Many protein drugs have sugar molecules attached which affect their function and longevity in the body. 

The biological process for sugar attachment to the glycoproteins does not have a strict template—rather it is controlled by the availability of enzymes and substrates.  Therefore, most commercial glycoproteins are a mixture of structures with varying properties. 

This project seeks to take the process of glycoprotein production outside the cell where we can exert more control over it. 

Using a series of enzyme reactions in vitro and model-based design of a specialised bioreactor, we are developing an artificial Golgi reactor that can make homogeneous glycoproteins tailored to any desired sugar structure.