Skip to main content
University of Cambridge
Department of Biochemistry

Department of Biochemistry

  • Home
  • News
  • Staff Intranet

About us

  • About the Department
  • Contact us
  • How to find us
  • Disabled access
  • Job opportunities
  • 1924 – 2024: Biochemistry centenary travel fund

Wellbeing, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality

  • Wellbeing, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality overview
  • Wellbeing in Biochemistry

Alumni

  • Alumni overview
  • Alumni Newsletter
  • Alumni benefits
  • Engaging with us
  • Keep in touch

Alumni Events

  • Alumni Events overview
  • Biochemistry Centenary Alumni Day
  • Biochemistry Alumni Day 2023
  • Alumni Festival 2020
  • Alumni Festival 2019
  • Alumni Festival 2018

Photos and history

  • Photos and history overview

Department pictures

  • Department pictures overview
  • Class pictures (1949/1950 - 1959/1960)
  • Class pictures (1960/1961 - 1969/1970)
  • Class pictures (1970/1971 - 1979/1980)
  • Class pictures (1980/1981 - 1989/1990)
  • Class pictures (1990/1991 - 1999/2000)
  • Class pictures (2000/2001 - 2009/2010)
  • Class pictures (2010/2011 - 2019/2020)

Support us

  • Support us overview
  • How to make a donation

History of the Department

  • History of the Department overview
  • The legacy of Hopkins
  • Major events since 1945
  • Commemorating Hopkins
  • Photographic archive
  • Pioneering Cambridge Women: the biochemists, Marjory Stephenson FRS and Dorothy Moyle Needham FRS

Establishing the Department

  • Establishing the Department overview
  • Biochemistry: a new science
  • The coming of Hopkins
  • Hopkins arrives in Cambridge
  • The foundations of metabolism
  • Expansion after World War I
  • Teaching biochemistry
  • A new School of Biochemistry
  • Haldane and the Sex Viri
  • Low Temperature Research Station
  • The Dunn Institute

The Sir William Dunn Institute

  • The Sir William Dunn Institute overview
  • New arrivals
  • The Academic Assistance Council
  • Synge, Martin, Dixon and Mitchell
  • Needham, Sanger and Stephenson

The Colman Library

  • The Colman Library overview
  • Sir Jeremiah Colman
  • Establishing the Library

Reflections on the early years

  • Reflections on the early years overview
  • Malcolm Dixon on the Department
  • Rudolph Peters on Hopkins

Biographies

  • Biographies overview
  • Sir William Dunn Professors and Heads of Department
  • Former members of Department

Nobel Prizes

  • Nobel Prizes overview
  • Frederick Gowland Hopkins
  • Albert Szent-Györgyi
  • Ernst Boris Chain
  • Richard Laurence Millington Synge
  • Hans Adolf Krebs
  • Frederick Sanger
  • Luis Federico Leloir
  • Rodney Robert Porter
  • Peter Dennis Mitchell
  • César Milstein
  • Tim Hunt
  • Roger Yonchien Tsien

Join us

  • Undergraduates
  • Postgraduates
  • Jobs

Undergraduate Teaching

  • Teaching Overview
  • Applying to do Biochemistry
  • Information for Demonstrators
  • Contact information

First year

  • First year overview
  • Biology of Cells (current students only)
  • Evolutionary Biology (current students only)
  • Mathematical Biology (current students only)

Molecules in Medical Science

  • Molecules in Medical Science overview
  • Aims and Objectives
  • Course Overview
  • Additional Course Information

Second year

  • Second year overview
  • Cell and Developmental Biology (current students only)

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology overview
  • Course Overview
  • Additional Course Information

Third year

  • Third year overview
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Part II Biochemistry

  • Part II Biochemistry overview
  • Aims and Objectives
  • Course Overview
  • Additional Course Information

Fourth year

  • Fourth year overview
  • Systems Biology

Part III Biochemistry

  • Part III Biochemistry overview
  • Aims and Objectives
  • Course Overview
  • Additional Course Information

Information for Supervisors and DoS

  • Information for Supervisors and DoS overview
  • Moodle for Supervisors

Postgraduate Study

  • Postgraduate overview
  • How to apply
  • Funding Your Postgraduate Studies
  • Current Postgraduate students
  • Contact Information

Research

  • Research overview
  • Independent Research Fellowships in Biochemistry
  • Enterprise

Faculty

  • Faculty overview
  • Claudia Bonfio
  • Susanne Bornelöv
  • Bill Broadhurst
  • Jenny Gallop
  • Nick Gay
  • Camilla Godlee
  • Florian Hollfelder
  • Marko Hyvönen
  • Tony Jackson
  • Sarah Lummis
  • Laura Machesky
  • Eyal Maori
  • Juan Mata
  • Eric Miska
  • Daniel Nietlispach
  • Kiran Patil
  • Noam Prywes
  • Jeanne Salje
  • Ritwick Sawarkar
  • Dee Scadden
  • Chris Smith
  • Katherine Stott
  • Iva Tchasovnikarova
  • Alecia-Jane Twigger
  • Ross Waller
  • Martin Welch
  • Evgeny Zatulovskiy

Marc de la Roche

  • Marc de la Roche overview

de la Roche Group website

  • de la Roche Group website overview
  • Publications

Group members

  • Group members overview
  • Marc de la Roche
  • Thomas Foets
  • Helena Rannikmae
  • Heidi Funke
  • Alumni

Paul Dupree

  • Paul Dupree overview

Dupree Group website

  • Dupree Group website overview
  • Research
  • Techniques
  • Group members
  • Publications

Chris Howe

  • Chris Howe overview

Howe Group website

  • Howe Group website overview

About the Lab

  • About the Lab overview
  • Postgraduate and Postdoctoral opportunities
  • Biological Photovoltaics (BPV)

Members

  • Members overview
  • Paolo Bombelli (Postdoctoral Researcher)
  • Jack Hervey (Graduate Student)
  • Ellen Nisbet (Senior Research Associate)
  • Elfadil Osman (Graduate Student)
  • Stephen Rowden (Graduate Student)
  • Barnaby Slater (Graduate Student)
  • Laura Wey (Graduate Student)

Lab Publications

  • Lab Publications overview
  • 2004 - Present
  • Prior to 2004
  • Books
  • Conference Proceedings, Commentaries, Book Chapters etc.

Lab Adventures

  • Lab Adventures overview
  • Diggerland
  • Christmas Party 2012
  • Lab Fun!!

P2P

  • P2P overview
  • Location
  • Planning
  • Construction
  • The Solar Panel
  • The Living Wall
  • Plant BES
  • The Main Concept
  • 14 Photo-active Models
  • Partners
  • Our Team

BEST

  • BEST overview
  • Travel Route
  • Academic Partners
  • Outreach

Commercial Partners

  • Commercial Partners overview
  • Anaero Technology
  • Lamda Stretch
  • LEITAT
  • Oroboros
  • Spireat

Device Electrical Output

  • Device Electrical Output overview
  • The BEST device

Kathryn Lilley

  • Kathryn Lilley overview
  • Kathryn Lilley Publications

Ben Luisi

  • Ben Luisi overview

Luisi Group website

  • Luisi Group website overview
  • People
  • Research
  • Publications
  • Useful Links

Helen Mott

  • Helen Mott overview
  • Mott and Owen Group website

Darerca Owen

  • Darerca Owen overview

Mott and Owen Group website

  • Mott and Owen Group website overview
  • Publications
  • PhD Projects
  • Structure Gallery
  • The Lab

Luca Pellegrini

  • Luca Pellegrini overview

Pellegrini Group website

  • Pellegrini Group website overview
  • Lab members
  • List of publications
  • Former members

Lab resources

  • Lab resources overview
  • MALS theory and practice
  • FRET theory and practice
  • CryoEM overview

Affiliated and Associate faculty

  • Affiliated and Associate faculty overview
  • John McCafferty
  • Andrew Grace
  • Steve Jackson

Facility Managers

  • Facility Managers overview
  • Dima Chirgadze
  • Mike Deery
  • Daniel Nietlispach
  • Katherine Stott

Emeritus faculty

  • Emeritus faculty overview
  • Tom Blundell
  • Kevin Brindle
  • Guy Brown
  • Mark Carrington
  • Gerard Evan
  • Richard Farndale
  • Robin Hesketh
  • Peter Leadlay
  • Jim Metcalfe
  • Steve Oliver
  • George Salmond
  • Jean Thomas

Ernest Laue

  • Ernest Laue overview

Laue Group website

  • Laue Group website overview
  • Using single cell Hi-C to study 3D genome organisation
  • Single-molecule imaging to study the function of the NuRD complex
  • Investigation of nucleosome remodelling by CHD4/NuRD

Former faculty

  • Former faculty overview
  • Brian Hendrich
  • Jussi Taipale
  • Philip Zegerman
  • Svetlana Khoronenkova
  • Alex Borodavka
  • Austin Smith
  • Trevor Littlewood
  • Richard Jackson
  • Ellen Nisbet
  • Shilo Titus
  • Jules Griffin
  • Simone Weyand
  • Stephanie Jung
  • Jasmin Fisher
  • Nancy Standart
  • Rick Livesey
  • Nick Robinson
  • Giorgio Favrin
  • Monique Gangloff
  • Hee-Jeon Hong
  • José Silva
  • Tom Monie
  • Karen Lipkow
  • Anton Wutz
  • Natasha Murzina

COVID-19 projects

  • COVID-19 projects overview
  • Modulation of host cell RNA-binding proteins through the infectious cycle of SARS-CoV-2
  • Analysing the human-coronavirus RNA interactome
  • COVID-19 diagnostics for Africa
  • Development of multiplex serological assays for evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 immunity
  • Targeting conserved RNA elements in SARS-CoV-2 for therapy
  • Affinity reagents for functional neutralisation of nCoV-19
  • Structural and computational biology of COVID-19

Facilities

  • Facilities overview
  • Biophysics
  • Cryo-Electron Microscopy
  • Crystallography
  • DNA Sequencing
  • NMR
  • Proteomics
  • BioPath Stores
  • Multimedia Lab

Library

  • Library overview
  • Click and Collect service

Vehicle Pool

  • Vehicle Pool overview
  • Booking form
  • Home
  • About us

    About us

    • About the Department
    • Contact us
    • How to find us
    • Disabled access
    • Job opportunities
    • Wellbeing, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality
    • Alumni
    • Support us
    • 1924 – 2024: Biochemistry centenary travel fund
    • History of the Department
  • Join us

    Join us

    • Undergraduates
    • Postgraduates
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Undergraduate Teaching

    Undergraduate Teaching

    • Teaching Overview
    • Applying to do Biochemistry
    • First year
    • Second year
    • Third year
    • Fourth year
    • Information for Supervisors and DoS
    • Information for Demonstrators
    • Contact information
  • Postgraduate Study

    Postgraduate Study

    • Postgraduate overview
    • How to apply
    • Funding Your Postgraduate Studies
    • Current Postgraduate students
    • Contact Information
  • Research

    Research

    Research overview
    • Faculty
    • Independent Research Fellowships in Biochemistry
    • Enterprise
    • COVID-19 projects
  • Facilities

    Facilities

    Facilities overview
    • Biophysics
    • Cryo-Electron Microscopy
    • Crystallography
    • DNA Sequencing
    • NMR
    • Proteomics
    • BioPath Stores
    • Library
    • Multimedia Lab
    • Vehicle Pool
  • Staff Intranet
    • Home
    • About us
    • Join us
    • News
    • Undergraduate Teaching
    • Postgraduate Study
    • Research
    • Facilities
    • Staff Intranet

About us

  • About the Department
  • Contact us
  • How to find us
  • Disabled access
  • Job opportunities
  • Wellbeing, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality
  • Alumni
  • Support us
  • 1924 – 2024: Biochemistry centenary travel fund
  • History of the Department
    • Establishing the Department
      • Biochemistry: a new science
      • The coming of Hopkins
      • Hopkins arrives in Cambridge
      • The foundations of metabolism
      • Expansion after World War I
      • Teaching biochemistry
      • A new School of Biochemistry
      • Haldane and the Sex Viri
      • Low Temperature Research Station
      • The Dunn Institute
    • The Sir William Dunn Institute
    • The Colman Library
    • Reflections on the early years
    • The legacy of Hopkins
    • Major events since 1945
    • Commemorating Hopkins
    • Biographies
    • Nobel Prizes
    • Photographic archive
    • Pioneering Cambridge Women: the biochemists, Marjory Stephenson FRS and Dorothy Moyle Needham FRS

Establishing the Department

W.M. Fletcher with his apparatus for studying respiration of isolated muscles, c1900

This first section of the history of the Department of Biochemistry covers the period from the late nineteenth century until the opening of the Sir William Dunn Institute, now known as the Hopkins Building, in 1924.

Related links

History of the University

Image

W.M. Fletcher with his apparatus for studying respiration of isolated muscles, c1900.

Department of Biochemistry

Contact Information

Hopkins Building Tennis Court Road Cambridge CB2 1QW
communications@bioc.cam.ac.uk
01223 333600

Stay in touch

Contact us Find us Support us LinkedIn Bluesky X

University of Cambridge

Logo © 2025 University of Cambridge
Privacy policy Accessibility Freedom of information Modern slavery Terms and conditions