Pauli Lectures 2026
The Wolfgang Pauli Lectures 2026 will be dedicated to Biology.
Prof. Dr. Patrick Cramer
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Born 1969 in Stuttgart, Germany. He studied Chemistry at the Universities of Stuttgart and Heidelberg, with research stays in Bristol and Cambridge, United Kingdom. He received his Diploma in Chemistry from Heidelberg University in 1995 and earned his PhD from Heidelberg University and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, in 1998. Postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, USA, from 1999 to 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he served as a tenure-track Professor of Biochemistry at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he became Professor of Biochemistry in 2004, a position he held until 2014. He was Director of the Gene Center Munich at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 2004 to 2013. From 2014 to 2021, he served as Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, and since 2022 at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), and, since 2020, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Since June 2023, he has served as President of the Max Planck Society.
How genes are switched on
Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 17:00
Auditorium Maximum, HG F 30, ETH Zentrum, Rämistrasse 101, Zurich
external page Link to livestream
The lecture will be broadcast to lecture room HG E 3.
The human genome comprises over 20,000 genes that bring about life and sustain it over decades. However, genes are silent and must be given voice through a fundamental biological process called gene expression. The first step in gene expression is transcription, in which genetic information encoded in DNA is copied into RNA. The lecture explores the molecular mechanisms of transcription and its regulation to explain how genes are switched on during embryonic development, for cellular function, and in human health and disease.
Transcription of the genome
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 17:00
Auditorium Maximum, HG F 30, ETH Zentrum, Rämistrasse 101, Zurich
external page Link to livestream
Our laboratory uses a combination of structural biology, functional genomics and computational approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and cellular regulation of transcription, the first step in gene expression that governs cell differentiation, embryo development and cancer formation. In my lecture I will provide an overview of our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying gene transcription in eukaryotic cells. I will also provide data that show that transcription is regulated at three key steps, which were revealed by structure-based multiomics analysis.
Antivirals against SARS-Cov2 polymerase
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 10:00
Siemens Auditorium, HIT E 51, ETH Hönggerberg, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, Zurich
external page Link zu livestream
Despite the availability of vaccines, there remains a need for safe and effective antiviral drugs against coronaviruses to treat vulnerable patients, control transmission, and prepare for future outbreaks. In the spring of 2020, our lab was part of a global race to the 3D structure of the coronavirus SARS-Cov2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and provided mechanistic insights into viral RNA replication. We later also used structure-function studies to reveal the mechanisms of antiviral drugs such as remdesivir and molnupiravir, revealing key limitations in their efficacy and safety. Building on this framework, we are identifying novel polymerase inhibitors through large-scale chemical screening, in the hope to uncover leads for the development of next-generation antiviral therapies.
