For at least 3.5 billion years microorganisms have been evolving chemical strategies to capture chemical energy, to build complex structure from simple precursors, and to recycle almost any complex organic material. The corresponding enzymes, cascades and pathways are now being discovered by rapid genome sequencing and provide an immense repository of functional molecular systems that may be used to develop bio-based and sustainable technologies. In this context the Seebeck laboratory examines catalysed and uncatalyzed reactions that form or cleave carbon-sulfur bonds under physiologically relevant conditions.

Our objectives are i) to decipher the mechanisms of these reactions, ii) to understand how the involved enzymes may have emerged, and iii) how enzymes can be changed, improved or integrated into artificial systems to create new biotechnology. Finally, we also strive to discover and develop new organic chemistry by emulating biochemical processes. This research program led to the following key achievements.