Dr. Sabrina Witthoff

M.Sc. Biotechnology
German Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
European Trademark and Design Attorney
Registered representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)

Sabrina is a founding partner of Witthoff Jaekel Steinecke. She is specialized in granting procedures for patents and utility models in the life sciences sector and coordinates the international prosecution of technical property rights. In addition, she has extensive experience in litigation and advises clients on the establishment of an IP portfolio and the enforcement of their rights against competitors, in particular with regard to the freedom to operate rights in the development of biosimilars and generics.

Sabrina studied Biosciences (B.Sc) and Biotechnology (M.Sc) at the University of Münster and did her Master’s thesis at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. She then worked for six months as a research associate at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore. She obtained her doctorate in molecular biotechnology at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences of the Forschungszentrum Jülich and gained experience through her research work in an international chemical company in addition to her doctorate. In addition to her profound knowledge in molecular biology, biotechnology and microbiology, in particular in microbial strain development, she has experience in biochemistry, bioprocess engineering, cell biology and developmental biology.

Curriculum vitae

2023

Registered representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)

2020

Founding partner of WITTHOFF JAEKEL STEINECKE

2015

Joining the Jülich Office of MÜLLER FOTTNER STEINECKE

2014 - 2015

Postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences of the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany focusing on microbial production of valuable plant natural products

2011 – 2014

Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in biology with Prof. Dr. Michael Bott at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences of the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. Ph.D. student as part of the scholarship program "CLIB-Graduate Cluster Industrial Biotechnology" pursuing an additional research stay at the BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Doctoral thesis: "Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum towards utilization of methanol as carbon and energy source"

2010 - 2011

Research stay at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Singapore in the group of Dr. Philipp Kaldis focusing on cell cycle control and mouse genetics, especially on studies regarding the function of Mastl kinase in cell cycle control

2008 - 2010

Master’s course Biotechnology at the University of Münster, Germany pursuing an additional research stay at the BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany in the division fermentation products research. Master’s thesis in the field of molecular biology and biochemistry with Prof. Dr. Michael Bott at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences of the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany "Characterization of the putative formate dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum"

2005 - 2008

Bachelor’s course Biosciences at the University of Münster pursuing and additional research stay at the Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Guadalajara, Mexico. Bachelor’s thesis in the field of microbial strain development with Prof. Dr. Alexander Steinbüchel at the Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology "Synthesis of L-aspartic acid in Actinobacillus succinogenes 130 Z – Implementation of a deletion system"

Publications

  • "Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for methanol metabolism."
    Witthoff S, Schmitz K, Niedenführ S, Nöh K, Noack S, Bott M, Marienhagen J
    Appl Environ Microbiol 81 (2015), 2215-2225

  • "C1 Metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum: an endogenous pathway for oxidation of methanol to carbon dioxide."
    Witthoff S, Mühlroth A, Marienhagen J, Bott M
    Appl Environ Microbiol 79 (2013), 6974-6983

  • "Corynebacterium glutamicum harbours a molybdenum cofactor-dependent formate dehydrogenase which alleviates growth inhibition in the presence of formate."
    Witthoff S, Eggeling L, Bott M, Polen T
    Microbiology 158 (2012), 2428-2439

  • "Establishment of cyanophycin biosynthesis in Pichia pastoris and optimization by use of engineered cyanophycin synthetases."
    Steinle A, Witthoff S, Krause JP, Steinbüchel A
    Appl Environ Microbiol 76 (2010), 1062-1070