About Us
Great ideas are our starting point.
We put inspiration into practice, finding viable solutions for complex challenges.
Challenges in translational medicine
Translating scientific concepts into clinical applications is a major contemporary challenge in health care. Expiring patents, empty pipelines and the increasing complexity of product development in the era of individualized medicine mean that even large pharmaceutical companies cannot address these challenges alone. At the same time, increasing regulatory requirements and costs have seen public research organizations virtually suspend the clinical translation of new scientific insight. Here in Mainz, we believe mastering these challenges is possible through cooperation between our first-rate research institute and private companies specializing in innovative product development.
The personalities of TRON
TRON was founded in 2010 as a non-profit limited liability company to address these challenges. Co-founders Ugur Sahin, Christoph Huber and Özlem Türeci’s vision for TRON is to facilitate clinical translation of innovative science by interfacing between public and private stakeholders and bridging the gap between research insight and mature product development. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, and the University Medical Center Mainz, are also stakeholders. Ugur Sahin served as Scientific Managing Director from 2010 to 2019 and now supports TRON as a scientific advisor. Christoph Huber, with his passion for cancer immunotherapy and effective transdisciplinary collaboration, continues to guide TRON as an advisor of the management and the Supervisory Board.
Ugur Sahin
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.
Özlem Türeci
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.
Christoph Huber
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 the first European stem cell transplantation facility 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.
Ugur Sahin
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.
Özlem Türeci
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.
Christoph Huber
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 the first European stem cell transplantation facility 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.
Sebastian Kreiter
Director Immunotherapy Development Center
Sebastian Kreiter M.D. is a hematologist by training and graduated in Medicine from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He is heading the Immunotherapy Development Center at TRON where he also leads the “T-cell Vaccine Development Group” working on the development and preclinical testing of anti-tumoral vaccines. He also serves as board member for the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy – CIMT. Sebastian's research focuses on investigating mRNA-based vaccination approaches in vitro and in vivo. Early efforts together with Ugur Sahin from 2001 on focused on preclinical development of in-vitro transcribed mRNA cancer vaccination and the pioneering development of actively personalized cancer vaccination.
Management
Sebastian Kreiter
Director Immunotherapy Development Center
Sebastian’s research concentrates on mRNA-based vaccination approaches in vitro and in vivo.
Sebastian Kreiter
Director Immunotherapy Development Center
Dr. Sebastian Kreiter ist Hämatologe und hat sein Medizinstudium an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz abgeschlossen. Er leitet das Immunotherapieentwicklungszentrum bei TRON, welches sich mit der Entwicklung und präklinischen Prüfung von antitumoralen Impfstoffen beschäftigt. Außerdem ist er Vorstandsmitglied der Association for Cancer Immunotherapy - CIMT. Sebastians Forschung konzentriert sich auf die Untersuchung von mRNA-basierten Impfansätzen in vitro und in vivo. Frühe Arbeiten zusammen mit Ugur Sahin ab 2001 konzentrierten sich auf die präklinische Entwicklung von in vitro transkribierter mRNA-Krebsimpfung und die bahnbrechende Entwicklung einer aktiv personalisierten Krebsimpfung.
Sebastian Kreiter
Director Immunotherapy Development Center
Sebastian Kreiter M.D. is a hematologist by training and graduated in Medicine from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He is heading the Immunotherapy Development Center at TRON where he also leads the “T-cell Vaccine Development Group” working on the development and preclinical testing of anti-tumoral vaccines. He also serves as board member for the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy – CIMT. Sebastian's research focuses on investigating mRNA-based vaccination approaches in vitro and in vivo. Early efforts together with Ugur Sahin from 2001 on focused on preclinical development of in-vitro transcribed mRNA cancer vaccination and the pioneering development of actively personalized cancer vaccination.
Supervisory Board
Dr. Carola Zimmermann (chairperson)
Ministry of Science, Education and Culture of the state Rhineland-Palatinate
Christian Merk
Ministry of Finance of the state Rhineland-Palatinate
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Förstermann
Chief Scientific Officer of the Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz
Dr. Waltraud Kreutz-Gers (deputy chairperson)
Chancellor of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Ernst Theodor Rietschel
Professor Emeritus, former director of the Leibniz Association, former Chairman of the Berlin Institute of Health and now European Affairs Representative of the German Academy of Science and Engineering
Dirk Rosar (co-opted member)
Ministry of Economy, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of the state Rhineland-Palatinate
