Microbiome dysbiosis and metabolic remodeling mechanisms in sleep-deprivation-induced depressive-like behaviors

This non-commercial academic research project investigates gut microbiome dysbiosis and host
metabolic remodeling related to sleep-deprivation-induced depressive-like phenotypes. Our
research group has generated animal 16S rRNA sequencing, untargeted LC-MS metabolomics, and
behavioral phenotype data from a sleep deprivation model. The animal experiments are covered by
institutional animal ethics approval for local animal procedures only. The requested DMP/EGA work
is a secondary analysis of controlled-access anonymized human gut metagenomic data and does not
involve new human participant recruitment, contact, intervention, sample collection, return of
results, or any attempt to identify individuals. We request access to the Dutch Microbiome Project
(DMP) data as a large-scale human gut shotgun metagenomic reference cohort to provide human
population context and external consistency assessment for animal-derived candidate microbial taxa
and functional pathways. We attach high importance to participant privacy, research ethics, data
security, and full compliance with all Lifelines, DMP, EGA, DAC, publication, acknowledgement, and
data protection rules. The planned workflow is as follows. First, approved Project Data will be
downloaded only through authorized EGA access routes by the named registered user. Second, the
data will be stored only on a dedicated Dell Precision T7920 local workstation at Southeast
University. This workstation is an encrypted and access-controlled authorized device used for
research analysis within our laboratory environment. Access will be restricted to approved named
personnel through local account authentication and device-level authorization. Project Data will not
be copied to personal computers, public cloud storage, email attachments, unencrypted external
drives, or unapproved portable media, and will not be transferred to unapproved users. Third, we
will record access and file provenance, check file integrity, organize the received raw and/or
processed metagenomic files, and preferentially use available processed taxonomy and functional
pathway profiles where possible to avoid unnecessary reprocessing. Fourth, candidate microbial
genera, species-level features where appropriate, and functional pathways identified from our
animal 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS metabolomics analyses will be conservatively mapped to
comparable DMP metagenomic features. Cross-species comparisons will be restricted to
interpretable taxonomy- and pathway-level matches. Fifth, we will perform only non-identifying
aggregate analyses describing distribution, prevalence, co-occurrence, and functional context of
candidate features in the human DMP cohort, using approved DMP data and available basic
phenotypes. Any derived intermediate files containing Project Data or sample-level DMP information
will be protected under the same restrictions as the original data. No individual-level diagnosis, risk
prediction, re-identification, participant contact, or causal claim about sleep deprivation and
depressive phenotypes will be made. Results will be reported only as aggregate summaries, tables,
figures, and interpretations for thesis work and manuscript preparation. If additional detailed
Lifelines phenotype data are needed, we will submit a separate Lifelines request. At project
completion, or earlier if required, all local copies, temporary files, intermediate files containing
Project Data, and backups under our control will be securely deleted or destroyed, retaining only
permitted aggregate results and required compliance records.