The Management

Dr. Manfred Schmidt

Manfred Schmidt

Manfred Schmidt is shareholder and CEO of the start-up company GeneWerk GmbH founded in 2014. After receiving his PhD in 2000 he completed his PostDoc at University of Freiburg and later became group leader at the Institute for Molecular Medicine. In 2005 Manfred Schmidt moved to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg where he took over as head of the section “Molecular and Gene Therapy” of the department of Translational Oncology, which is also part of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT). The development of the Linear Amplification-Mediated PCR (LAM-PCR) by Manfred Schmidt and its further development by his team allowed the highly sensitive identification and sequencing of unknown DNA or RNA sequences, which are flanked by a known DNA or RNA region.

This allowed researchers to follow the fate of single cells in extremely small tissue samples by labeling them with marker sequences. The analysis of the efficiency and safety of vector systems for the clinical gene therapy combined with the application of the newest high throughput sequencing technologies and the development of project specific bioinformatical analysis and data management systems is a major research area. Manfred Schmidt is author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in international high-impact journals.

Contact

Manfred Schmidt
CEO GeneWerk GmbH
Im Neuenheimer Feld 582
D-69120 Heidelberg
Germany

Tel. +49 6221 42790-11
manfred.schmidt@genewerk.de

Publications (ten selected):
  1. Gabriel R, Kutschera I, Bartholomae CC, von Kalle C, Schmidt M: Linear amplification mediated PCR-localization of genetic elements and characterization of unknown flanking DNA. Journal of Visualized Experiment. 25, e51543, 2014.
  2. Braun, C.J., Boztug, K., Paruzynski, A., Witzel, M., Schwarzer, A., Rothe, M., Modlich, U., Beier, R., Göhring, G., Steinemann, D., Fronza, R., Ball, C.R., Haemmerle, R., Naundorf, S., Kühlcke, K., Rose, M., Fraser, C., Mathias, L., Ferrari, R., Abboud, M.R., Al-Herz, W., Kondratenko, I., Maródi, L., Glimm, H., Schlegelberger, B., Schambach, A., Albert, M.H., Schmidt, M.* (*co-senior author), von Kalle, C., Klein, C.: Gene therapy for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome--long-term efficacy and genotoxicity. Science Translational Medicine. 6, 227ra33, 2014.
  3. Kaeppel, C., Beattie, S.G., Fronza, R., van Logtenstein, R., Salmon, F., Schmidt, S., Wolf, S., Nowrouzi, A., Glimm, H., von Kalle, C., Petry, H., Gaudet, D., Schmidt, M.: A largely random AAV integration profile after LPLD gene therapy. Nature Medicine. 19, 889-891, 2013.
  4. Gabriel, R., Lombardo, A., Arens, A., Miller, J.C., Genovese, P., Kaeppel, C., Nowrouzi, A., Bartholomae, C.C., Wang, J., Friedman, G., Holmes, M.C., Gregory, P.D., Glimm, H., Schmidt*, M. (*co-senior author), Naldini, L.*, von Kalle, C*.: An unbiased genome-wide analysis of zinc-finger nuclease specificity. Nature Biotechnology. 29, 816-823, 2011.
  5. Paruzynski, A., Arens, A., Gabriel, R., Bartholomae, C. C., Scholz, S., Wang, W., Wolf, S., Glimm, H.,Schmidt, M.* (*corresponding author), von Kalle, C.: Genome-wide high-throughput integrome analyses by nrLAM-PCR and next-generation sequencing. Nature Protocols. 5, 1379-1395, 2010.
  6. Gabriel, R., Eckenberg, R., Paruzynski, A., Bartholomae, C., Nowrouzi, A., Arens, A., Howe,S.J., Recchia, A., Cattoglio, C., Wang, W., Faber, K., Schwarzwaelder, K., Kirsten, R., Deichmann, A., Ball, C.R., Balaggan, K.S., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J., Ali, R.R., Gaspar, H.B., Biasco, L., Aiuti, A., Cesana, D., Montini, E., Naldini, L., Cohen-Haguenauer, O., Mavilio, F., Thrasher, A.J., Glimm, H., von Kalle, C., Saurin, W., Schmidt, M.: Comprehensive genomic access to vector integration in clinical gene therapy. Nature Medicine. 15, 1431-1436, 2009.
  7. Schmidt, M., Schwarzwaelder, K., Bartholomae, C.C., Zaoui, K., Ball, C., Pilz, I., Braun, S., Glimm, H., von Kalle, C.: High-Resolution Insertion Site Analysis by Linear Amplification-Mediated PCR (LAM-PCR). Nature Methods. 4, 1051-1057, 2007.
  8. Ott, M.G.*, Schmidt, M.* (*co-first author), Schwarzwaelder, K.*, Stein, S.*, Siler, U.*, Koehl, U., Glimm, H., Kühlcke, K., Schilz, A., Kunkel, H., Naundorf, S., Brinkmann, A., Deichmann, A., Fischer, M., Ball, C., Pilz, I., Dunbar, C.E., Du, Y., Jenkins, N.A., Copeland, N.G., Lüthi, U., Hassan, M., Thrasher, A.J., Hoelzer, D., von Kalle, C., Seger, R., Grez, M.: Correction of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease by gene therapy is augmented by insertional activation of MDS/EVI1, PRDM16 or SETBP1. Nature Medicine. 12, 401-409, 2006.
  9. Hacein-Bey-Abina, S.*, von Kalle, C.*, Schmidt, M.* (*co-first author), McCormack, M.P., Wulffraat, N., Leboulch, P., Lim, A., Osborne, C.S., Pawliuk, R., Morillon, E., Sorensen, R., Forster, A., Fraser, P., Cohen, J.I., de Saint Basile, G., Alexander, I., Wintergerst, U., Frebourg, T., Aurias, A., Stoppa-Lyonnet, D., Romana, S., Radford-Weiss, I., Gross, F., Valensi, F., Delabesse, E., Macintyre, E., Sigaux, F., Soulier, J., Leiva, L.E., Wissler, M., Prinz, C., Rabbitts, T.H., Le Deist, F., Fischer, A., Cavazzana-Calvo, M.: LMO2-associated clonal T cell proliferation in two patients after gene therapy for SCID-X1. Science. 302, 415-419, 2003.
  10. Schmidt, M., Carbonaro, D.A., Speckmann, C., Wissler, M., Bohnsack, J., Elder, M., Aronow, B.J., Nolta, J.A., Kohn, D.B., von Kalle, C.: Clonality analysis after retroviral-mediated gene transfer to CD34+ cells from the cord blood of ADA-deficient SCID neonates. Nature Medicine. 9, 463-468, 2003
Awards

In 2005 Manfred Schmidt received the Langen Research Award of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen (Germany).

Dr. Annette Deichmann

Annette Deichmann

Annette Deichmann is shareholder and Managing Director of the start-up company GeneWerk GmbH founded in 2014. As biologist she got the chance to become acquainted with research in different institutions such as the University of Würzburg, Institute for Microbiology, in industry at the Bayer-AG, Institute for Biochemistry, Wuppertal and abroad at the Institute of Human Genetics, Leuven University (Belgium). Since 2001, she has held the role of Scientific Project Manager first at the Institute for Molecular Medicine at the University of Freiburg and from 2005 at the Department of Translational Oncology at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. As coordinator she gained substantiated experience in writing grant applications and reports, managing the HR and controlling the finances for the department. Furthermore, she is still directly involved in scientific research projects. Annette Deichmann has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications.

GeneWerk is ...

...for me the chance to step into business and to work on unique consumer based problems and to provide solutions in a quick and professional manner.

Contact

Annette Deichmann
Managing Director GeneWerk GmbH
Im Neuenheimer Feld 582
D-69120 Heidelberg
Germany

Tel. +49 6221 42790-10
annette.deichmann@genewerk.de

Publications (ten selected):
  1. Negre O, Bartholomae C, Beuzard Y, Cavazzana M, Christiansen L, Courne C, Deichmann A, Denaro M, de Dreuzy E, Finer M, Fronza R, Gillet-Legrand B, Joubert C, Kutner R, Leboulch P, Maouche L, Paulard A, Pierciey FJ, Rothe M, Ryu B, Schmidt M, Kalle CV, Payen E, Veres G. Preclinical Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of an Improved Lentiviral Vector for the Treatment of β-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease. Curr Gene Ther. 2014; Nov 26.
  2. Tubsuwan A, Abed S, Deichmann A, Kardel MD, Bartholomä C, Cheung A, Negre O, Kadri Z, Fucharoen S, von Kalle C, Payen E, Chrétien S, Schmidt M, Eaves CJ, Leboulch P, Maouche-Chrétien L. Parallel assessment of globin lentiviral transfer in induced pluripotent stem cells and adult hematopoietic stem cells derived from the same transplanted β-thalassemia patient. Stem Cells. 2013; 31(9):1785-94.
  3. Arens A, Appelt JU, Bartholomae CC, Gabriel R, Paruzynski A, Gustafson D, Cartier N, Aubourg P, Deichmann A, Glimm H, von Kalle C, Schmidt M. Bioinformatic clonality analysis of next-generation sequencing-derived viral vector integration sites. Hum Gene Ther Methods. 2012; 23(2):111-8.
  4. Abel U*, Deichmann A*, Nowrouzi A, Gabriel R, Bartholomae CC, Glimm H, von Kalle C, Schmidt M. Analyzing the Number of Common Integration Sites of Viral Vectors – New Methods and Computer Programs. PLoS ONE. 2011; 6(10):e24247.
  5. Deichmann A, Brugman MH, Bartholomae CC, Schwarzwaelder K, Verstegen MM, Howe SJ, Arens A, Ott MG, Hoelzer D, Seger R, Grez M, Hacein-Bey-Abina S, Cavazzana-Calvo M, Fischer A, Paruzynski A, Gabriel R, Glimm H, Abel U, Cattoglio C, Mavilio F, Cassani B, Aiuti A, Dunbar CE, Baum C, Gaspar HB, Thrasher AJ, von Kalle C, Schmidt M, Wagemaker G. Insertion Sites in Engrafted Cells Cluster Within a Limited Repertoire of Genomic Areas After Gammaretroviral Vector Gene Therapy. Mol Ther. 2011; 19(11):2031-9.
  6. Gabriel R, Eckenberg R, Paruzynski A, Bartholomae CC, Nowrouzi A, Arens A, Howe SJ, Recchia A, Cattoglio C, Wang W, Faber K, Schwarzwaelder K, Kirsten R, Deichmann A, Ball CR, Balaggan KS, Yáñez-Muñoz RJ, Ali RR, Gaspar HB, Biasco L, Aiuti A, Cesana D, Montini E, Naldini L, Cohen-Haguenauer O, Mavilio F, Thrasher AJ, Glimm H, von Kalle C, Saurin W, Schmidt M. Comprehensive genomic access to vector integration in clinical gene therapy. Nat Med. 2009; 15(12):1431-6.
  7. Deichmann A, Hacein-Bey Abina S, Schmidt M, Garrigue A, Brugman MH, Hu J, Glimm H, Gyapay G, Prum B, Fraser CC, Fischer N, Schwarzwaelder K, Siegler M, de Ridder D, Pike-Overzet K, Howe SJ, Thrasher AJ, Wagemaker G, Abel U, Staal F, Delabesse E, Villeval J, Aronow B, Hue C, Prinz C, Wissler M, Klanke C, Weissenbach J, Alexander I, Fischer A, von Kalle C and Cavazzana-Calvo M. Vector Integration is Non-Random, Clustered and Influences the Fate of Lymphopoiesis in SCID-X1 Gene Therapy. J Clin Invest. 2007; 117(8): 2225-32.
  8. Schwarzwaelder K, Howe SJ, Schmidt M, Brugman MH, Deichmann A, Glimm H, Schmidt S, Prinz C, Wissler M, King DJS, Zhang F, Parsley KL, Gilmour KC, Sinclair J, Bayford J, Peraj R, Pike-Overzet K, Staal FJT, de Ridder D, Kinnon C, Abel U, Wagemaker G, Gaspar B, Thrasher AJ and von Kalle C. Gammaretrovirus-mediated correction of SCID-X1 is associated with skewed vector integration site distribution in vivo. J Clin Invest. 2007; 117(8):2241-9.
  9. Abel U, Deichmann A, Bartholomae C, Schwarzwaelder K, Glimm H, Howe S, Thrasher A, Garrigue A, Hacein-Bey-Abina S, Cavazzana-Calvo M, Fischer A, Jaeger D, von Kalle C, Schmidt M. Real-time definition of non-randomness in the distribution of genomic events. PLoS ONE. 2007; 2:e570.
  10. Ott MG, Schmidt M, Schwarzwaelder K, Stein S, Siler U, Koehl U, Glimm H, Kuhlcke K, Schilz A, Kunkel H, Naundorf S, Brinkmann A, Deichmann A, Fischer M, Ball C, Pilz I, Dunbar C, Du Y, Jenkins NA, Copeland NG, Luthi U, Hassan M, Thrasher AJ, Hoelzer D, von Kalle C, Seger R, Grez M. Correction of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease by gene therapy, augmented by insertional activation of MDS1-EVI1, PRDM16 or SETBP1. Nat Med. 2006; 12(4):401-9. Epub 2006 Apr 2.
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