TRON´s mission is to bridge the gap between fundamental science at universities and market-oriented research in the pharmaceutical industry. We turn innovative scientific concepts into treatments ready for clinical testing, thereby accelerating the translation of discoveries into progress for patients.
A critical first step in the development of therapies is the identification of actionable disease-specific targets or mechanistic pathways. Here at TRON, our state-of-the-art-equipped functional units work seamlessly through identification, validation, functional studies and target profiling. Throughout the process we keep the patient and clinical success top of mind.
By conducting WGS, WES, RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, targeted resequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing and single cell sequencing on platforms from Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and 10X genomics, we understand disease genomics on a personalized level. Our custom sample preparation protocols are specifically adapted to tissue and sample types generated (e.g. FFPE).
Our sophisticated in-house variant calling and antigen identification pipelines are designed to scan enormous sequencing datasets from tumors and healthy tissues, identifying highly specific targets for distinct tumor entities.
Diverse application of a suite of simple to complex methods ranging from qPCR to protein expression analysis on tissue and suitable cell culture models allows further validation of hit candidates.
Meticulous procurement, storage, processing, and management of biospecimens are crucial for the successful analysis of single samples and cohorts. We employ a robust biobanking system for tracking storage and quantity of in-house samples and biospecimen collection and processing.
Patient-centered molecular analysis of a disease is a key pillar to personalized therapies and is at the heart of our translational research. Advances in genomic and proteomic screening technologies have greatly improved the capacity to detect relevant molecular alterations and have paved the way for personalized treatments.
By conducting WGS, WES, RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, targeted resequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing and single cell sequencing on platforms from Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and 10X genomics, we understand disease genomics on a personalized level. Our custom sample preparation protocols are specifically adapted to tissue and sample types generated in the clinical setting (e.g. FFPE).
Our sophisticated in-house variant calling and antigen identification pipelines are designed to scan enormous sequencing datasets from tumors and healthy tissues, identifying highly specific targets for distinct tumor entities.
We perform high throughput biomarker discovery on platforms such as high density peptide microarray formats and NGS-assisted phage displays. We identify disease-related (auto) antibody signatures from a broad range of body fluids using bead-based multiplex assays as well as ELISA. Our platforms have been specifically designed for the diagnosis of cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and allergies.
Following target validation and profiling, lead candidates are developed on a variety of delivery platforms, prioritizing the safety of any potential new product. Testing our findings in a variety of preclinical models allows us to evaluate immunogenicity and stability, empowering effective immunotherapies.
Our expertise in neoantigen detection helps us to create specific vaccines using our flexible RNA vaccine vectors, some of which have been shown to be clinically successful. We also explore the combined effects of RNA vaccines with modalities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and antibody therapy. We generate comprehensive preclinical data packages that pave the way for clinical testing of promising novel combination therapies.
In vivo investigation of immunological mechanisms is a central part of translational medical research. We manage an integrated pipeline for all phases of preclinical studies, from experimental design to analysis of results. Our broad expertise includes antibody treatments (therapeutic antibodies or depletion of specific cell populations for mode of action analysis), combination therapy (checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, local radiotherapy) and the use of transgenic models for diverse biological questions. We use immunological methods to characterize the phenotype and function of the tumor microenviroment. Working closely together with other technology platforms, we integrate advanced histology & cryo-IF, q-RT-PCR or state-of-the-art sequencing (such as scSeq) into our preclinical studies.
TRON has a variety of imaging platforms allowing visualization at the cellular and organ levels. Among these, multiplex immunofluorescence shows the spatial distribution of specific proteins and immune cells in tissues. This method is particularly helpful when exploring immune evasion mechanisms and finding potential biomarkers. In addition, live imaging reveals the temporal dynamics of the immune response. This is achieved with expertise in advanced histology & cryo-immunofluorescence. In vivo imaging shows real-time events in the whole test subject.
TRON’s immunomonitoring team operates a suite of flow cytometers to capture and isolate a range of immune cells for analysis. Using tailored panels of multiple markers, we analyze the phenotype, activation status and cytokine production profile of stimulated cells. We provide consulting, analysis and data interpretation to internal colleagues and collaboration partners.
Cellular immunotherapy is a rapid development and is transforming the way we treat diseases. In vitro-engineered immune cells have shown promising results in patients. We improve the efficacy of cellular therapies and we envision engineering cellular immunotherapies directly in the patient’s body.
We design preclinical therapeutic studies built on our broad expertise in in vivo antibody treatments, combination therapy (checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, local radiotherapy via an Orthovoltage X-Ray device) and the use of specific transgenic models. We incorporate immunological methods such as IFN-y, ELISpot, tetramer staining, FACS and multi-colour staining protocols (for characterizing the tumor microenviroment) into in vivo experiments.
TRON has a variety of imaging platforms allowing visualization at the cellular and organ levels. Among these, multiplex immunofluorescence shows the spatial distribution of specific proteins and immune cells in tissues. This method is particularly helpful when exploring immune evasion mechanisms and finding potential biomarkers. In addition, live imaging reveals the temporal dynamics of the immune response. This is achieved with expertise in advanced histology & cryo-immunofluorescence. In vivo imaging shows real-time events in the whole test subject.
At TRON, our expertise in neoantigen detection helps us create specific vaccines using our flexible RNA vaccine vectors, some of which have been shown to be clinically successful. We also explore the combined effects of RNA vaccines with modalities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and antibody therapy. We generate comprehensive preclinical data packages that pave the way for clinical testing of promising novel combination therapies.
By conducting WGS, WES, RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, targeted resequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing and single cell sequencing on platforms from Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and 10X genomics, we understand disease genomics on a personalized level. Our custom sample preparation protocols are specifically adapted to tissue and sample types generated in the clinical setting (e.g. FFPE).
Managing Director
Dr. Andrée Rothermel has many years of experience in drug and biomarker development and professional project management. Andrée received his doctorate at the Technical University of Darmstadt and his habilitation at the University of Leipzig in 2008, where he also received teaching authorization. As a molecular biologist, he has been instrumental in establishing academic and industrial research institutions and was central in the creation of the Ci3 leading-edge cluster and continued leadership as cluster manager and as managing director in 2016-2018. In Mainz, he was integral in building up TRON in the early years, and as the director of the Biomarker Development Center until 2020 he oversaw the development of multiple platforms for immunodiagnostics. Andrée has served as Managing Director with a remit to guide TRON’s scientific strategy since November 2020.
Prof. Dr. Dr. mult. h.c. Christoph Huber has been an internationally recognized clinical scientist in the field of cancer immunotherapy for three decades. In the 1980s, he recognized the immense potential of immunological cancer research and translated his clinical training in bone marrow transplantation at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center into the establishment of one of the first European stem cell transplantation facilities in Innsbruck. As Director of the III Medical Clinic and Polyclinic with a focus on hematology and oncology at Johannes Gutenberg- University, Christoph laid the foundation for the development of Mainz into a leading center of excellence for cancer immunotherapy. Since 1995, Christoph has been spokesman of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 432 "Tumor Defense and its Therapeutic Impact", the DFG Clinical Research Group "Lymphocyte Therapy", the Immunological Cluster of Excellence ICE and the international cancer immunotherapy network CIMT. He was instrumental in founding innovative and successful spin-offs from Johannes Gutenberg -University, such as Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG and BioNTech SE, and is a board member of the German Cluster of Excellence for Individualized Immune Intervention (Ci3). His pioneering ideas played a central role in the foundation and development of TRON as a top scientific research institute. His pioneering spirit and enthusiasm feed into TRON's research as a former member and now permanent guest of the Supervisory Board and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board.
Director Technology Research Center
Dr. Martin Löwer is a computational immunobiologist focusing on the interaction of pathogens, diseased cells and the host immune system. His core expertise includes the computational modelling of the presentation of antigens derived from pathogens or genomic variants and their recognition by T-cell receptors, as well as the detection of genomic and transcriptomic variants from NGS data. Furthermore, he has experience in translating findings of basic biomedical research into clinical use.
Director Clinical Translation Center
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Matthias Gaida is currently Managing Senior Physician at the Institute of Pathology at the Mainz University Medical Centre. After studying human medicine at the University of Heidelberg with study visits inVienna and Edinburgh, followed by a doctorate and a research stay at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, USA, he was appointed University Professor of Immunopathology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in 2019. His research focuses in particular on gastrointestinal tumour pathology with a special emphasis on the characterization of the tumour microenvironment. He is co-author on more than 100 publications.
Managing Director
Dr. Michael Ludorf holds a doctorate in law and is a renowned expert in tax, administrative and contract law. He studied at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt and at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He held various management positions in financial administration. Michael Ludorf has profound experience in human resources and the construction sector from his time as managing director of EGH-Entwicklungsgesellschaft Hahn mbH at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. At TRON, he is responsible for finances and administration.
Director Disease Research Center
Dr. Mustafa Diken received his PhD in tumor immunology from Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz under the supervision of Prof. Ugur Sahin. His research focuses on the development of novel cancer vaccines based on antigen-encoding mRNA and the elucidation of immunomodulatory mechanisms for cancer immunotherapy. Mustafa's research led to novel mRNA vaccines which are currently being tested in several clinical trials and the development of an mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. He is also a board member and the scientific program director of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), a non-profit organization aimed at advancing cancer immunotherapy.
Prof. Dr. Özlem Türeci is a physician with more than 25 years of experience in cancer research and immunology as well as the development of new therapeutic concepts. She is a pioneer in targeted approaches to cancer immunotherapy and the author of numerous scientific publications and patents. Among her groundbreaking contributions to translational research, the concept of "ideal antibodies" (IMABs) and the development of Zolbetuximab attracted particular attention. Özlem is co-founder of TRON and was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG, now a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. She was also central in the founding of BioNTech SE, where she now serves as chairperson of the scientific and clinical advisory board and Chief Medical Officer. In addition, she currently serves as President of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy CIMT e. V., the largest European association for cancer immunotherapy, and chairperson of Ci3, Germany's Cluster of excellence for Individualized Immune Intervention. Özlem is professor for Personalized Immunotherapy at the University Medical Center Mainz and the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz (HI-TRON). She is the recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as various other prizes, scholarships and honorary doctorates.
Scientific Adviser
Dr. Sebastian Kreiter is a hematologist, who completed his medical studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. As the head of the Immunotherapy Development Center at TRON for many years, he has been instrumental in setting up TRON and shaping its content-based orientation. Due to his expertise in the development and preclinical testing of antitumor vaccines as well as in personalized immunotherapy approaches, he still acts as a consultant to this day. Sebastian is also a board member of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) e.V. and active at BioNTech SE.
Director Scientific Management Center
Dr. Tina Büchling studied biotechnology at the Technical University of Braunschweig and completed her doctorate in the field of functional genomics at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg. After research stays in La Jolla, USA and Jerusalem, Israel as well as several years in the pharmaceutical industry, she is responsible for TRONs project and collaboration management. With many years of experience in science management in academic as well as industrial settings, she is also in charge of public outreach including social media management. In addition, she is the administrative coordinator of the curATime Cluster for Future.
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ugur Sahin is a doctor of medicine, immunologist and cancer researcher. His key focus is translating groundbreaking novel scientific ideas into medical innovations that help individual patients, an interest that was originally prompted by his experiences as a physician. His key contributions in cancer immunotherapy cover various fields, including the discovery of tumor-associated antigens, the development of Zolbetuximab and similar novel “ideal” monoclonal antibodies (IMABs) for the treatment of solid cancers, and diverse classes of RNA-based immunotherapies. Together with his team, he pioneered the concept of individualized cancer immunotherapies and in particular the development of mRNA-based vaccines that are tailored to each patient´s cancer mutation profile. Ugur is a Professor at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, and co-founder and shareholder of TRON. He was TRON´s scientific managing director from 2010 until September 2019. With like-minded partners, he co-founded successful spin-offs from JGU, such as Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG and BioNTech SE, the latter of which he is CEO, and co-initiated Cluster for Individualized Immune Intervention (Ci3). Ugur is also Chair of the Scientific Directorate of the Helmholtz Institute HI-TRON Mainz. Ugur closely supports TRON as a strategic and scientific advisor as well as supervisor and mentor for TRON’s PhD students. He is the recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as various other prizes, and scholarships and honorary doctorates.
