Brewer J.C. Jacobsen established the Carlsberg Laboratory together with the Carlsberg Foundation in 1876. The Carlsberg Laboratory was organized in two departments (Chemistry and Physiology), each with its own professor and as stipulated by the founder the principal task is to develop as complete a scientific basis as possible for malting, brewing, and fermenting operations. This has been defined in the statutes of the laboratory as:

A: Studies of grain species capable of being utilised in brewing with the aid of chemical, biochemical, physiological, genetic, and techno-genetic methods.

B: Studies of genetic and other characteristics of yeast.

C: Studies of the substances found in grain species, especially proteins and carbohydrates, and the reactions and conversion of these substances during brewing operations.

Today the broad panel of scientific expertises established is applied to a wider strategic scope including biotechnological production processes and biomedical sciences.

In 2004 the two departments were merged into a combined Carlsberg Laboratory with focus on six research areas headed by professors/senior scientists:

Barley Biology
Professor Mats Hansson

Carbohydrate Chemistry
Professor Ole Hindsgaul

Enzymology
Professor Monica Palcic

Molecular Recognition
Professor Morten Meldal

NMR Technology
Professor Jens Ø. Duus

Protein Chemistry
Professor Anette Henriksen

Yeast Biology
Professor Jürgen Wendland