EAGER: Engineering bacterial lectins for glycomics analysis

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1452290ChenGeorgia TechGlycosylation is the process that attaches glycans to proteins, lipids, or other organic molecules. Glycans on proteins and lipids may serve as markers or identifiers in many vital biological processes such as cell growth, cell-cell interactions,and cell mig. Unusual glycosylation has been implicated in many different types of diseases including cancer. The lack of simple and effective tools to detect glycolsylation creates a significant obstacle to the advances in this area. The PI proposes a study to develop new tools and methods useful to assist in the detection of glycolsylation that are low cost and simple to use. Two specific aims are proposed: Aim 1: the PI proposes to develop and validate a novel glycoprotein quantification method, which can be incorporated into commonly used protein separation techniques. If successful the work proposed in could extend the use of 1-D and 2-D electrophoresis separation techniques. It could also make these tools more reliably employed and useful tool for glycoscience. Aim 2: As an example the PI proposes to demonstrate that the developed methods could be used for a real-time label-free bacterial surface glycome profiling and for study of dynamics of bacterial glycosylation in response to environmental conditions. The proposal also plans to incorporate engineered lectin molecules into the common protein separation and analysis format, such as SDS gel electrophoresis. If successful, this will change how glycans are detected by eliminating the need for antibody and other expensive reagents commonly in the processes. The proposed research may advance the development of much needed tools to simplify methods commonly used in glycoscience research. The success of the research has the potential to make glycomic analysis less arduous and less time consuming, less labor and material intensive. As a result, glycomic analysis may no longer be conducted by only a small number of specialized laboratories and may become much more accessible to a common laboratory. Thus the research will have significant impact on the field by bringing low cost tools to glycoscience researchers.