University Cancer Center Mainz (UCT Mainz) / Universitätsmedizin Mainz

Universitätsmedizin Mainz is the home institution of Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, who founded BioNTech in Mainz in 2008 and the translational institute TRON in 2010 to pursue individualised neoantigen mRNA vaccines, the concept later tested as autogene cevumeran with Genentech. The Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON), a DKFZ partnership, and the UCT Mainz make the site a German Cancer Aid Oncology Center of Excellence and DKTK partner. Clinical strengths include haematology, dermato-oncology (a large melanoma trial site for BioNTech's programmes), neuro-oncology and the Mainz Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI). The city has become a hub for mRNA and immunotherapy companies around the university.