AEI 26 |
| Cell surface glycans are major determinants of cell-cell interactions. Changes in cell surface glycosylation mark the onset of cancer and inflammation. Progress toward delineating the molecular basis of glycan function, however, has been rather slow. Conventional genetic and biochemical approaches for elucidating glycan function, and its relevance to disease, have yielded limited information. The long term goal of my research is to implement click chemistry as a general tool for fundamental studies of glycobiology. The mentored phase research is to initiate applications of click chemistry for studies of protein glycosylation in the lab of Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi. With the experience and knowledge gained from the research in this period as well as the support from NIH Pathway to Independence Award, I will expand the applications of click chemistry in two new directions in my own independent research group to (1) develop small molecule inhibitors of glycan biosynthetic and processing enzymes and (2) to identify new bioorthogonal reactions for probing protein glycosylation in vivo. Glycans are known to participate in many normal and disease processes. This project will advance our understanding of glycan biosynthesis and carbohydrate-protein interactions related to these disease states. These studies may also offer new avenues for therapeutic intervention. I anticipate that the new chemical tools developed in these studies will have broad applications in biomedical research.
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Academic Employment Initiative
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Sci-Mix
Academic Employment Initiative |