Philipp Gemmel, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Phil grew up in the small village of Gusenburg, Germany where gained a love for long hikes, tennis and German cuisine. Following a high school exchange year in Chicago, Phil decided to pursue his undergraduate studies at Grinnell College where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Political Science. During his time at Grinnell, he conducted research in fungal ecology in the lab of Prof. Kathy Jacobson and held a summer REU fellowship with Prof. Chris Douglas at the University of Minnesota, where he gained experience in synthetic organic chemistry. In 2017, Phil began his graduate career with Prof. Scott Snyder at the University of Chicago, where he conducted research on natural product total synthesis and synthetic method development. Given his interest in the intersection of synthetic chemistry and biology, Phil then conducted a post-doctoral fellowship in the lab of Prof. Alison Narayan, where he gained important experience and training in the field of biocatalysis. In 2025, Phil began his independent career as Assistant Professor at Trinity College, where his lab focuses on the study of biocatalysis, using nature’s catalysts to expand the synthetic chemist’s tool box.