Big Data Analysis

The haploid human genome consists of 3.1 x 10⁹ base pairs with over 600 million known genetic variants in our DNA sequence. Genetic variation is the basis of our individual uniqueness; nevertheless, most of the functional consequences of such variation remains elusive. The field of human genetics jointly analyses highly complex data sets from various sources to reveal biological processes and to shed light on biological consequences influenced by genetic variability.

Such investigations require an efficient and skillful handling of data to evaluate millions of individual measurements in order to identify meaningful and reproducible effects. Furthermore, there is nothing more personal than our genetic makeup and, consequently, these data need to be handled with utmost care and protection from unauthorized access. Our Institute has many decades of experience in the field of complex data analysis. We apply a great range of methods to investigate genetic variability and their consequences, specifically related to our model system, the mammalian retina.