Hi!

I’m Philipp. I did my Ph.D. in Prof. Matthias Mann´s group on the topic of plasma proteomics, after this field of research had largely been abandoned due to its extensive technological challenges. Against the odds, today, plasma proteomics is experiencing a renaissance. During my Ph.D. and afterwards when I headed the plasma proteomics efforts in Matthias Mann´s laboratories in Munich and Copenhagen, we accomplished several technological breakthroughs, leading to a viable plasma proteomic profiling workflow. We drastically streamlined the previously labor-intensive proteomic workflow, resulting in a rapid, robust and highly reproducible robotic pipeline. This greatly increased sample throughput and facilitated the first study with more than 1,000 plasma proteomes. Additionally, I developed new concepts in biomarker discovery, including the “rectangular” strategy, and new approaches to monitor and assess the quality of individual samples and entire studies. We also introduced “global correlation maps” to interpret hundreds of thousands of protein correlations in our studies, made use of individual-specific protein levels and showed that novel applicable biomarker actually exists and can be discovered.

I believe that mass spectrometry-based plasma proteomics will change diagnostics and clinical decision making in a way that can substantially increase our health status and thereby  the quality of our lives. My dream is that everyone will have access to their plasma proteome profile on a regular basis with a health and disease readout consisting of thousands of proteins. On a personal note, I was able to detect hypercholesterolemia in my family by plasma proteomics, and continuously monitor my treatment response. My co-founders and I all share the same vision, to further improve the technologies and strategies of plasma proteomics and apply this to a large range of human health and disease states. I am convinced that we can finally unlock the clinical potential of blood plasma proteomics for everyone.

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Dr. Philipp Emanuel Geyer studied Science in Molecular Biotechnology, select program at the Technical University of Munich, which he passed with high distinction (top 1%). He received three scholarships and three awards during his studies, including the award for the best Master´s Thesis. During and after his Ph.D. in Matthias Mann´s group, Dr. Geyer received four additional awards for his research, including the Diagnostics Helps and the MPIB Junior Scientists` Publication award. After his Ph.D. dedicated to the promises of plasma proteomics, he headed this effort in Matthias Mann´s laboratory where he successfully renewed the interest of the proteomics community in plasma proteomics. He co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Salut!

I’m Sophia. During my Ph.D. in Prof. Matthias Mann’s group and at the biotech company Genentech Inc. in San Francisco, I discovered my passion for ‘from bench to bed’ applications. The power of MS-based proteomics started to fascinate me, and I dedicated my scientific career to develop this technology from being a tool for specialist laboratories to one that can be routinely used in a clinical setting to help cancer patients. Together with academic collaborators, we showed how MS-based proteomics can help therapeutic decision making in end-stage cancer patients and how it can be implemented in a clinical setting. This was one of my most rewarding scientific achievements and motivated me to pursue and scale this ambitious goal at OmicEra, together with the best and most motivated team.

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Dr. Sophia Doll studied Molecular Biology at the University of Munich from which she also holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. During her doctoral thesis, she explored the scientific interconnections between industry, academia and the clinic. This journey took her to Genentech Inc., the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. Sophia co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and was a doctoral fellow of the elite German Academic Scholarship Foundation. She won the Max Planck Science Slam and beyond her scientific career, she is a passionate ski instructor.

Hi!

I’m Sebastian. Driven by my interest in natural sciences and particularly in how our body works at the molecular level, I decided to study Molecular Biomedicine. I felt that by performing basic research, I could contribute best to advancing our knowledge of health and disease states. Towards the end of my studies, I had the opportunity to participate in world class basic research and get to know the unique environment of biotech entrepreneurship in the Boston/Cambridge area. This experience fostered my desire to found a company and transfer academic knowledge to a commercial application with the goal of improving people’s lives. But I still had to wait for the right time to come…

During my Ph.D. in immunology, I gained first insights into the fascinating world of MS-based proteomics. The possibilities seemed to be infinite, but I quickly realized that strong computational skills were needed to deal with such big data. Thus, I acquired some computational skills and dove into the analysis of MS spectra. To learn from the best and be at the forefront of MS-based technology, I eventually joined Matthias Mann’s lab as a postdoc. There, I developed the EASI-tag, a novel tool to improve peptide and protein quantification, and discovered novel biomarker candidates in Parkinson’s disease. With all the technical advances, the expertise and right spirit in place, it finally seemed to be the right time for founding a company. With the perfect team at OmicEra, we want to fully exploit the potential of MS-based proteomics and tackle the challenge to bring this powerful technology to wide-spread use in the clinic routine and to revolutionize medical diagnostics.

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Dr. Sebastian Virreira Winter studied Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Bonn and holds a Ph.D. in immunology from the Humboldt University in Berlin. His research activities took him to the University Clinic of Bonn, the Bayer HealthCare AG, the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research, the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. He co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a member of the Human Proteome Organization. Sebastian is a passionate tennis player and alumnus of the elite German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds.

Dr. Ole Vorm studied Molecular Biology and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Denmark. Following his postdoc with Prof. Matthias Mann at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, they started Protana, one of the world’s first proteomics companies, in 1997 in Odense, Denmark. Protana was acquired by MDS Intl. in 1999 and since then he has founded several other companies, including Proxeon that was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2010. Ole is the founder and chairman of Evosep, an innovative and fast-growing HPLC company. Over the years, Ole has headed multiple teams at start-ups and at large companies, including Thermo Scientific and Bruker at the vice president level and he has developed breakthrough products in chromatography and mass spectrometry that are now routinely used around the world. Ole has served and serves on several boards of start-ups.