RTF V: Clinical and Nutritional Metabolomics

Coordinators: M. Laudes (CAU), K. Schwarz (CAU), A. Tholey (CAU), S. Waschina (CAU)

RTF V studies the metabolic exchange (co-metabolism) between host and microbiome, i.e. all the micro-organisms in the body, in inflammatory diseases. It considers the questions of what contribution the microbiome makes to the metabolism and how metabolic products, what is known as the metabolome, and the microbiome can be changed by one another. The aim here is to identify biomarkers for successful treatments and individual responses to pharmaceutical and dietary interventions.

For this purpose, RTF V is developing new methods of analyzing the metabolome and the proteome and is making advances in models for co-metabolism and miniaturization of analytical systems for the metabolome and proteome including immunogenic peptides. It is using biosamples to generate organoids and perform fermentations as “clinical trials in a dish”. It is also developing bioinformatic prediction models for metabolic performance and the co-metabolism of host and microbiome as well as routines for knowledge-based evaluation.

What does this research area’s work build on?

Interactions between metabolites and the microbiome are ubiquitous in the human body. The microbiome has a profound influence on the human metabolome and proteome and, in turn, the metabolome and the proteome influence the microbiome. This crosstalk between microbiome and metabolome/proteome influences many human diseases through a large number of mechanisms.

High and ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry platforms have been established to study the metabolome and proteome. These platforms provide the basis for studies on metabolomics ranging from data acquisition to bioinformatic and statistical evaluation. They are supported by many years of experience in the analysis of metabolites and miniaturization of analytical systems for peptides, peptidomes, proteins and proteomes.

What are the main research objectives?

With the aid of explorative metabolome-wide association studies, multivariate machine learning models as well as targeted and detailed analysis of the metabolome and proteome in experimental studies, the objective is to identify mechanisms of inflammatory diseases, develop new treatment strategies and predict the success of treatments for individual patients.

The existing infrastructure for metabolome and proteome research is to be further expanded to create a strong, central, science and technology-based unit. Innovative analytical and experimental approaches are to be introduced and existing analytical platforms supplemented by other platforms. Among other measures, a core unit for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolomics is to be established to supplement the existing mass spectrometry platforms. New prediction models for the metabolic function of microbiota are to be created and metabolome and proteome data verified.

What makes this research area special?

Research on the interaction between metabolome, microbiome and host is a relatively young field of research in which new methods and technologies are being developed that are expected to produce far-reaching findings for health and the prevention and treatment of diseases.

The field of metabolome and proteome research is founded on many disciplines of natural sciences and is a highly interdisciplinary science that combines methods from chemistry, physics, biology and bioinformatics through to materials science.

What does the research area contribute to precision medicine in chronic inflammation?

Knowledge of molecular processes, especially at the level of the active molecule (peptides/proteins/metabolites), is a prerequisite for the diagnosis and understanding of these diseases and is a key to the development of treatments. In order to achieve holistic understanding in terms of systems medicine and systems biology, the data generated is combined with data from other areas of the cluster, e.g. on the metagenome of microbiota. The foundation for this will be advanced through the development of comprehensive metabolite databases and prediction models of the metabolism for future integrative analyses. The availability of new, more rapid and more sensitive analytical methods is essential, especially in the field of precision medicine.

 

Cooperation with other research areas in the Cluster

  • CD II: Investigation of the metabolome in intervention studies with nicotinamide on Tryptophan metabolism
  • RTF III: Development and implementation of low cell number/single cell proteomics and multi-omics for the analysis of in vitro models collected from patient material (“clinical trial in a dish”)
  • RTF VII: Expansion and validation of theoretical models of co-metabolism between microbiome and human.
  • TI-II: Identification and molecular characterization of immunogenic peptides

Members

Prof. Dr. med. Konrad Aden

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I

Prof. Dr. John Baines

Full member

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Institute of Experimental Medicine
Evolutionary Genomics

Prof. Dr. med. Thorsten Bartsch

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Neurology

Prof. Dr. Lars Bertram

Full member

University of Lübeck
Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA)

Anja Bosy-Westphal, Prof. Dr. Dr.

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
Human Nutrition

Prof. Dr. Hauke Busch

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
System Biology of Inflammatory Diseases

Dr. Tobias Demetrowitsch

Associated member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
Food Technology
AG Prof. Schwarz

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Derer-Petersen

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
RG Molecular Gastroenterology

Prof. Dr. Christof Dörfer

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dental Conservation Customer and Periodontology

Prof. Dr. Marc Ehlers

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
Immunology and Glycoanalytics

Prof. Dr. med. Mark Ellrichmann

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I
Interdisciplinary Endoscopy

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Andre Franke

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Genetics & Bioinformatics

PD Dr. Andreas Frey

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Mucosal Immunology and Diagnostic
Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy

Prof. Dr. Timo Gemoll

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of General Surgery

Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Integrated Systems and Photonics

Dr. Nicolas Gisch

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Bioanalytical Chemistry
Priority Research Area Infections

Dr. med. Rainer Günther

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Günther

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Harder

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Markus Hoffmann

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology

Prof. Dr. Jan-Bernd Hövener

Full member

MOIN CC
Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology
Biomedical Imaging

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Hundt

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology

Prof. Dr. Saleh Ibrahim

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
Genetics of Inflammatory Diseases

Prof. Dr. med. Olav Jansen

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology

Dr. med. Lina Jegodzinski

Associated member
UKSH Campus Lübeck
Medical Department I
AG Prof. Marquardt

Prof. Dr. Christoph Kaleta

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Experimental Medicine
c/o Transfusion Medicine

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ben Krause-Kyora

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology
Ancient DNA Research

Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Laudes

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Diabetes and Clinical Metabolic Research

Prof. Dr. med. Wolfgang Lieb

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Epidemiology

Prof. Dr. med. Oliver Müller

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine III
Translational Cardiology

Dr. rer. nat. Christian Peters

Associated member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology
AG Prof. Kabelitz

Prof. Dr. Thomas Peters

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics

Alina Pisarevskaja

Associated member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
Food Technology
AG Prof. Schwarz

Prof. Dr. Gabriela Riemekasten

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Roeder

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Zoology
Molecular Physiology

Prof. Dr. Christian Sadik

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology
Innate immunity

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Heiner Schäfer

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Experimental Cancer Research
c/o Department of Internal Medicine I

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schaible

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Cellular Microbiology
Priority Research Area Infections

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schmidt

Full member

Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Global Cooperation and Social Cohesion

Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Schreiber

Spokesperson

Kiel University
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology

Prof. Dr. med. Dominik M. Schulte

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Institute of Diabetology and clinical metabolism research

Prof. Dr. Markus Schwaninger

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

Prof. Dr. Karin Schwarz

Full member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
Food Technology

PD Dr. Dominik Schwudke

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Bioanalytical Chemistry
Priority Research Area Infections

apl. Prof. Dr. Frank Sönnichsen

Full member

Kiel University
Otto Diels Institute of Organic Chemistry
Spectroscopic Division

Svenja Starke

Associated member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
AG Prof. Waschina

Prof. Dr. Silke Szymczak

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Medical Biometrics and Statistics

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Silvio Waschina

Associated member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
Nutriinformatics

Prof. Dr. Stephan Weidinger

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology

Sina Zimmermann

Associated member

Kiel University
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science
AG Prof. Waschina