Scientists / Our Scientists

Christoph Spiess

Senior Principal Scientist (Technology), Antibody Engineering

Postdoc Mentor

"Scientific creativity is the key to innovative and transformative drug development."

Years at Genentech

Publications at Genentech

Awards & Honors

I joined Genentech as a Scientist in Fall of 2007 after my graduate and postdoctoral studies focusing on protein folding. My scientific research shifted after joining the Antibody Engineering Department, and I meanwhile support drug development by protein engineering. In part, I was attracted to Genentech by the collaborative research environment that is providing the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of scientists to effectively and rigorously solve scientific problems with creative approaches.

My group is involved, among other things, in the development of technologies to produce bispecific antibodies for research and clinical development. It has provided me with the opportunity to establish new technologies to advance bispecific antibodies from research into Early or Clinical Development in a variety of disease indications.

Postdoctoral Mentor

Being a postdoctoral mentor is providing me with the opportunity to pursue research that is not linked to the immediate need of a pipeline project, but has the potential to become an impactful technology for future drug development. The scientific resources and expertise at Genentech allow us to pursue the most challenging questions with focus and creativity.

Featured Publication

Bispecific antibodies with natural architecture produced by co-culture of bacteria expressing two distinct half-antibodies.

Nat Biotechnol. 2013 Aug;31(8):753-8.

Spiess C, Merchant M, Huang A, Zheng Z, Yang NY, Peng J, Ellerman D, Shatz W, Reilly D, Yansura DG, Scheer JM.

View Abstract

My laboratory is focused on developing technologies for next generation protein therapeutics. While traditional monoclonal antibodies are successful therapeutics, protein engineering provides the opportunity to endow them with novel functionalities. This allows them to overcome limitations of existing medicines and design next generation biotherapeutic formats with superior activity or increased therapeutic index. Bispecific antibodies are one possibility to expand the mode of action of traditional monoclonal antibodies. They combine the binding specificity of two antibodies into a single moiety. With collaborators across the company, we are applying their utility across different disease areas to recruit cytotoxic effector cells to tumor cells or serve as ligand mimetic to activate signaling pathways.

In addition, we are also interested in improving antibody delivery to cellular compartments and tissues previously poorly accessible to antibodies.

Valency of HER2 Targeting Antibodies Influences Tumor Cell Internalization and Penetration

Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, ISSN: 15388514 15357163

Madeleine K. Ramos; Danielle Mandikian; Lauren N. Sermeño; Anna King; Alecia T. Dent; Jason Ho; Sheila Ulufatu; T. Noelle Lombana; Christoph Spiess; MaryAnn Go; Shang-Fan Yu; Amrita Kamath; Gregory Z. Ferl; C. Andrew Boswell

Attention: This page may not render properly. The browser you are using, Internet Explorer 10, is no longer supported.

We are actively responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic. For more, please visit our COVID-19 response page, or call 1-877-436-3683. See the latest update on Actemra® (tocilizumab) supply here.

Christoph Spiess

Senior Principal Scientist (Technology), Antibody Engineering

Featured Publication

Bispecific antibodies with natural architecture produced by co-culture of bacteria expressing two distinct half-antibodies.