Projects
Innovative science for a healthier tomorrow.We present our third-party funded projects in English, the working language of the international scientific community. This ensures clarity for cooperation partners, reviewers, and funding institutions.
Our portfolio includes collaborative research centers and individual grants focusing on kidney, metabolic, cardiovascular and cancer-related phenotypes, integrating genetics and other multi-omics data, and using advanced statistical and computational methods. Completed projects are documented in the archive.
Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1453: Nephrogenetics • NephGen
Contact person: Anna Köttgen (Spokesperson)
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG)
This CRC uses evidence from genetic kidney diseases to identify, characterize, and modify molecules and pathways that represent targets to improve the prevention and treatment of kidney disease. Members of our institute (A. Köttgen, P. Schlosser, U. Schultheiss, M. Wuttke) are principal investigators of several CRC Projects (P13, P15, P16 and S1), in which additional members of the institute work.
More information: SFB 1453
Unbiased in vivo screening of large, multi-omic datasets to connect signalling proteins to human traits and diseases
Contact person: Pascal Schlosser, Anna Köttgen
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany’s Excellence Strategy (CIBSS - EXC-2189: C17)
This project explores how proteins and small molecules (metabolites) work together to send signals inside the body, and how this affects health and disease. Using powerful computational methods, we combine genetic, protein, and metabolite data from very large population studies to uncover connections between proteins, metabolic changes, and diseases. Our research will create a resource where scientists can look up proteins or metabolites to see its links to diseases, helping bridge the gap between basic discoveries and human health. By studying human data, we aim to understand how metabolites act as “messenger molecules” between organs.
More information: CIBSS
Epidemiologic, genetic and translational analyses of radiomics-based kidney features of two large, population-based studies
Contact person: Anna Köttgen
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2177/KO 3598/6-2: Radiomics: Next Generation of Biomedical Imaging). This priority program advances the diagnostic and prognostic value of medical imaging by implementing “Radiomics” and improved image interpretation approaches in different clinical scenarios. Our subproject is devoted to identify imaging biomarkers of kidney function/disease from whole-body MRI using machine learning to improve diagnosis, classification, and monitoring in chronic kidney disease.
More information: Radiomics
Machine learning aided causal inference: Harnessing Multidimensional Omics Data to Improve Understanding of Complex Diseases
Contact person: Pascal Schlosser
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG, Emmy-Noether Research Group, SCHL 2292/3–1)
Machine-learning-aided causal inference across multidimensional omics to map protein/metabolite–disease links at scale; prioritizes therapeutic targets (including mitochondria–metabolite–kidney function axes).
More information: DFG - GEPRIS
Reciprocal transfer of knowledge from population-based genetic screens to whole-body, organ-resolved models of human metabolism • SmallData – CRC 1597; Project B06
Contact person: Anna Köttgen
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Integrates genetic association results with whole-body constraint-based models to generate and validate mechanistic insights into human metabolism – closing the loop between in silico modeling and population genetics.
More information: CRC 1597 - SmallData
Data analysis, integration, and modelling • OncoEscape – CRC 1479; Project S1
Contact person: Anna Köttgen
Funding body: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Provides standardized and advanced NGS, single-cell RNA-seq, and proteomics workflows for human tumor samples; develops biomarker discovery and novel proteomics methods to study oncogene-driven immune escape.
More information: CRC 1479 - OncoEscape
NAKO Health Study, Freiburg Study Site • NAKO
Contact person: Anna Köttgen
Funding body: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), institutional funding
The NAKO (DRKS00037328) is Germany’s largest population-based cohort study. It aims to investigate the development, distribution, and risk factors of chronic diseases among a representative sample of adults. This grant funds our study site in Freiburg, one of 18 participant recruttment sites.
More information: NAKO Studienzentrum Freiburg
PERsonalized MIcrobiome-Based Approaches to Early Onset Colorectal Cancer PreventION, Diagnosis and Management • PerMiCCion
Contact person: Stefanie Jaskulski
Funding body: BMFTR (ehemals BMBF) 01KD2101E
PerMiCCion is a strategic research alliance of world-leading researchers joining forces to apply personalized microbiome-based approaches to help in the early detection, monitoring, treatment, and prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC).
More information: PerMiCCion