Glycobiology encompasses the study of the complex sugars found attached to proteins and cell membranes as well as the receptors that recognise them.

One focus within this theme is structural characterisation of such glycans, using mass spectrometry as a primary tool. Systems of particular interest include glycobiology of host/pathogen and host/ commensal interactions, basic metabolism impacting on glycosylation, glycobiology of mammalian fertilization and reproduction and plant cell wall biosynthesis.

A second focus is glycan-binding receptors that are responsible for cell-cell communcation and for glycan-dependent trafficking of glycoproteins. These receptors are particularly important in the immune system, where they both serve as adhesion receptors and participate in pathogen recognition as part of the innate immune response. The aim is to understand how these receptors respond to the information in complex sugar structures at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels.

Research groups