chemistry. His doctoral work at LMU Munich investigated the origin of RNA building blocks.

His laboratory at the Max Planck Institute operates within the Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 facility in Dortmund, collaborating closely with TU Dortmund University's research infrastructure.