Proteome-wide Association Studies of Metabolites and Kidney Function

• Applicant: Dr. Pascal Schlosser
• Subject Area: Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
• Term: from 2023 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 523737608

Proteins perform a vast array of molecular functions in humans, from catalyzing metabolic reactions, providing structure to cells and organisms, to transporting molecules from one location to another. Moreover, proteins are the most common target of pharmaceutical interventions. As such, gaining insights into the physiological function performed by proteins, as well as into associations between proteins and diseases is of high interest. In the proposed research project, we would like to study physiological and pathophysiological protein functions based on the integration of several types of high-throughput molecular data derived from large human population studies. In brief, the major aims of this proposal are: 1. The identification of candidate proteins that cause changes in plasma metabolites. 2. The identification of candidate proteins that cause changes in kidney function. 3. The extension of methods to identify protein biomarkers by incorporation of epigenetic in addition to genetic information. Addressing these aims will generate a novel, comprehensive network of connections between the proteome and the metabolome. The connections are established in population-based and patient- based studies and thus represent an in vivo readout that will lead to a better understanding of the role of the plasma proteome in relation to kidney physiology and pathophysiology. The proposal can build on a unique combination of studies with decades of follow-up and participants that have been thoroughly characterized at the level of the phenome, proteome, metabolome, genome and epigenome.

• DFG Programme: WBP Position