Thomas Carell

Thomas Carell is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, a position he has held since 2003. He has established himself as a leading researcher in the fields of epigenetics, DNA repair mechanisms, and prebiotic chemistry. His work bridges chemistry and biology, with significant contributions to understanding epigenetic modifications and the origins of life.

Dr. Carell's educational background includes chemistry studies at Münster and Heidelberg Universities, where he completed his PhD under Professor Staab. He then pursued postdoctoral research at MIT with Professor J. Rebek, focusing on chemical compound libraries and projects bridging chemistry and biomedicine.

Professor Carell's research interests center on the chemical analysis of epigenetic modifications and processes, particularly focusing on DNA/RNA lesion processes using nucleotide analogues, tracers, and high-end mass spectrometry. His laboratory has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life, developing innovative technologies for non-canonical nucleoside and nucleotide synthesis. A significant portion of his work explores the organic chemistry of modified nucleosides and nucleotides, with implications for understanding fundamental biological processes and potential therapeutic applications. His research has evolved from early work on nucleic acid chemistry at ETH Zurich to pioneering studies on photolyase reactions and DNA repair at Marburg, culminating in his current work on epigenetic control mechanisms and prebiotic chemistry at LMU Munich.

His extensive publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of high-impact research, with articles appearing in top-tier journals including Nature, Science, and Cell. The research themes span from fundamental organic chemistry to biological applications, with a particular emphasis on epigenetic mechanisms and prebiotic chemistry. His most recent work suggests an early RNA-peptide world, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of life's origins, building on his earlier discoveries regarding DNA lesion-induced mutations, DNA repair mechanisms, and epigenetic control via oxidative DNA methylation.

Professor Carell's scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards:

• Supervisory Board member of BASF SE (2019)
• Alexander Todd-Hans Krebs Lectureship, Royal Society of Chemistry (2017)
• Windaus Memorial Lecture, Göttingen (2017)
• Inhoffen-Medal for Excellence in Natural Product Research of the Helmholtz Society (2016)
• Gait-Lecture Award, Royal Society of Chemistry (2014)
• Werdelmann Lecture, University-Essen Duisburg (2013)
• Melvin Calvin Lecture in Organic Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley (2011)
• Šorm Award of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (2011)
• Order of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany (2010)
• Van 't Hoff Lecture, Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (2009)
• Ferdinand Lecture, University of Sheffield (2008)
• Otto Bayer Award, Bayer Schering Foundation (2008)
• Philip Morris Research Award (2006)
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award of the DFG (2004)
• Lady Davis Award, Technion, Israel (2004)
• Pasteur Medal of the JCO, Ecole Polytechnique (2001)

Professor Carell leads an active research group (the Carell Group) at LMU Munich, supervising numerous PhD and Master's students working at the intersection of chemistry and biology. His laboratory has secured significant research funding to support their innovative work on epigenetic modifications, DNA repair mechanisms, and prebiotic chemistry. The group maintains strong international collaborations, as evidenced by Professor Carell's numerous visiting professorships at institutions worldwide, including University Descartes in Paris, Australian National University, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Bologna, and Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

The Carell laboratory operates state-of-the-art facilities for organic synthesis, mass spectrometry, and molecular biology, enabling their interdisciplinary research approach. The group consists of chemists, biochemists, and molecular biologists working collaboratively to address fundamental questions in chemical biology. Professor Carell's election to the Supervisory Board of BASF SE in 2019 highlights the translational impact of his research and his standing in both academic and industrial chemistry communities.