Team

Manuel Kaulich

Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder

Manuel is one of the co-founders of Vivlion and a Goethe University Professor, heading the functional genomics and genetic vulnerabilities group at the Institute of Biochemistry II. His laboratory developed the 3Cs technology and dissects unperturbed and malignant cell cycle entry regulation. Manuel studied biotechnology/molecular life science, obtained his PhD at the MPI of Biochemistry and the Biozentrum in Basel and then moved to University of California San Diego for his postdoctoral studies. Since then, he became an expert in gene editing applying CRISPR and rAAVs in functional genetic screens.  

Martin Wegner

Head of R&D and Customer Solutions

Martin was trained as bioinformatician at Goethe University and is one of the inventors of the 3Cs technology. He is an expert in CRISPR screening and analysis, including combinatorial applications to identify genetic interactions. Following his PhD in the Kaulich laboratory, he joined the Vivlion team, heading the R&D and customer solutions section, focusing especially on Vivlion’s proprietary bioinformatic pipeline for experimental design and analysis. Martin’s research interests evolved from network biology and its applications to the analysis of neurodegenerative diseases towards dissecting genetic vulnerabilities using sophisticated CRISPR technologies. 

Elena Vialetto

Scientific Project Manager

Elena studied biotechnology and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Padova. During her PhD in the Beisel laboratory at Helmholtz Institute in Würzburg, she deciphered the collateral activity of Cas13 in bacteria, tested the efficacy of different CRISPR systems as antimicrobials and investigated the influence of gRNA secondary structure on targeting. With her expertise in various CRISPR systems, genetic engineering and genome editing, she supports Vivlion’s customers in experimental planning and is responsible for managing scientific projects tailored to clients’ needs.

Angela Hinchie

Scientific Project Manager

Angela completed her PhD in molecular pharmacology in the Alder laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. During her PhD she focused on the design and application of molecular tools to study telomere extension and has extensive experience with molecular cloning, gene editing and mammalian cell culture. Her work culminated in the conduction of a CRISPR screen identifying telomere maintenance genes. As a Scientific Project Manager, Angela supports customers in the design and implementation of their individual CRISPR screening projects.

Jessica Martyn

Scientific Project Manager

Jessica obtained her PhD in molecular biology in health and disease from the University of Oxford, studying virulence plasmid maintenance and bacterial pathogen intracellular replication. Following her PhD, she did a postdoctoral fellowship at Institut Pasteur in Paris, where she focused on the design and application of molecular tools to study the genetics of Legionella spp. and Acanthamoeba castellanii co-evolution and also gained experience with CRISPR/Cas9. With her expertise in genetic engineering in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, she supports Vivlion’s clients in experimental planning and is responsible for managing scientific projects tailored to clients’ needs.

Simran Rastogi

Associate Scientist

Simran holds a Master’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from Heidelberg University, where she completed her thesis on the alternative lengthening of telomeres in complex karyotype sarcomas. During her studies, she acquired hands-on experience in a variety of techniques at different institutions, e.g. at BioMedX GmbH and Broad Institute. As an Associate Scientist at Vivlion, Simran is responsible for supporting our manufacturing processes as well as various screening projects, bringing in her strong expertise in cell biology, genetic analysis and advanced molecular biology.

Ronay Çetin

Scientific Support Manager

Ronay was trained in molecular biology, genetics and bioengineering at Sabanci University (Istanbul) before starting a PhD in the Kaulich group at Goethe University Frankfurt. During his PhD, he has been utilizing the 3Cs CRISPR screening technology to understand the role of cellular communication in oncogene-mediated transformation. He is an expert in PRCISR CRISPR technologies and has specialized in combinatorial CRISPR screening with diverse Cas nucleases. Ronay recently joined Vivlion as a Scientific Support Manager.

Sönke Bästlein

Chief Financial Officer

Sönke spent more than 20 years in consulting at McKinsey & Company, Inc., and in private equity at Nordic Capital. He is angel investor and managing shareholder of private investment management firm gsccb Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH. Sönke’s experience includes serving on advisory and supervisory boards, and he teaches “Equity Governance” at Goethe University Frankfurt / Main. He holds a diploma in mechanical engineering (specialising in process engineering) from RWTH Aachen and a PhD in business administration from Goethe University. Sönke joined the Vivlion team as investor in 2019 and as CFO end of 2022.  

Kerstin Koch

Head of Business Development & Co-Founder

Kerstin is an experienced scientific manager who has a track record in strategically planning and coordinating large-scale, multidisciplinary research consortia, both at University of Cambridge (UK) and at Goethe University Frankfurt. Following her diplomas in biochemistry and journalism, she took a deep dive into pharma PR before obtaining a PhD in biochemistry from University of Hamburg. Kerstin is one of the founders of Vivlion and today responsible for business development. 

Claudio Sabatelli

Operations Manager

Prior to joining Vivlion GmbH as an Operations Manager, Claudio spent three years in consulting private and listed companies on capital market topics. Claudio holds a masters degree in ecology and evolution from Goethe University Frankfurt and spent two years working for the Chinese Academy of Science in Chengdu. 

Advisor

Ivan Đikić

Chief Advisor & Co-Founder

Ivan is a leading expert in the fields of ubiquitin biology and autophagy. He is one of the founders of Vivlion and a chief advisor to the company. He is Director of the Institute of Biochemistry II at Goethe University, where 3Cs technology was invented. In his research lab, a multidisciplinary team of scientists elucidates the molecular principles that drive human diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration and infection. For his scientific accomplishments, Ivan received numerous awards, including the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. In addition, he is a honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Ivan holds a PhD from University of Zagreb School of Medicine.

You – take your next career step at Vivlion

We are always looking for talents who are keen to join us. If you are interested in being part of the exciting journey of Vivlion, please forward your application with cover letter, CV, references in one pdf to careers@vivlion.com.

 Scientific Project Manager