Approved Research

The influence of germline and somatic genetic variation on susceptibility to infectious diseases

Lay summary

We are not equal when it comes to infections. The goal of this project is to understand the relationship between the differences we have in our genetic code and the way we respond when we are exposed to infectious agents like viruses and bacteria. Using the wealth of genetic and clinical data shared by UK Biobank (UKB) participants, we will search for small changes in the genome, or genetic variants, that make people more or less susceptible to a range of infectious diseases. We will use large-scale bioinformatic and statistical approaches to identify the places in the genome that explain the diversity in response against infections observed between humans. Identifying such genetic factors can help us better understand how the human body works, in particular in term of immunity, and could suggest new ways of fighting infectious diseases.