Glycomics
Material studied: Carbohydrates
Methods used: Mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography
Glycans are carbohydrate (sugar) molecules with a huge array of structural diversity. Usually found attached to proteins or lipids, they are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, including protein folding, cell adhesion, signaling, and recognition of bacteria and viruses.
Glycomics—the study of the complete set of glycans in the system, as well as the molecules they modify—is an emerging field for which technologies such as mass spectrometry and glycan arrays are being developed.
