Carl Woese

Professor of microbiology and a founding member of the University’s Institute for Genomic Biology, Carl Woese was a giant among scientists. Best known for his discovery of Archaea, a third domain of life, his wider work and theories have transformed scientific thinking about the very origins of life and the nature of evolution.

Carl R. Woese, who overturned one of the major dogmas of biology with the discovery of Archaea, the third domain of life, passed away following complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 84. Carl was a professor of Microbiology and a faculty member of the Institute for Genomic Biology.