About the Authors

Felix Grassmann

Affiliation Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, D-93053, Germany

Monika Fleckenstein

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, D-53127, Germany

Emily Y. Chew

Affiliation National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892–1204, United States of America

Tobias Strunz

Affiliation Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, D-93053, Germany

Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, D-53127, Germany

Arno P. Göbel

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, D-53127, Germany

Michael L. Klein

Affiliation Macular Degeneration Center, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, and Devers Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States of America

Rinki Ratnapriya

Affiliation National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892–1204, United States of America

Anand Swaroop

Affiliation National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892–1204, United States of America

Frank G. Holz

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, D-53127, Germany

Bernhard H. F. Weber

bweb@klinik.uni-regensburg.de

Affiliation Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, D-93053, Germany

Competing Interests

MF: Member of advisory board at Novartis Pharma GmbH, Genentech Inc., consultancy for or receipt of speaker's fees from Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Research grants from Genentech Inc., Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Optos GmbH, and Zeiss Deutschland. Patent (US20140303013 A1). SSV: Consultancy with Novartis Pharma GmbH, honoraria lectures for Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Optos GmbH, and research grants from Allergan Inc., Genentech Inc., Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Optos GmbH, Hoffmann-La Roche, Topcon GmbH, and Zeiss Deutschland. APG: Consultancy with Novartis Pharma GmbH, research grants from Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Optos GmbH, and Zeiss Deutschland. AS: Royalties from the University of Michigan for AMD-related patent (USPTO 8,119,348). FGH: Consultant and advisory board member for Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, research grants from Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Optos GmbH and Zeiss Deutschland; speaker's fee from Heidelberg Engineering GmbH and Optos GmbH. BHFW: Consultant for Alcon Pharma and Genentech Inc.; Advisory board member for Novartis Pharma; Research grant from Allergan Inc. This does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. FG, EYC, TS, MLK, and RR have no competing financial interests to declare.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: BHFW FGH. Performed the experiments: FG TS. Analyzed the data: FG MF SSV APG FGH EYC MLK RR AS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: EYC MLK RR AS. Wrote the paper: FG MF EYC SSV APG MLK RR AS FGH BHFW.