While recognition of glycans by other molecules with high affinity and exquisite specificity is at the heart of the early and accurate detection of such diseases, selective glycan recognition remains a daunting task due to their inherent diversity and complexity. The aim of this innovative Fellowship is to use concepts and tools from lipid membrane biophysics and molecular imprinting to provide synthetic recognition platforms with high sensitivity and specificity for glycans.
Glycans, also referred to as carbohydrates, occur as simple or complex structures in free form or in many different kinds of glycoconjugates, which include glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans. Glycans carry information in biological systems that make them an important source of biomarkers for wide range of diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, hereditary disorders, immune deficiencies, cardiovascular diseases and many types of cancers.