DNA Analysis

Partners: CNG, Oxford

Individual differences in DNA sequence are the genetic basis of human variability and by comparing the genetic profiles of subjects with a disease (or at high risk of developing a disease) with healthy controls we can identify the genetic differences associated with disease risk.

Knowledge of the common sequence variants in the human genome and the degree to which they are in linkage disequilibrium (LD), as revealed by efforts such as the HapMap project, allow MolPAGE investigators to identify and evaluate genetic risk factors in common metabolic disease much more efficiently than has ever previously been possible. A number of whole genome association studies in T2D, obesity and CVD are ongoing with data likely to be made publicly available in 2007.  WP10 will keep track of these data and combine with a genetic analysis of specific candidate loci in MolPAGE samples from WP1 using a range of high-throughput genotyping methods available to the consortium. An important output from WP10 will be the opportunity for WP8 and WP9 to relate and integrate genetic data to the variation observed in metabolites, gene expression and proteins from the same patients collected by WP1.