The main emphasis of my research group is on protein-carbohydrate interactions that play a role in many important biological processes. The recognition of specific glycans by lectins is an important regulatory mechanism of immune physiology in health and disease. However the precise mechanism by which recognition of these glycans at the molecular level contributes functionally to disease progression is not yet fully understood. The inherited complexity of protein glycosylation and the weak nature of the interaction between carbohydrates and proteins constitute an important barrier to understanding the functional significance of protein glycosylation on the molecular level. Our goals are to address this knowledge gap by using multidisciplinary approaches at the interface of chemistry and biology to elucidate carbohydrate recognition systems of biological and medical relevance.
