Chemical Genomics Centre

The Chemical Genomics Centre (CGC) was established as a joint initiative of several departments and research groups in the Max Planck Society and the pharmaceutical industry. The focus of the CGC is the analysis of biological phenomena through the use of small molecules. The CGC focuses on novel basic research in the biosciences and chemical biology that holds great promise for application in the discovery and development of novel bioactive compounds and modulators of disease-relevant processes.

This partnership opened up opportunities for research normally inaccessible to academia and research institutions. The CGC network interconnects the scientific, infrastructural and institutional strength of well-established Max Planck Departments with new research groups bringing in intellectual talent and novel scientific approaches.

The CGC was set up as a 5 years project. After two successful funding periods (CGCI: 2005-2010; CGCII: 2012-2017), a third funding period of the CGC (CGCIII) was initiated in October 2018 in partnership with the pharmaceutical companies Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt. The four newly-established independent research groups are led by Malte Gersch, Jochen Imig, Peter ‘t Hart and Peng Wu.