Prof. Dr. Yannic Bartsch
About
Yannic Bartsch is head of the junior research group ‘Antiviral Antibody-Omics’ at TWINCORE. His primary research focus is the analysis and understanding of the role of antibody-mediated effects in (infectious) diseases, with the aim of using antibodies therapeutically to attenuate the course of infections.
Dr Bartsch obtained his doctorate at the University of Lübeck, where he examined the protective effect of IgG Fc sialylation in mouse models of autoimmune diseases and a mechanism for adjuvant-dependent alteration of IgG glycosylation after vaccination in mice. As a postdoc at the Ragon Institute of the MGH, MIT and Harvard in Cambridge (USA), he investigated the role of the Fc effector functions of antibodies in the laboratories of Prof. Dr Galit Alter and Prof. Dr Boris Julg in viral infections, such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, he demonstrated the crucial role of Fc-mediated antibody effector function for protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). His research has led to numerous (first) authorships in renowned (peer-reviewed) journals.
Research Lab
Projects
Protective anti-viral immunity – learning from natural examples
In this project, antibodies that help to ward off infections are being investigated in more detail. The aim is to find characteristics that have a protective effect against certain pathogens by comparing different antibody profiles in infections and vaccinations.
Harnessing antibody Fc effector functions as therapeutic target
The project is researching how the effect of monoclonal antibodies can be improved. These antibodies are already being used successfully against viruses. The aim is to optimize the so-called Fc effector functions in order to fight infections even more effectively.