Thomas Pietschmann

Prof. Thomas Pietschmann

Institute Director
Contact
+49 (0)511-220027-130thomas.pietschmann@twincore.de

About

Thomas Pietschmann heads the Institute for Experimental Virology at TWINCORE. He completed his biology studies at the University of Würzburg and Duke University (Durham, NC, USA) in 1996. In 2000, he completed his doctorate at the Institute of Virology at the University of Würzburg on mechanisms of viral morphogenesis in retroviruses and joined Professor Ralf Bartenschlager's group at the Institute of Virology in Mainz as a postdoc. In 2002, he moved to the Department of Molecular Virology at the University of Heidelberg together with Bartenschlager. There, Thomas Pietschmann established an Emmy Noether junior research group focussing on the morphogenesis and entry mechanism of the hepatitis C virus. 

In spring 2007, he and his research group were appointed to TWINCORE. Thomas Pietschmann is an elected member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Society of Virology and the DFG Review Board 204 (Microbiology, Virology and Immunology). He is spokesperson for the DZIF Hannover/Braunschweig site and the "Infection Research" research programme of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research.

 

Projects

Pietschmann Lab
Virology

Principles of HCV assembly and entry and their role in virus persistence

We are investigating how the association of HCV with lipoproteins contributes to the persistence of the virus by influencing entry into liver cells and protecting against antibodies. The aim is to gain new insights for the development of an HCV vaccine.

Pietschmann Lab
Virology

Determinants of protective immunity in HCV: A gold standard for vaccine development

We are investigating how antibodies protect against HCV infection, in particular what properties they have during a healing infection. The aim is to identify antibodies that are important for an effective vaccine against HCV.

Pietschmann Lab
Virology

Mechanisms of HCV tissue and species tropism: A guide for development of animal models

The project investigates the factors that determine the species barrier mechanism of HCV and make it impossible to study the infection in animal models. The aim is to use genetic screening systems to develop in vivo models for vaccine research.

Pietschmann Lab
Virology

Antiviral agents against HCV, RSV and coronavirus

We develop high-throughput screening assays to identify antiviral molecules against RSV and SARS-CoV-2. We use compound libraries, investigate new mechanisms of action and strive for innovative therapies.

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Publications

2025Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America122 (28) : e2500276122

Mycophenolic acid treatment drives the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants

Meister T, Nocke M, Heinen N, Burkard T, Brüggemann Y, Westhoven S, Trüeb B, Ebert N, Thomann L, Lubieniecki K, Lubieniecka J, Döring K, Herrmann M, Haid S, Pietschmann T, Wiegmann B, Tao R, Pfefferle S, Addo M, Thiel V, Drexler I, Babel N, Phuc Nguyen H, Brown R, Todt D, Steinmann E, Pfaender S

2025Liver International : Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver45 (7) : e70183

Extrahepatic Replication and Genomic Signatures of the Hepatitis E Virus in the Kidney

Wahid A, Meyer N, Wundes C, Hüffner L, Janshoff S, Frericks N, Friesland M, Dinkelborg K, Aliabadi E, Laue F, Cornberg M, Maasoumy B, Bremer B, Pischke S, Müller T, Wiesch J, Benckert J, Ulrich R, Hardtke S, Dörge P, Vondran F, Lohse A, Manns M, Todt D, Wedemeyer H, Pietschmann T, Steinmann E, Gömer A, Behrendt P

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