Helmholtz Diabetes Center Institute of Experimental Genetics

The characterization of mutants represents a valuable instrument for functional genome analysis. Novel mouse models for metabolic diseases are in the center of our projects. By unraveling the molecular pathways and pathophysiological events leading, in particular, to diabetes we also transfer the basic research results into the development of novel strategies for diagnosis, prevention and therapy.

Our research focuses on the epigenetic inheritance of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes mostly using the mouse as functional model system. We aim to understand how metabolic phenotypes that are acquired during life - for example, by malnutrition - are inherited from one generation to the next. We want to contribute to a better understanding of this inter-generational epigenetic inheritance and its implications for the observed pandemic of obesity and diabetes in man.

Diabetes and Obesity affect almost 400 million people worldwide and forecasts anticipate an increase of at least 20% by 2030. Epidemiological studies have shown a high degree of genetic predisposition and familial aggregation in both diabetes and obesity. Nevertheless, lifestyle interventions have proven valuable in disease prevention and management. We study physiological and pathological aspects of gene-environment interaction and epigenetic control of inheritance and aim to find novel targets and/or mechanisms towards effective strategies for disease prevention.

The German Mouse Clinic (GMC) as an open access phenotyping platform offers comprehensive phenotyping of mouse models in a systemic primary screen. Scientists with expert knowlegde from various fields of mouse physiology and pathology work together on evaluating numerous physiological pathways.

The European Mouse Mutant Archive is an INFRAFRONTIER core service for collection, archiving and distribution of mutant mice valuable for scientific and medical research. The IEG is one INFRAFRONTIER partner operating the German EMMA node with a main focus on cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization.

Advances in medical research revealed that a disease phenotype is the result of pathobiological processes that interact in complex networks. A large body of information generated in decades of experimental research is hidden in the scientific literature. Our aim is to generate high-quality databases that describe experimentally validated interactions between molecules and processes involved in the development of diseases.

We initiate and take lead in projects that use artificial intelligence methods on large mouse phenotyping datasets from the German Mouse Clinic (GMC) or from external sources. We develop and maintain highly customised IT infrastructure and solutions for our institute. Such as the in-house developed application "MausDB" , a modular laboratory information management system (LIMS). And we support IEG research projects internally with our IT expertise and tools.